Trento, February 19, 2012<\/p>\n
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Britain\u2019s Prime Minister, David Cameron<\/strong>, was the latest politician to turn the spotlight on cooperatives<\/strong>, announcing a few weeks ago that he wants to simplify legislation in the sector to encourage cooperative enterprises. The president of the Alliance of Italian Cooperatives, Luigi Marino, responded promptly: \u201cIt is hugely significant that important countries like Great Britain are seeking in cooperation the ability to create a better economy and have the greatest number of people possible share in market success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Just what potential does cooperation hold for \u201ca better economy\u201d? The international conference \u201cPromoting the understanding of cooperatives for a better world<\/em><\/strong>\u201d will offer an opportunity to explore this and other issues linked to the cooperative world in a fresh and direct way. On 15 and 16 March, 2012<\/strong>, the conference will bring world-renowned economics experts to Venice<\/strong>, including Romano Prodi<\/strong>, former President of the European Commission and Prime Minister of Italy; Sir Partha Dasgupta<\/strong>, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge; Pauline Green<\/strong>, President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA); and Luigi Marino<\/strong>. The conference is organized by Euricse<\/strong>, the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises, ICA<\/strong>, and the Alliance of Italian Cooperatives<\/strong>, with the support of the Ivano Barberini Foundation. The conference will be one of the international events co-hosted by ICA<\/strong> for 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives, and represents a key moment when reflection on the issue of cooperatives can be presented to an international audience.<\/p>\n The conference in Venice will not focus only on the technical and scientific side of the subject<\/strong>. It will also encourage direct interaction between professionals and non-professionals<\/strong>, with informal spaces where people can talk to experts, share their point of view and explore current talking points. These include highly topical issues like cooperatives\u2019 proven resistance to the crisis in terms of numbers and employment, the role of social services cooperatives in providing public welfare (as exemplified by the British \u201cBig Society\u201d concept) and new global trends showing the cooperative form being used to jointly confront difficult situations, from workers taking over failing businesses to people joining together to build their own homes (co-housing) or to bring services to places where traditional companies are not interested in providing them.<\/p>\n The cooperative model focuses attention on workers, sustainability and social well-being, and as traditional economic systems falter, these three factors are being taken into greater consideration.<\/p>\n SPEAKERS<\/strong><\/p>\n Several world-famous experts have already confirmed their attendance, including Romano Prodi<\/strong>, who The conference will be divided into four work sessions: Euricse\u2019s Contribution to the International Year of Cooperatives<\/strong> In conjunction with the IYC (International Year of Cooperatives) and in collaboration with ICA, Euricse is running a series of other projects to promote the understanding of cooperatives and raise their profile. They include stories.coop<\/a>, the first global online initiative designed for cooperatives and their stories, presenting daily accounts of cooperation from around the world, helping share effective solutions to problems and increase awareness among the public about cooperation, and The World Cooperative Monitor<\/a>, a research project aimed at improving how we measure the success of cooperative enterprises.<\/p>\n
\nwill talk about changes in global scenarios, and Sir Partha Dasgupta<\/strong>, who will explore the new frontiers of cooperation in the economy.<\/p>\n
\nSession I<\/span>: \u201cInterpreting the roles and economic importance of cooperative enterprises\u201d, with Benedetto<\/strong> Gui<\/strong> (University of Padua, Italy), Henry Hansmann<\/strong> (Yale Law School, USA), Avner Ben-Ner<\/strong> (University of Minnesota, USA), Mattew Ellman<\/strong> (Institute for Economic Analysis, Spain) and Vera Zamagni<\/strong> (University of Bologna, Italy).
\nSession II<\/span>: \u201cNew opportunities and roles in a changing world\u201d, with Ian MacPherson<\/strong>, (Social Economy Hub, Canada), Johnston Birchall<\/strong> (University of Stirling, UK) and Stefano Zamagni<\/strong> (University of Bologna, Italy).
\nSession III<\/span>: \u201cCooperative growth \u2013 potential and limitations\u201d, with Hagen Henr\u00ff<\/strong> (University of Helsinki, Finland), Hans M\u00fcnkner<\/strong> (Marburg University, Germany), Michele Grillo<\/strong> (Catholic University, Milan, Italy), Derek C. Jones<\/strong> (Hamilton College, USA) and Panu Kalmi<\/strong> (Vaasa University, Finland).
\nSession IV<\/span>: \u201cExploring both the old and new roles of cooperatives\u201d (part I&II), with Lou Hammond<\/strong> Ketilson<\/strong> (University of Saskatchewan, Canada), Giovanni Ferri<\/strong> (University of Bari, Italy), Virginie P\u00e8rotin<\/strong> (Leeds University Business School, UK), Jacques Defourny<\/strong> (University of Li\u00e8ge, Belgium), Vladislav Valentinov<\/strong> (Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe, Germany), Pier Angelo Mori<\/strong> (University of Florence, Italy), Konrad Hagedorn<\/strong> (Humboldt University, Germany).<\/p>\n