Social and solidarity economy and international solidarity: what bridges exist for overseas territories?

On the occasion of the World Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy (GSEF) 2025, The overseas territories have asserted their unique place in the landscape of the’social and solidarity economy and of the international solidarity. Present at the event were representatives and partners of the program. COREOOM affirmed the need to shine a spotlight on the overseas territories, given that the social and solidarity economy (SSE) constitutes a natural gateway to rooted, concrete and sustainable regional cooperation.

In the Caribbean, Amazon, and Indian Ocean basins, initiatives led by overseas civil societies have long intersected social, cultural, environmental, and economic issues. They are part of dynamics of proximity with neighboring territories, where international solidarity is experienced less as an abstract principle than as a daily practice. to do together.

Social and solidarity economy territories with an international focus

Discussions at GSEF 2025 highlighted a shared observation: social economy actors in the French overseas territories are already engaged in regional and/or international collaborations, whether in culture, sport, the environment, equality, or health. These projects, led by social economy associations and organizations, act as laboratories for solutions to common challenges—climate change, social inclusion, knowledge transfer, and ecosystem preservation.

In this context, COREOOM It is therefore conceived as a facilitating mechanism, capable of linking the logic of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) with the frameworks of international solidarity. By supporting projects at the intersection of these two fields, the program helps to make hybrid practices more visible, where local social impact interacts with regional-scale cooperation.

CORÉOM, a bridge between social and solidarity economy and international solidarity

Launched in 2024, CORÉOM supports overseas civil society organizations in structuring and implementing regional cooperation, both in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. The program goes beyond financial support: it offers a local support, ensured with the support of the Regional Multi-Actor Networks, and promotes skills development, networking and the visibility of initiatives.

This approach fully resonates with the principles championed within the GSEF: multi-stakeholder cooperation, local roots, reciprocal partnerships, and the pursuit of lasting impact. Through CORÉOM, the social and solidarity economy in France's overseas territories finds a framework for engaging with international solidarity actors, while remaining true to its values and practices.

Networking to scale up

The presence of CORÉOM and its partners at GSEF 2025 also underscored the importance of network, beyond institutional and geographical boundaries. By giving visibility to projects carried out from the Overseas Territories, the program helps to broaden the circles of committed actors, to create bridges with other territories of the world and to foster collective reflection on models of cooperation.

In a global context marked by social, economic and climate uncertainties, the experiences of the French overseas territories remind us that the link between social and solidarity economy and international solidarity can constitute a powerful lever of transformation, provided that it relies on appropriate mechanisms, balanced partnerships and recognition of local knowledge.

The Overseas Territories, full-fledged actors in international cooperation

Through CORÉOM, the Overseas Territories are asserting their role not only as spaces for experimentation, but as full-fledged actors in international cooperation. The GSEF 2025 provided an international platform to make this voice heard, to promote practices from local areas and to remind everyone that international solidarity gains strength when it is rooted in local realities and the dynamics of the social and solidarity economy.