0:15 Introduction
1:13 On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, the “beta” version of the Mercado Social de Madrid was introduced at the Traficantes de Sueños bookstore. Where did this idea come from? Who are the driving forces behind this initiative?
4:16 You mentioned a sort of confluence between 15-M and the birth of the Mercado Social de Madrid. Can you explain how the two events are related?
6:49 What legal structure was used to register the Mercado Social de Madrid?
9:06 Are there other social markets in Spain?
9:53 Is there generally coordination between all the social markets?
10:33 Are there general assemblies of all the social markets?
11:52 There are 160 organizations that take part in the Mercado Social de Madrid. What would you say are some of the challenges and advantages inherent in this form of networking?
13:23 How many people work to coordinate the Mercado Social de Madrid?
14:00 Where does the funding come from for workers’ salaries at the Mercado Social?
14:58 How many organizations are currently participating in the Mercado Social de Madrid?
15:40 How many members are active consumers of the Mercado Social de Madrid?
17:02 How much do organizations and consumers pay in dues?
17:34 Does the Mercado Social de Madrid have its own physical space where both consumers and organizations interested in participating can come to learn about your activity?
18:55 Where can we find information about the 160 organizations that offer products and services as part of the Mercado Social de Madrid?
20:30 What distinguishes a social market from the general idea of a market?
22:15 Is the Mercado Social Madrileño a space that represents the social diversity that makes up the demographic reality of this country? How does it respond to the weight exerted by systems of oppression that discriminate based on racial, gender, and class variables?
25:41 From the perspective of the Mercado Social, what do we mean when we talk about social and solidarity economics?
26:57 How should we understand “profit” and “profit motive” in the context of the social and solidarity economy?
27:39 Who owns the means of production in the social and solidarity economy model?
28:52 What does “growth” represent within the framework of this economic model?
30:17 Are we facing a heterodox economic model that’s broken up into differentiated practices based on the inclusion of different sets of problems? Do all these labels correspond to differentiated economic theories? Is it the same model?
32:47 REAS launched the “Charter of Principles of the Solidarity Economy” in 2011. Does Mercado Social subscribe to this Charter? What kind of document is this? What institutional weight does it have? Who writes it?
34:23 Can you explain some of the principles that this charter stands for?
37:03 What can be bought and sold in a social market?
38:55 What model of consumption does the Mercado Social propose?
42:14 In the context of the social and solidarity economy, what represents a “fair price”?
43:04 Is it important to differentiate between a “market society” and “a society with markets”?
44:38 Are there accreditation mechanisms or seals that guarantee (and allow us to distinguish) that a product meets the criteria supported by the social and solidarity economic model?
45:37 In the Mercado Social there’s a social currency called “Etics.” What is a social currency? How does it work?
47:00 What are the challenges inherent to using a social currency?
48:26 What is the relationship between REAS and the Mercado Social?
49:14 Is there any connection between the social and solidarity economy movement and labor unions?
52:03 Earlier this year Economistas sin Fronteras published a report titled “Research-Diagnosis on the State of Teaching Economics.” The results of this research condemn the lack of a diversity of heterodox approaches to economics in university curricula. Can you comment on the findings of this report? Do you think this lack of heterodox approaches to economics is an urgent issue for our society?
54:03 Do you carry out training activities to raise public awareness of the economic model advocated by the Mercado Social?
57:15 Is there an education commission within the Mercado Social that thinks about ways to invest in elementary and high schools in Madrid?
1:00:01 What factors are responsible for solving the eco-social and planetary problems we face?
1:03:58 Is this a political project? If so, what kind of politics are we talking about?
1:05:01 Can you name some milestones or achievements of the Mercado Social that encourage confidence in approaching structural changes?
1:09:28 Closing statement
“Integral cooperative made up of more than 170 companies and entities and more than 650 consumers with a single objective: to contribute to building an economic, business and consumer model that is respectful of people, animals and the planet”
