CALL FOR PAPERS

FINANCIAL CO-OPERATIVE APPROACHES TO LOCAL

DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

10-11 JUNE 2010, TRENTO, ITALY

I. Introduction
The need for innovative thinking has never been more pressing. Whether
we consider loss of public confidence in institutional frameworks, instable
markets, the degrading natural environments, and fragmentation in
society, new ways of organizing, new sustainable technologies and
processes are urgently required.

This is a time of crisis and disillusionment with the banking system and
the recent financial and economic reforms of the past. There is a clear and
pressing need to challenge the theoretical justification for these reforms
and the underlined ideology of self-interest that supports them. We need
a reaffirmation of the importance of a healthy society for the welfare of
the individual. Equally we must recognize that a healthy society cannot be
achieved without a broader perspective of interest and, therefore,
autonomous associations and dynamic communities, just as local
development and global development should be seen essentially as
mutually reinforcing.

The conference aims to reclaim the momentum of change and

development for people and their communities, emphasising the role of
finance. Very little can be achieved without finance and one of the most
dynamic and secure new source of finance has emerged in terms of the
microfinance and cooperative banking sectors. It may not be a coincidence
that these financial institutions are rooted in membership based
associations in communities with common bonds.

II. Conference Scientific Committee

 Silvio Goglio, University of Trento, Italy (chair)
 Yiorgos Alexopoulos, University of Athens, Greece
 Carlo Borzaga, University of Trento, Italy
 Roberto Burlando, University of Turin, Italy
 Peter Davis, University of Leicester (UK)

III. Research Themes

The organizers are inviting papers that explore either in theoretical terms
or as illustrations of best practice the innovative dimensions of co-
operative banking and microcredit in local development in the
following themes:
 1. Innovations within co-operative banking and microcredit
institutions
2. Community led local economic development projects and
programmes: evaluation, promotion and screening of
investments
3. Strategies for confronting cultural and spatial barriers and
enhancing levers for community development
4. The new potential and mentality that financial cooperatives
can add to community development

IV. Conference Methodology

The methodology of the conference is interdisciplinary and integrative.
There will be only plenary sessions in order to stimulate interaction,
exchange of ideas and debate. The Scientific Committee will not only
examine the paper by their scientific and innovative value but it will try to
achieve a balance between the conference themes. In the final session the
appointed rapporteurs will identify the key learning points, the key
controversies, new practices and new areas for research. This
presentation will be discussed jointly by all the participants. All the
accepted papers and the reported final discussions will be published as a
book of the conference proceedings.

V. Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships designed to encourage participation will
be offered. For more details please visit our web site www.euricse.eu or
write to organizational secretary conference@euricse.eu after 31st
December 2009.

VI. Important dates

All abstracts should be prepared in A4 format (Times New Roman, size 12
fonts, single-spaced) and be no more than 500 words length. Authors’ full
title, name, address, organization and email address should be included at
the end of the abstract. Abstracts are invited up to the end of October
2009 to the following email address: conference@euricse.eu The
Scientific Committee will carefully review the applications and advise the
selected authors to extend the abstracts into the full papers which must
be sent to the organizers by the end of March 2010. The authors of
accepted papers will be notified by the end of April 2010.
For more information about the Conference please contact:
conference@euricse.eu.

VII. Organizers
The Conference is organized by Euricse in collaboration with the School on
Local Development, University of Trento.
About Euricse – Euricse is a newly established research centre that is
committed to further developing research and training activities carried
out by the Institute for the Development of Non-profit Organizations
(ISSAN – University of Trento). It was founded by the Federazione
Trentina delle Cooperative, the University of Trento, Cooperatives Europe,
the Province of Trento, and the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio of Trento
and Rovereto. It is devoted to the study of co-operatives and social
enterprises, along various disciplinary perspectives. Euricse is a centre for
analysis and debate with a high scientific profile open to collaboration with
the scientific community and, in particular, young researchers. The
Institute also interacts directly with cooperatives and social enterprises
themselves (see www.euricse.eu).

VIII. Information
Aleksandra Bobic – Euricse
Chiara Perini – Euricse

Euricse - European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social

Enterprises
University of Trento
Via Rosmini,70 – I 38122 Trento (Italy)
T. +39 0461 88 22 89 F. +39 0461 88 22 94
Email. conference@euricse.eu
Web www.euricse.eu