The Role of Social and Solidarity Economy in Tanzania
Keywords:
Social and Solidarity Economy, Co-operatives, Associations, and TanzaniaAbstract
This paper attempts to discuss the role of that Social and Solidarity Economy (SSEs) in developing countries that is increasingly becoming a topical development agenda. However, there is no common definition of the SSEs. For the purposes of this paper SSE refers to specific forms of organizations and enterprises – formal and informal, which includes co-operatives, associations, mutual benefits societies, community – based organizations, social enterprises and foundations. They are distinct organizations that share certain commonalities that distinguish them from public sector and profit oriented enterprises. In some cases it is dubbed many names including the “third sectorâ€, “Non-Profit Organizationsâ€, or “popular economyâ€.
Â
The paper identifies five forms of SSEs that actively operate in Tanzania, namely Co-operatives, NGOs, Associations, Foundations and Community based Organizations. The paper notes that all these forms of SSEs are playing critical roles in the advancement of both economic and social development of individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole through contribution to local development and poverty reduction, employment creation, provision of social services and environmental protection, improved access to financial services, and social protection, and advancement of human rights. Furthermore, they facilitate the promotion of democratic practices and good governance principles in the country.
Â
The future of SSEs is bright given the growing social and economic ills of the contemporary world. For this reason, developing countries including Tanzania must create conducive environment for SSEs to grow and operate effectively within the national legal and socially acceptable frameworks. However, SSEs also experiences some problems and challenges as well.
Â
References
• Bee, F. K.. “Fair Trade – Fair Futures: The Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union Scholarship Programme for Children Made Vulnerable by AIDSâ€, Working Paper No. 6. ILO Geneva: ILO COOPAfrica, 2009.
• Bee, F. K. “The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Agricultural Marketing Co-operatives in Developing Countries: The Case Study of Tanzaniaâ€. Visiting Research Fellows, VRF Series No. 289. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies Tokyo, 1996..
• Biety, Monnie, M. “Tanzania Inception Report: Strengthening of SACCOS Supervisory Function at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co-operativesâ€. Dodoma: Registrar of Co-operative Societies/WOCCU, Inc., March, 2011
• Caiden, G. Administrative Reforms Comes of Age. New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1991.
• Defourny, J. & P. Develtere. “The Social Economy: The Worldwide Making of a Third Sectorâ€, In J. Defourny, P. Develtere, B. Fonteneau, & M. Nyssens (eds.) The Worldwide Making of Social Economy: Innovations and Changes, Leuven: ACCO, 2009.
• Ellis, F. Agricultural Price Policy in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Fonteneau, B. & N. Neamtam, & F. Wayama, & L. P. Morais and M. de Poorter. The Reader: Social and Solidarity Economy: Building a Common Understanding, Turin: ILO/ITC, 2010.
• Hyden, G. Beyond Ujamaa in Tanzania: Underdevelopment and Uncaptured Peasantry. London: Heinemann, 1980.
• ILO. “Co-operating for a better future! The Revival of African Co-operative Enterprises and their role in fostering empowerment, equity, decent work and secure livelihoodsâ€. Dar es Salaam: ILO Co-operative Facility for Africa (Draft), 2011.
• Kimario, A. 1992. Marketing Co-operatives in Tanzania: Problems and Prospects. Dar Es Salaam: Dar es Salaam University Press.
• Kiondo, A. “When the State Withdraws: Local Development, Politics and Liberalization in Tanzaniaâ€, In P. Gibbon (eds.) Liberalized Development in Tanzania. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrika Institutel, 1995.
• Ndumbaro, L. & A. Kiondo. ’Defining the Non-Profit Sector: The Tanzania Experience†In Aga Khan Development Network The Third Sector in Tanzania: Learning More about CSO, their Capabilities, and Challenges. John Hopkins University Non-Profit Organization Study, 2007.
• Ndumbaro, L. “Policy Making in Tanzania: A Contested Terrain†In I. N. Kimambo (ed) Humanities and Social Sciences in East Africa: Theory and Practice. Dar Es Salaam: Dar es Salaam University Press, 2003.
• Pollet, Ignace. “Co-operatives in Africa: The Age of Reconstruction – Synthesis of a survey in nine African Countriesâ€, CoopAfrica Working Paper No. 7. Geneva: ILO CooPAfrica, 2009.
• Schwettmann, J. Co-operatives and Employment in Africa. Geneva: ILO Geneva, 2006.
• Thompson, J. & B. Doherty. “The Diverse World of Social Enterprises: A Collection of Social Enterprise Storiesâ€. In International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 7, pp. 55-77, 2006.
• United Republic of Tanzania. “Hali ya Vyama vya Ushirika nchini hadi Machi, 2011â€. Dodoma: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co-operatives, 2011.
• United Republic of Tanzania. The Co-operative Reform and Modernization Programme: 2005 – 2015. Dodoma: Co-operative Development Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co-operatives, 2005.
• United Republic of Tanzania. Co-operative Development Policy, Dodoma: Co-operative Development Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co-operatives, 2002a.
• United Republic of Tanzania. Household Budget Survey, 2000. Dar es Salaam: Government Printer, 2002b.
• United Republic of Tanzania. National NGOs Policy. Dar es Salaam: Government Printer, 2002.
• www:Caledonia.org.uk/papers/EU-Definition-and-Importance-of-the-Social Economy visited on 20 September, 2011.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
- Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
- It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
- The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
- The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
