ICA Research Conference 2008

Riva del Garda (Trento, Italy)  October 16-17-18, 2008

We would like to invite you to participate to the ICA Research Conference 2008 organised by ISSAN and ICA. The Conference represents a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and research findings about the role of co-operatives in sustaining development and fostering social responsibility.

Important Dates

ICA (International Co-operative Alliance) is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 226 member organisations from 87 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent more than 800 million individuals worldwide. ICA's priorities and activities centre on promoting and defending the Co-operative Identity and ensuring that co-operative enterprise is a recognised form of enterprise that is able to compete in the marketplace.

The theme of the ICA Research Conference 2008 is The role of Co-operatives in Sustaining Development and Fostering Social Responsibility. The Conference is multi-disciplinary in its approach and offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners to discuss theoretical and empirical insights, to identify vital areas for new enquiry and to establish contacts with those having similar interests.

The Conference will mainly focus on four themes:

Recent contributions of human sciences in understanding and explaining co-operatives

Various theoretical approaches have been developed by human sciences to understand the roles displayed by co-operatives and social enterprises. However, this debate has recently lost some of its original vitality. The aim of this session is to re-launch the international discussion according to a wider framework that includes contributions from various disciplines, including among others: economics; sociology; political science; history

The role of co-operatives in developing and transforming countries

Historically, co-operatives have played an important role in creating solidarity and self-help in the interest of the most disadvantaged stakeholders. Hence, the relevance of co-operative enterprises especially in contexts characterized by crucial economic and social problems that other actors fail to tackle in an efficient and effective manner. The aim of this session is to focus on developing and transforming countries and to identify the main drivers of co-operative development, the specific economic sectors where co-operatives are experiencing a revitalisation and the main barriers and challenges in these contexts for co-operative and social enterprise development.

Co-operative and social enterprise concern for the community: the emergence of new fields of activity

Co-operatives are increasingly engaged in the production of services addressed to the community at large, rather than being aimed at promoting the interests of a specific category of stakeholders. The aim of this session is to focus on the current evolution undergone by co-operatives with special regard to the role of cooperatives and social enterprises in supplying high public interest goods and services and in supporting local development. The session will explore also how new co-operative forms delivering good and services for the community can be sustained and whether public policies acknowledge this role.

Co-operative social responsibility and social accounting

The topic of CSR has been embraced primarily by share-holder companies in search of legitimisation within the community. Despite the intrinsic concern for the community held by co-operative enterprises, this issue has been so far overlooked at both a theoretical and practical level. The aim of the session is to explore the specificity of CSR for co-operative enterprises, the main developments of co-operative social auditing and accounting, the extent to which CSR practices are implemented by co-operative and social enterprises and how co-operative social responsibility can be institutionalised and disseminated.

It is our hope that this conference theme will inspire stimulating debate and discussion, and create exciting collaborations. We look forward to this global gathering of colleagues for a dynamic academic, networking, and social experience.