The IYCW addressed the 111^th Session of the International Labour Conference held from 5^th to 16^th June 2023 calling for social justice that will guarantee a life with dignity to empower people, and to transform societies in a just and sustainable manner based on the principles of equality, justice, solidarity, and participatory democracy.

On May 1st we celebrate International Workers' Day all over the world; we celebrate the achievements that the working class has made, the history of their struggle for better working and living conditions with dignity.  A struggle that took the lives of many workers in history, and thanks to which we can live a different reality and have a better future.

Despite their sacrifices and struggle, and despite the different steps that labour laws have taken in favour of the working class, the reality of young workers remains the same and they continue to suffer from long working hours, low wages that do not compensate for their working hours, lack of access to social protection and precarious working conditions.

On Thursday 23^rd February, more than 140 participants joined the webinar on “Future opportunities and challenges for the Social and Solidarity Economy” which was organized by INSPIR/WSM, RIPESS, WEIGO and the IYCW. We first discussed the future challenges for the different SSE actors (civil society, trade unions, small scale SSE collective and cooperative producers and employers, ILO and other UN institutions, states, regional bodies, local authorities). These discussions were based on the 2022 International Labour Conference’s General Conclusions and the International Labour Organization Action Plan.

First, we asked participants to define the Social and Solidarity Economy with one word. The answers were: “humanity, solidarity, democratic economy, social purpose, sharing of wealth, contributory, human centered, reparative, collective ownership, sustainable, possible, community, non-profit, economic sustainability, post-capitalist, cooperation, principles, equality, values, alternative, future, support, just, co-construction.”