The Mendes Letter: principles for a solidarity-based market

: Eighty persons gathered during a week in June 2000 in Mendes, city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, for the Brazilian meeting of culture and socio-economy of solidarity. This document is the result of this intense week of discussions, reflections on the Brazilian and world social reality, on new experiences in the socio-economic, political and cultural fields. This text defines first the principles, concepts and elements of economy of solidarity. It then exposes the short and long term strategy for production, marketing and consumption.