ABSTRACT
This chapter traces out the dynamic of a widespread movement related to the search for an alternative more inclusive form of development and the construction of a social and solidarity economy at the local development level. The argument advanced is that the apparent vibrancy of the manifold efforts across the region to construct a social and solidarity economy derives from the fact that such an economy would be functional for both capitalism and the anti-capitalist movement. In effect, we identify two radically different yet congruent interpretations of these experiments in community-based local development. As we argue, it is not a question as to which interpretation is superior or better able to explain the dynamics and facts involved in the construction of a social and solidarity economy. The two theoretical perspectives, while seemingly in conflict, do in fact converge, responding here to the concerns of both the guardians of the system and the demands of the anti-capitalist movement.
