"The
social economy consists of association-based economic initiatives founded on values of:
- Service to members of community rather than generating profits;
- Autonomous management (not government or market controlled);
- Democratic decision-making;
- Primacy of persons and work over capital;
- Based on principles of participation, empowerment.
The
social economy includes: social assets (housing, childcare, etc.), social enterprises including cooperatives, equity and debt capital for community investment, social purpose businesses, community training and skills development, integrated social and economic planning, and capacity building and community empowerment.
The
social economy is a continuum that goes from the one end of totally voluntary organizations to the other end where the economic activity (social enterprise) blurs the line with the private sector."
(BC Social Economy Roundtable (BCSER),
Defining the Social Economy, visited 2011-04-15)