On 30 March 2026, the DICES Project hosted an online webinar examining how social economy organisations across Africa are shaping care provision through participatory governance and economic democracy.
Organised by Diesis Network, the webinar hosted a conversation between representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Cooperative Alliance – Africa, and NGO France and Africa Partnership (PFAC – Partenariat France & Afrique pour le Codéveloppement). Our speakers explored how social economy actors operate in diverse African contexts, and the way national regulatory frameworks influence working conditions in the care sector.
Meet our speakers
- Rayann Koudaih, Technical Specialist in Cooperative & Social and Solidarity Economy Development at the International Labour Organization (ILO), shared the ILO’s work on cooperatives from a Global South perspective, highlighting how international frameworks can support social economy actors in Africa.
- Rose Karimi, Regional Director of the International Cooperative Alliance – Africa, explored the role of cooperatives in the care sector across Africa, examining how cooperative models are responding to care needs in diverse national contexts.
- Pauline Effa, National Coordinator of the NGO France and Africa Partnership (PFAC), presented the RELESS model as a concrete example of organisational democracy and women’s empowerment in the care sector.
The session, moderated by Gianluca Pastorelli, Executive President at Diesis Network, ended with an open Q&A, inviting participants to reflect on what European and other global contexts can learn from African experiences in building inclusive, community-based care systems.
Watch the recording
See the presentations
"Cooperatives in the Care Sector in Africa. Transforming Care into Opportunity"
Rose Karimi, ICA - Africa
"RELESS: The Local Network of Social and Solidarity Economy"
Pauline Effa, PFAC
A recap of the meeting and the recording are coming soon.
On 30 March 2026, the DICES Project hosted an online webinar examining how social economy organisations across Africa are shaping care provision through participatory governance and economic democracy.
Organised by Diesis Network, the webinar hosted a conversation between representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Cooperative Alliance – Africa, and NGO France and Africa Partnership (PFAC – Partenariat France & Afrique pour le Codéveloppement). Our speakers explored how social economy actors operate in diverse African contexts, and the way national regulatory frameworks influence working conditions in the care sector.
Meet our speakers
- Rayann Koudaih, Technical Specialist in Cooperative & Social and Solidarity Economy Development at the International Labour Organization (ILO), shared the ILO’s work on cooperatives from a Global South perspective, highlighting how international frameworks can support social economy actors in Africa.
- Rose Karimi, Regional Director of the International Cooperative Alliance – Africa, explored the role of cooperatives in the care sector across Africa, examining how cooperative models are responding to care needs in diverse national contexts.
- Pauline Effa, National Coordinator of the NGO France and Africa Partnership (PFAC), presented the RELESS model as a concrete example of organisational democracy and women’s empowerment in the care sector.
The session, moderated by Gianluca Pastorelli, Executive President at Diesis Network, ended with an open Q&A, inviting participants to reflect on what European and other global contexts can learn from African experiences in building inclusive, community-based care systems.
Read the full agenda here.
Watch the recording
See the presentations
- Rayann Koudaih, ILO, “Care Provision through Cooperatives and the Wider Social and Solidarity Economy. A Global South Perspective.” See the presentation here.
- Rose Karimi, ICA – Africa, “Cooperatives in the Care Sector in Africa. Transforming Care into Opportunity”. See the presentation here.
- Pauline Effa, PFAC, “RELESS: The Local Network of Social and Solidarity Economy”. See the presentation here.
A recap of the meeting and the recording are coming soon.