This phenomenon is far from being an exclusively Canadian experience. In the United
States, where there exists a long history of community economic development,
community finance, worker ownership and non-profit sector involvement in community
revitalisation, the new Obama administration has brought new hope and recognition. In
the last months they announced the doubling of public investment in community
financial development institutions and created an Office for Social Innovation which is
examining different actions to support the sector. A US Solidarity Economy Network
has recently been created and has begun to articulate proposals to reinforce the
development of the social economy within an overall vision of sustainable development