Draft reference model for a partnership between two co-responsibility territories

Preliminary note : A reference model is kind of what it would be ideal to realize in the Framework of co-responsability territories. This is not a model to be followed to the letter but a model helping to think about what can be achieved by adapting to every local context. A reference model is written like a series of numbered points. The following is the reference model for a partnership between two territories of co-responsability, which is also called inter-local partnership.

General principles

1. Two co-responsibility territories A and B, geographically distant from each other (for example one in Europe and one in Africa)agree to establish a partnership. This decision result from a number of existing links between the two territories, especially due to the presence of poeple who migrated from one territory to another for one or more générations, when appropriate, of a twinning or an already active partnership between the municipalities concerned.

2. Their goal is to create gradually a proximity by the social tiesin the absence of geographical proximity. In other words, it is by amplifying and diversification of the links between the two territories, to reach to a level of interrelations and mutual knowledge similar to two geographically neighboting or nearby territories. This proximity by social links opens the way to new forms of inter-territorial co-responsibility with considerable benefits for both territories and for the well-being of future generations in general...

3. In order to give substance to this proximity by social ties, a partnership agreement is established not only between town halls but also between multi-stakeholders platforms of the two territories. It allows to gradually involve many stakeholders and citizens of the two territories. This opens the way to various forms of inter-local partnerships and solidarity, either between similar entities (between schools, businesses, hospitals, public services, youth groups, etc.)or between entities or groups of different kinds but additional (producers ans consumers of goods or services, sponsorships and intergenerational ties, etc.)

4. Among these forms of solidarity between territories, solidarity tourism plays a major role because it allows: 1)to strengthen direct links between poeple of the territories and de knowledge of the host territory by the citizens of the origin territory ; 2) to provide economic opportunities to the most disadvantaged populations to value their heritage and their capacity of reception ; 3) to create synergies between different inter-local partnerships and solidarity.

5. To facilitate these synergies, a shared information service is established between the two multi-stakeholder platforms. This allows any person who travel from one territory to another (emigrants returning home, solidarity tourists, etc.) to become known and to play the role of Messenger, or even ambassador.

6. Furthermore a partnership steering commitee is established with représentatives from each multi-stakeholder platforms and the emigrants, to strenghten the dynamic created.

7. The development of several partnership between co-responsability territories lying in the same two country (in this case Belgium and Marocco or Belgium and Tunisia) also allows the development of inter-partnership synergies and situate each in a perspective more global of solidarity between north and South.

Examples of partnerships that allows proximity by social ties :

• Among the inter-local partnership solidarity that enables proximity by social ties, partnership between producersof a territory and consumers of another territory play a special role, providing direct marketing opportunities to small individual producers who don't have access to the market and that without such partnerships would lose an income opportunity essential to their development. The question arises for some commodities that are not produced in the territory of the consumer and that are nevertheles important for them. It's recommended that such partnerships don't undermine local food security but rather strengthen it by giving to producers the opportunity to invest in the prodution of food consumed locally. A mutual commitment charter can be established for this purpose, explaining the principles of this commitment (organic production, strenghten local food sovereignty, Producer-consumer solidarity also at the local level, etc.)

• The inter-local solidarity partnerships between producers and consumers are established following the same principles as local solidarity partnerships between producers and consumers (GASAP in Belgium, AMAP in France, CSA in the UK etc .), except that they do through a collective commitment by both sides : collective commitment of consumers to purchase a certain amount month by month during the season (corresponding to the amount of the individual amounts) and commitment of producers to deliver that quantity and bring together in one place at the time for charging for transport. The transport itself is organized either by consumers or by producers or by a third party.