Africana Development & Feminist Political Economy Portal
Welcome to the information and research portal for the subjects of African Development & Feminist Political Economy. This space is an expanding resource of information and knowledge dissemination concerning mutual aid groups and the social economy of Africans and their diasporas.
Information and resources have been divided into five areas and include everything from multimedia, stories, and news articles, to peer review journals and official reports.
The resources and researchers within are members of the DISE - The Diverse Solidarity Economics Collective.
Topics
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The Black social economy was born out of necessity. Black communities face pervasive racism and exclusion from modern capitalistic financial systems. These individual centred socio-economic organizations are seen all over the Americas and work parallel to state and business sectors.
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Solidarity Economics uses a holistic approach, focusing on a social capital, rather than the narrow financial capital seen in today’s hyper capitalistic systems. It is in this way solidarity economics can meet everyone’s needs. Doing so not only supplants the exclusion of certain communities, but removes the exploitation, imperialism, and colonization that supports such exclusion. By fostering cooperation and dignity over hierarchies and a one-size-fits-all approach to solutions, neighbours are able to exchange skills and resources, which benefit and lift all.
Solidarity economies are at the heart of grassroots coops, neighbourhood and community associations, savings and credit associations, collective kitchens, mutual-aid organizations, and ROSCAs.
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Many businesses created and owned by people of non-White heritage have availed themselves of their community’s social systems and economies to succeed. This space presents examples of the non-white social economies and solidarity economics in practice, allowing for insights into how these inclusive mandates and ideologies function and have been integral to and in these communities.
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ROSCAs, or Rotating Savings And Credit Associations, are self-managed voluntary co-ops used around the world. They have been pioneered by and consist of people who share the same socio-economic class and who are alienated from today’s western financial systems, goods, and services. ROSCAs represent an example of solidarity economies and the Black economy in action.
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This section aims to highlight and amplify works concerning feminist economics, and the subsequent political issues that impact all of society. Involving youth and young adults in these discussions is paramount, as they are the stewards of our future wellbeing.
These issues are discussed on our podcast Diverse Economy Conversations for Youth .
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