Contents

3
Asian Forum KL 2011 -
Basic Information & Program

5
Introduction to Asian Solidarity Economy Forum
by Benjamin R.Quinones, Jr

17
Reflections on Second Asian Forum & pointers
towards KL 2011
by Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria

23
National Organising Committee in Malaysia

1
Introduction

The Asian Solidarity Economy Forum (ASEF) is an

initiative of advocates and practitioners that trumpets the
call for an ‘alternative’, more compassionate economy.
It seeks to draw and galvanize the support of national
networks of social enterprises towards strengthening the
macro and mega systems of solidarity economy.

The Asian Forum KL 2011 is the Third Asian Forum.

The focus is on providing a platform for advocates,
practitioners, academics, policy makers, community
leaders and the business community to interact, share
experiences and draw upon our collective community
innovations for the common good.

ASIAN FORUM KL 2011

Theme : Social Enterprise as a vehicle for Socio-Economic
Transformation of Communities
Date: Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2011
Venue: Seri Cempaka, No 8, Jalan Pudu Ulu, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Tel 603 9289 6888
web site address for registration -
https://sites.google.com/site/scdsef/home

2
The Program Structure for KL 2011

Day 1, October 31, 2011 (Monday)

Advocates/ practitioners from various continents of the world will expound
on the concept and practice of solidarity economy in their respective
continents.

The plenary session in the morning of October 31 will be followed by

break-out workshops in the afternoon which will focus in more details on
the various approaches to solidarity economy already on the ground.

These approaches include fair trade, organic farming, microfinance,

territorial anchorage of alternative economy, social currency/
complementary currencies, eco-tourism and the like.

Day 2, November 1, 2011 (Tuesday)

Plenary sessions in the morning, followed by break-out workshops in the
afternoon, will focus on the issues:

1) How do we measure the performance of social enterprises/

solidarity economy?; and

2) How can we promote social responsibility, solidarity and

reciprocity among social enterprises/ stakeholders of solidarity
economy?

Performance measurement tools such as social performance indicator, social

return on investment, CSR compliance, and the like will be featured. Social
mobilization tools such as the CHR (charter of human responsibility), social
network analysis, building shared vision workshop, and social dialogue
toolkit will also be taken up.

3
Day 3, November 2, 2011 (Wednesday)
Plenary Sessions will focus on post-forum collective actions among
advocates and practitioners of solidarity economy/ social entrepreneurship.

These actions include:

(1) the establishment of the Asian Social Entrepreneurs Coalition

(ASEC);

(2) the adoption of Value Chain Development Program (VCDP) as

flagship program of ASEC;

(3) the conduct of CEOs Seminar on Solidarity Economy and

Social Entrepreneurship to be sponsored by and conducted in
Malaysia on an annual basis; and

(4) the conduct of ASEF IV in conjunction with the RIPESS

International Forum on the Globalization of Solidarity Economy
in November 2013.

There will be also adjoining activities of ASEF III:

· the Global Chinese Economic Forum, Nov 3 & 4, 2011, and

· the ASEF Trade Exhibit to be sponsored and organized

by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cooperatives of
the Malaysian government in collaboration with the
cooperative movement of Malaysia.

4
Introduction to the
Asian Solidarity Economy Forum (ASEF)
Social Enterprise as a Vehicle for
Socio-Economic Transformation of
Communities
by
Benjamin R. Quiñones, Jr.
Chairman,
Coalition of Socially Responsible Small & Medium Enterprises in
Asia (CSRSME Asia). Email - benqjr11@yahoo.com

Ben at the 2nd Asian Forum at Tokyo (2009)

The Coalition of Socially Responsible Small and Medium Enterprises
in Asia (CSRSME Asia), a non-stock, not-for- profit organization
registered in September 2004 with the Philippine Securities and
Exchange Commission, is the founding organizer of the Asian
Solidarity Economy Forum (ASEF). After ASEF I (Manila, October
2007), participants agreed to rotate the hosting of ASEF in other
Asian countries (ASEF II in Tokyo 2009, ASEF III in Kuala Lumpur
2011).

Through its websites (www.aa4se.com; www.iisocial.ning.com)

and some workshops (e.g. Value Chain Financing of Agriculture,
Social Dialogue Toolkit for Value Chain Development), CSRSME
Asia continues to play the role of a knowledge resource center on
solidarity economy and social entrepreneurship in Asia.

5
I. CURRENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION

The current socio-economic situation is characterized by:

• Global crisis of mainstream economic systems (capitalist &

socialist): This resulted from the convergence of energy crisis,
environmental crisis, food crisis, financial crisis and spiritual
crisis brought about by inherent conflicts within these systems
themselves. Whereas capitalism gives private capital much
freedom to exploit man and environment for the purpose of
advancing profit and wealth accumulation, socialism stifles the
democratic rights of people in a bid to democratize wealth
distribution. People are searching for an alternative economy.

• Globalization of poverty: the phenomenon of poverty is

no longer confined among less developed countries. Even
developed countries are now haunted by creeping poverty. The
fight against poverty can no longer be confined in developing
countries. This must be a fight joined by all nations for all
nations.

• Systemic limitations of the program-oriented approach

and the community development approach: Development
programs tend to be location and target-population specific.
They gloss over socio-economic interrelationships that cut
across geographic boundaries, income classes, and ethnic
groups and, therefore, fail to integrate sustainability into the
program design. Moreover, politicians change them every time
there is a change in administration. There’s a need to design
development approaches that delineate interventions not only
in local, but also ‘macro’ and ‘mega’ systems.

• Supremacy of global supply/value chains over communities &

nation states: As global brands dominate both international
and local markets, local enterprises struggle hard to find a
market niche for their products. Alternative development
approaches need to integrate a global supply/value chain
perspective for the small and marginalized producers.

6
The Asian Solidarity Economy Forum (ASEF)

In search of a better deal for the greater majority of people, the

Coalition of Socially Responsible Small & Medium Enterprises
(CSRSME Asia) organized the first Asian Solidarity Economy
Forum (ASEF) in Manila in October 2007 to trumpet the call for
an alternative economy. Although not expressly stated, the theme
of ASEF I can be summed as “Building a People and eco-centered
economy”.

This was followed by ASEF II in Tokyo in November 2009, as

participants of ASEF I decided to hold the forum on a biennial
basis and to rotate its hosting among countries in Asia. Also not
expressly stated, the theme of ASEF II could be defined as “Visions
of Solidarity Economy – Global & Asian Perspectives”.

ASEF III will be conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October

31-Nov 2, 2011. It’s theme is clearly specified: “Social Enterprises as
Vehicle for Socio-Economic Transformation of Communities”.

Expected Results of ASEF III

1. Greater understanding of Social enterprises as the focal system

and building block of solidarity economy, and that while social
enterprises may have different approaches to solidarity economy,
their performance are objectively verifiable and can be measured.

2. Greater understanding of the Macro system of Solidarity Economy

as consisting of the integrated supply chains of social enterprises.

3. As a result, solidarity economy advocates in Asia establish the

Asian Social Entrepreneurs Coalition (ASEC) and endorse the Value
Chain Development Program (VCDP) as its flagship program, with
the view to vigorously promoting solidarity economy and social
entrepreneurship in Asia.

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4. Greater understanding of the need to strengthen the Mega
system of solidarity economy by encouraging support from the
government, private corporate sector and international networks
of development organizations.

5. In support of solidarity economy’s Mega system, the following

initiatives for capacity building, information and experience sharing
are endorsed: (i) ASEF IV to be held in 2013 in conjunction with
(ii) RIPESS International Forum on the Globalization of Solidarity
Economy; and (iii) CEOs Seminar on Solidarity Economy and Social
Entrepreneurship.

The focal system of Solidarity Economy is the Social Enterprise, a

mission oriented organization with the triple-bottom-line goals of
social development, environmental conservation, and sustainability.
Its Macro system consists of supply chains of social enterprises whose
activities are inter-connected. Its Mega system is composed of the
integrated supply chains of social enterprises and the government,
the private corporate sector and the Rest of the World, particularly
those parts of such ‘external sector’ which support and do business
with social enterprises.

Strengthening of solidarity economy’s mega system is important for

the growth and development of its Focal and Macro systems. Efforts
must, therefore, be also geared towards cultivating support for
solidarity economy and social enterprises from the government, the
private corporate sector, and international development agencies.
The participation of these sectors in ASEF is crucial. In addition, a
more concerted effort to tap the support of these sectors can be
made by enjoining them to participate in the annual “CEOs Seminar
on Solidarity Economy and Social Entrepreneurship”.

8
II. WHAT IS SOLIDARITY ECONOMY?

Solidarity Economy has been defined in various ways:

1. “Activities of production, distribution, and consumption which

contribute to the democratization of the economy based on the
involvement of citizens at a local and global level.” International
Forum of the Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World,
2001.

2. “Alternative economic model to neoliberal capitalism, one

which is grounded on solidarity and cooperation, rather than the
pursuit of narrow, individual self-interest”. U.S. Solidarity Economy
Network, U.S. Social Forum 2007

3. “An alternative economic order where all players work together

toward a shared goal of uplifting the lives of all—that is, an
economy built on solidarity rather than on competition and conflict
.” Asian Solidarity Economy Forum, Manila, October 2007.

4. “An economy centered on people, not on profits, and on

ecological sustainability, instead of on immediate gains at any cost.
”. Marcos Arruda, Institute of Alternative Policies for Southern
Cone of Latin America

5. “An economy with compassion and sympathy; it gives priority

to the welfare of the people and not to increasing profits for self-
gain.” .” Asian Solidarity Economy Forum, Tokyo, November 2009.

6. “An economy comprising supply chains of enterprises which have

triple-bottom-line goals of eradication of poverty & social exclusion,
environmental conservation, and sustainability ”. Asian Forum on
Value Chain Financing, Manila, November 2010

As shown above, advocates and practitioners view Solidarity

Economy from different perspectives. One approach is to look at
it in terms of the economic activities that contribute to greater
participation of people in the economy.

9
Another approach is to compare the motivation of economic actors
in solidarity economy as against those in the mainstream, profit-
oriented economy. Thus, one may highlight altruistic compassion
as a crucial element that sets solidarity economy apart from the
profit-oriented economy, or put emphasis on the triple-bottom-line
goals of solidarity economy as opposed to the single-bottom line
goal (i.e. profit) of the mainstream economy.

The mainstream for-profit economy was conceived by people who

believe that profit is the supreme motivator of economic activity.
They also believe that profit-oriented economic activities should
be left alone to go on its course with the least intervention from
the State. Rather than the State facilitating transactions among
economic actors, the actors themselves decide and undertake
their own transactions given their respective motivations for self-
gain. In contrast, advocates of solidarity economy believe that
upholding man’s dignity and maintaining ecological balance
should be the primary goals of economic development. This could
not be fully achieved when people go on their individual ways
to seek greater economic gains for themselves because this will
lead to marginalization of the weak and marginalized and the
degradation of the environment. People have to learn to cooperate
with one another in co-creating a better world. They can design an
alternative market for their products and services which supports
the triple bottom line goals of social development, ecological
conservation and sustainability.

Synthesis

Definitions are oftentimes snapshot pictures of objective reality

that the perceiver wants to highlight in a conceptual frame. One
needs to understand the building blocks of an economy in general
so that he may be able to use these blocks in constructing his own
conceptual frame. It is also important to discern the motivation
behind the establishment of an enterprise, which could either be
mainly for-profit taking/wealth accumulation (single bottom line),
or for benefit of all people and the conservation of environment.

10
At the core of every economic system is the FOCAL system, the
fundamental unit upon which the economy builds on. In the market-
oriented economy, the commercial enterprise is the Focal system.

Focal System of Solidarity Economy: Social Enterprise

(triple bottom line enterprise)

In contrast, the Focal system of solidarity economy is the social

enterprise, a mission oriented organization with the triple-bottom-
line goals of social development, environmental conservation, and
sustainability. Its Macro system consists of supply chains of social
enterprises whose activities are inter-connected. Its Mega system
is composed of the integrated supply chains of social enterprises
and the government, the private corporate sector and the Rest of
the World, particularly those parts of such ‘external sector’ which
support and do business with social enterprises.

As you trace the relationships created by an enterprise to run

its business, you will find other enterprises, people, systems,
organizations, and products/services that support it. All these
elements and relationships comprise the enterprise’s supply chain,
also called its ‘Macro’ system. The ‘Macro’ system of a social

11
enterprise is the supply chain of its business. Further, when you
combine the macro systems of social enterprises, you arrive at the
Macro system of solidarity economy.

Strengthening of solidarity economy’s mega system is important for

the growth and development of its Focal and Macro systems. Efforts
must, therefore, be also geared towards cultivating support for
solidarity economy and social enterprises from the government, the
private corporate sector, and international development agencies.
The participation of these sectors in ASEF is crucial. In addition, a
more concerted effort to tap the support of these sectors can be
made by enjoining them to participate in the annual “CEOs Seminar
on Solidarity Economy and Social Entrepreneurship”.

The ‘external world’ of an enterprise consists of sectors outside its

supply chain. This may include government agencies and private
companies not directly doing business with the enterprise, and the
‘rest of the world’. The interactions and interrelationships of the
enterprise with the ‘external sector’ comprise its Mega system.

Macro System of Solidarity Economy:

Integration of Supply Chains of Social Enterprises

12
The conceptual framework elaborated above provides a basis
for our definition of ‘Solidarity Economy’ as a triple-bottom-line
economy co-created by supply chains of social enterprise & their
allies from the Rest of the World.

Inasmuch as social enterprises comprise the fundamental building

block of Solidarity Economy, it is essential to understand its nature
and how it behaves. A social enterprise is mission oriented. Its mission
could either be social development (e.g. poverty eradication, social
inclusion), environmental conservation (e.g. alternative energy
sources, greening), spiritual development, or social welfare (e.g.
care of elderly). In this sense, a social enterprise differs radically
from a commercial enterprise whose primary purpose is to generate
profits for its shareholders.

On the other hand, the social enterprise also differs qualitatively

from charitable organizations. Whereas charitable organizations
and many non-government organizations (NGOs) depend largely
on donations to support their operations, the social enterprise uses
the business model in mobilizing resources and in using them to
create value added. But several charitable organizations and NGOs
have become social enterprises. In most cases, the limitations of
donations as resource for outreach expansion have propelled many
charitable organizations and NGOs to adopt the business approach
and in the process they were transformed into social enterprises.

The social entrepreneur is the one who gives life to a social

enterprise. He might be engaged in creating new innovations or
inventions or raw material inputs. Or he might be a producer of
goods/ services who uses the innovations. Inventions, or inputs
supplied by another social entrepreneur. Or he might be engaged
in assembling commodities from small social enterprises and
distributing these to various outlets. Or he might be a retailer
of products of social enterprises. Or he might be an investor/
financier of social enterprises. When all of these social enterprises
are interlinked in a rationalized supply chain, the resulting entire
system comprises the Macro system of solidarity economy.

13
Mega System of Solidarity Economy

The Macro system of solidarity economy inevitably interacts with

other systems in the general economy. The ‘external sector’ of
solidarity may be construed as consisting of the government sector,
the private corporate sector, the civil society sector, and the ‘rest of
the world’. The Mega system of solidarity economy consists of its
Macro system and the ‘external sector’, particularly those elements
of the external with which social enterprises have interactions and
interrelationships.

Interventions to Promote Social Reciprocity, Solidarity,

Social Responsibility
Level Actor Social Reciprocity Intervention

Mega Integrated SE Generalized recipro- Global SE

System Supply Chains + city, Global Forum, ASEF,
Government, Private VCDP-Asia
Corporate Sector. Rest
of the World

Macro Integration of SE Generalized reciprocity County SE

System Supply Chains within ISC-SE Forums, VCDP
(ISC-SE)

Focal Social Negative reciprocity Business

System Enterprise (SE) “What is in it for me?” Development
Services

14
Understanding the three-tiered operating system of solidarity
economy (focal, macro, and mega) and the actors that comprise
each system tremendously helps in analyzing the nature and
behavior of solidarity economy. It must be noted that these systems
are operated by human beings called ‘social entrepreneurs’ whose
motivations are different from those of the commercially/profit-
oriented entrepreneur.

Thus, a social entrepreneur may successfully run his social enterprise

and yet he might not be motivated to link the supply chain of his
business with other social enterprises. He might only be contented
in dealing with the mainstream, for-profit economy. The credit
cooperative is an example of a social enterprise in developing
countries that has been co-opted by the mainstream, for-profit
economy and failed to help develop social enterprises among its
clientele base. Because of the strong lure of the for-profit economy,
reciprocal and solidarity-based relationships between and among
social enterprises do not necessarily evolve naturally. Social
enterprises have to be motivated to come together and co-create
their own Macro system.

Advocates of solidarity economy must, therefore, take up the

challenge of providing business development services to social
enterprises and bringing these social enterprises together to learn
from and do business with each other. Towards this end, the Value
Chain Development Program (VCDP) is a useful intervention that
could rally social enterprises towards a common vision, mission and
development goals. Collective gatherings and learning journeys
such as the Asian Solidarity Economy Forum and the CEOs Seminar
on Solidarity Economy and Social Entrepreneurship should draw
the support of national networks of social enterprises as a means of
strengthening the Mega system of solidarity economy.

15
IV. THE VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM (VCDP)

Visions or mental constructs of alternative ways of doing things do

not evolve on their own. They must be captured by people who
can break the grand ideas into smaller, time-bound, doable actions.
In other words, solidarity economy advocates must conceptualize a
specific, measurable, time-bound initiative that seeks to strengthen
not only the focal system of solidarity economy (i.e. social
enterprises) but also its Macro and Mega systems.

In this context, the Value Chain Development Program (VCDP)

espoused through the Asian Solidarity Economy Forum can
serve as a rallying initiative of solidarity economy advocates and
practitioners in Asia and a concrete platform for mutual cooperation
in strengthening the focal, macro, and mega systems of solidarity
economy.

The objectives of VCDP are to:

1) help build the supply chain of social enterprises by providing

technical, marketing, and financial support;

2) enable poor households acquire and utilize productive assets by

making them stakeholders (i.e. clients, saver-investors, or service
providers) of the supply chain of social enterprises; and

3) establish a VCDP Fund to help finance the production and

marketing of products of social enterprises.

At the core of VCDP is the social enterprise as mobilizer and user

of resources for the purpose of creating jobs for people, enhancing
their income potentials, while at the same time maintaining
ecological balance to contribute to sustainable development.

VCDP enjoins social enterprises to tap poor households, overseas

contract workers, and other sectors of the socially excluded as
integral part of their business supply chains. They can be suppliers
of goods and services (labor, talents/ skills, distributors), saver-
investors/financiers, and of course consumer clients.

16
REFLECTIONS ON 2nd ASIAN FORUM
& POINTERS TOWARDS KL 2011
By
Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria
(Chair, Asian Forum KL 2011)

Denison at the 2nd Asian Forum at Tokoyo (2009)

It was a great pleasure to participate at the 2nd Asian Forum

(Tokyo2009) which was held from Nov 7 & 8, 2009. During this
Forum we learned many lessons and shared many experiences.
I take this opportunity to thank you all for agreeing to Malaysia
being the host for the 3rd Asian Forum in Kuala Lumpur (KL2011).

Malaysia is an outstanding example where there has been

tremendous socio-economic transformation which has taken place.
Household poverty reduced from 50% of the population at the
time of Independence in 1957 to less than 5% in 2009. While this

17
was our success story, there is however rising income inequalities in
Malaysia between the top 20% and the bottom 30%, within and
among communities. We also note the emergence of the poor and
low income families in the urban areas and complexity of the rural
poor especially the interior, forest based communities.

Community based approaches which puts people before profits is

the new models of socio economic transformation that Malaysia
is adopting and therefore the KL2011 Asian Forum will enable
Malaysia to show case its success models but at the same time learn
from the experiences of other success stories from around the Asian
region.

Lessons learnt from 2009 Forum

The experience at Tokyo was very enriching. I noted five key aspects
which could serve as a helpful reminder of a memorable experience
in promoting solidarity economy in Asia.

First, a number of the speakers provided a comprehensive

introduction both the theoretical as well as the historical
development of solidarity economy especially the context of
its emergence. Among those who developed this theme were
Dr Yoko Kitazawa and Prof Jun Nishikawa. However we did not
devote enough attention to this very important aspect in due time
especially at the next Asian Forum

Second, the practice dimensions through sharing of experiences

and case studies. This is the most important contribution of the
Tokyo gathering. A number were regional or national experiences
as in the case of Martine Theveniaut of EU, Ben Quinones of the
Philippians or Jang Won Bong of the Korean national model. In
addition the many stories from Malaysia, India, Nepal and Japan
added reflections of models and experiences. In the long run here
too we must develop a framework for documentation, analysis and
drawing lessons.

18
The third aspect relates to institutional development of the
organizations involved. This was well illustrated by the presentation
on social finance and social investment by Bernd Balkenhol and
Ms Viviane Vandemeulebroucke (INAISE). In addition a new step
forward was the social performance management tool which was
highlighted by Ms Micol Pisrtell of MIX. In addition the ethical
aspects’ discussed by Ms Edith Sizoo was also very critical. However
there was not enough time for in-depth discussion and adoption
of these by Asian Forum partners as the framework of operations.

The fourth aspect is the policy dimension including advocacy and

lobbing the governments for a conducive policy environment which
will facilitate the development of solidarity economy and especially
social enterprises. The policy and legislative framework in Korea
was provides institutional support of the State. Likewise the policy
changes in Japan also merits further study and reflection. These can
serve as helpful developments within the region for other Asian
countries to emulate. More focus must be given towards policy
advocacy and public policy issues in the future.

In this context too, Workshop E on International regulations for a

solidarity levy warrants further reflections as the paper presenters
shared experiences in attempting to influence the global financial
order in a new and creative way. There is therefore an urgent
need to balance micro development work at the grassroots with
influencing and impacting global institutions, regional bodies and
national governments to create new policies and legislation which
will further enhance solidarity economy.

Fifthly, the Tokyo2009 Forum provided tremendous opportunities

for sharing, fellowship and networking among a multi diverse
groups of people among whom were academics, grassroots
leaders, civil society activist, development workers, policy makers,
organizational leads and international representatives. This took
place both during formal sessions but more so during the informal
sessions. The Forum provided an opportunity for all to network
with one another thereby enabling us to experience the richness
and diversity of Asia.

19
Pointers towards the KL2011 Forum

At the Asian Alliance Business Meeting held in the evening of Nov

8, 2009 at Akasaka Morroud Inn, chaired by Mr Ben Quinones
(CSRSME Asia) and attended by about 26 people from Asia and our
partners from other regions agreed to the following:-

That the Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy be established as

a network of likeminded organizations and individuals. Among
the suggestions made was that the structure should be informal
accepting direct members from the grassroots rather than
establishing national institutions and to maintain a minimum
structure. That the Asian Alliance be affiliated as an Asian regional
branch of RIPES.

It was also expressed that the work of the Asian Alliance is to

undertake the promotion solidarity economy in the region including
undertaking joint action in cooperation with Asian and regional
partners.

It was strongly emphasized that the Asian Alliance focuses on the

development of young leadership and incorporate young people in
all the programmes and activities. In this context the Asian Alliance
will network with Global Citizens for Sustainable Development
and promote the Asian Youth Assembly (August 13 to 15, 2010 in
Banglore, India) and the Asian Citizens Assembly also in Banglore
(August 18 to 20, 2010). Asian Alliance will work closely with Mr
Anugraha John in developing this dimension.
It was emphasized that the Alliance Asian adopts a new model of
operations namely moving away from just hosting an event like a
forum once is two years towards undertaking a regional project
focus in terms of developing a learning journey process at the local
community or a local district or geographical area or local territory
(as used by Pactes-locaux in France).

20
In this context the Asian Alliance will work closely with Pactes-
Locaux in learning from the methodology used as well as securing
some funding from the European Union through Pactes-Locaux
for the development of this learning journey at the local levels
incorporating local governance and democracy, local citizens
empowerment, local development which is comprehensive rather
than piece meal. In this context the Asian Alliance will work closely
with Ms Martine Theveniaut and Mr Yvon Poirier.

A process/methodology paper on undertaking a Learning Journey

will be circulated. Its features will include local mapping and
discovering the comprehensive range of activities such as micro
credit, fair trade, community empowerment and its interplay at the
community level including the impact of globalization and how local
communities are responding to its challenges. Mr Ben Quionones
will circulate a paper on this aspect. We will also circulate Pactes-
Locaux materials on this aspect.

All these experiences can be documented over a period of time

between 2010 leading on towards 2013 with the first set of
presentations taking place at KL2011.

It was also affirmed that the Asian Alliance and partners adopt the
Charter of Human Responsibility as the foundational value base
principles undergirding solidarity economy. Therefore partners
should enable its members to reflect on these and share their
reflections at KL2011.

It was also emphasized that at KL2011 event invitations should

be extended to grassroots actors such as famers, self help group
women leaders in order for them to exhibit their products and share
their experiences. Therefore along with the Forum there must be
exhibition booths to display their works and opportunity for them
to share their experiences.

21
It was suggested that we could speak to airlines officials such as CEO
of Air Asia to seek special fares offers for participants especially from
Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines in order for a large number of
delegates from these countries close to Malaysia to participate.

It was also suggested that the Asia Forum could serve as a hub for
other networkers to all hold their programmes during the same
time and in this way ensure that civil society organizations and
leaders could incorporate the framework of solidarity economy.
In this context cooperation with the Common wealth Association
for People Centred Action (COMMACT), the World Fair Trade
Organisations, Micro Credit Institutions, the Co-operatives and
Credit Unions will enhance the Asian Forum. In this context the
Asian Forum will work closely with Mr David Thompson (Jobs
Australia) in securing the partnership of other networks

22
National Organising Committee

Advisors : Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister,

Ministry of Higher Education, Government of
Malaysia

Dato Tan Lian Hoe, Deputy Minister, Ministry of

Domestic Trade Co-operatives & Consumerism,
Government of Malaysia

Datuk M Saravanan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of

Federal Territory and Social Wellbeing

Chairman : Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, (Centre for Social

Entrepreneurship, Binary University College)
email: denisonjayasooria@gmail.com

Co Chairman: Dato Dr Michael Yeoh, CEO ASLI Malaysia

email: dmyeoh@gmail.com

Members
Prof Dato Joseph Adaickalam (Binary University College)
Prof Dato Ir Dr Zainai bin Mohamed (University Malaysia Kelantan)
Dr Syahira Bt Hamidon (Ministry of Higher Education)
Puan Zabidah Ismail (Amanah Ikthair Malaysia)
Mrs Jasmin Adaikalam (LHI –Pemandu)
Mr Wong Young Soon (Malaysian CARE)
Mr Paul Sinappan (Credit Union)
Mr Azran Osman-Rani (Air Asia X)
Mr Chris S Thiagarajah (Sky Bus)
Mr Law Gin Kye (Generasi Gemilang)

Secretriate
Mr Ng Yee Seen (Centre for Public Policy Studies, ASLI)
Mr James Pereira (Binary University College)
Mr Mohamad Suji Bilang (Office of Deputy Minister –MoHE)
Ms Lim Yen Leng (Office of Deputy Minister –MoDTCC)

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