Abstract:
What is today called the social economy, or social entrepreneurship, includes some very old organizations such as credit unions, agricultural co-operatives, and the YMCAs. It also includes very new initiatives such as the many nonprofit recycling businesses, parent-run day care centres, worker- and consumer-owned cooperatives, social enterprises offering jobs to the marginalized, cooperative and nonprofit housing, and thousands of other initiatives. In this article, Nancy Neamtam describes an emerging cohort of young social entrepreneurs who are combining social goals and entrepreneurial strategies with brio. In Quebec, the social economy &emdash; which includes local and community economic development organizations; and the women's, social housing, labour, and environmental movements &emdash; accounts for over 10,000 organizations, employs over 100,000 workers and has sales of over $4.3 billion. Yet public policy has a way to go to fully embrace this diverse sector, which is still seen largely as philanthropic and outside the economic sphere, says Neamtam. The social economy is a manifestation of positive and active citizenship that governments need to recognize and support.