About us

VISION

ALOE is an alliance of innovators, entrepreneurs, activists, researchers and political decision-makers that collectively visualizes a responsible, plural and solidarity economy (RPSE). It is a spiky network, just like the ALOE plant, which cures many diseases.

ALOE acknowledges the interplay of three forms of capital, basis for a sustainable development: economic capital, which engages in the production, financing, exchange, and consumption of goods and services; social capital, which includes the peoples, the values, culture, social relations, networks, institutional arrangements and governance of institutions involved in the development of RPSE; and ecological capital comprising the biodiversity and natural resources (land, oceans, rivers, metals, energy sources, air, agriculture, etc). The conservation and management of ecological capital’s productivity serves as the ultimate constraint to the application of both economic and social capital.

ALOE is PLURAL, in the sense that it recognises the diversity of socio-economic stakeholders who participate in different initiatives compatible with the overall vision of RPSE. It also denotes the plurality of forms of capital resources and the means to produce goods and services to meet people’s needs. Also economic behaviour must only be based on financial and material interest and governance principles, but also on redistribution and reciprocity. Although the framework of values in RPSE economy (respect, solidarity, ..) has to be universal, there exists no blue print of local and regional economic systems or activities,

ALOE realizes the importance of informed, collective action by stakeholders for the purpose of creating a global economic order (new paradigm) called RPSE. RPSE is an alternative, and not merely a complementary, to the prevailing economic system which legitimises the dominance of capital over human resources and the environment, and which reduces entrepreneurship and the efficiency of resource allocation to the quest for profit and reduces wealth of society to the economic growth.

ALOE is RESPONSIBLE because it anticipates the long-term social and environmental consequences of different forms of economic behaviour and pro-actively engages the stakeholders to accept and recognises the consequences of their actions. We base ourselves on the three important principles of Agenda 21: 1) “The common but differentiated responsibilities”, which means that who have greater resources at their disposal, have greater responsibility towards society and the environment. 2) “the polluter pays principle” : The one who causes damage, has to pay for it. ; “3) “precaution principle”, be careful with implementing technology when not is sure what the consequences on long term will be (GMO’s, nuclear power, ..). ALOE upholds the value of collectiveness and the sense of co-responsibility of stakeholders for each other, and the necessity of conserving the planet for future generations.

ALOE is SOLIDARITY-based, in as much as it embraces the principles of mutual help, reciprocity and cooperation among stakeholders in undertaking collective actions with differentiated responsibilities in sustaining the process of organising the responsible, plural and solidarity economy.

MISSION

ALOE rallies actors from various disciplines for its central task of collectively designing, reflection, exchange, promote and implement a responsible, plural and solidarity economy (RPSE). It creates various forms of collective efforts to develop, nurture, and enhance sustainable models of RPSE in various countries and regions of the world that contribute to the evolution of a global value chain of RPSE.