Faremicrocredito.it
The development of microcredit potenitial through social business in Italy.
Aula dei Poeti, Strada Maggiore 25, University of Bologna,
May 26 2014.
The conference aimed at creating a common ground to relaunch a research carried out by the Grameen Italia Foundation, to evaluate the potential of microcredit in Italy, starting with the Emilia Romagna Region.
Reflections on this formative and informative day started from the analysis and the results of research which identified four populations in particular: detainees, NEET generations, foreign nationals and persons with psychological discomfort, for whom the microcredit application, in the form of social business, could be important for their own development and of the community where they live. For the occasion, a publication, curated by Franco Angeli, collecting the work done, was presented at the conference. The program included plenary meetings for presenting research data and for a final discussion and meetings on the different populations examined. Industry experts and professionals working closely with the study population participated in these focus groups. The aim of this study was to activate “pilot” projects through concrete and joint actions involving as many experts and stakeholders as possible.
Brunori, L., Giovannetti, E., & Guerzoni, G. (Eds.). (2014). Faremicrocredito. it. Lo sviluppo del potenziale del microcredito attraverso il social business in Italia: Lo sviluppo del potenziale del microcredito attraverso il social business in Italia. Franco Angeli, Milano.
Social Business between enterprise and creativity
International Seminar,
Emilia Romagna Region
Viale della Fiera 8 Bologna,
16 December 2013.
The Social Business Seminar between Enterprise and Creativity has involved many representatives of local authorities and over one hundred young students, aged 16 to 25, coming from high schools and universities in the province. The event was organized to raise awareness among young students on the topic of Social Business, an ideal model of enterprise that allows the solution of social problems in the community.
After a first part dedicated to discussing on the theme and outlined by the most significant actors in Social Business, young students organized small workgroups to develop social business solutions. During the workshop, students were guided by tutors and assisted by designers at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, which allowed them to fully express creative potential in the creation of innovative business ideas and be able to respond to social problems of the area.
The event was carried out in close collaboration with the Emilia Romagna Region, with which the Foundation shares the strong will to fight social exclusion, starting with forming and raising awareness of future generations about the existence of other economic models where people are central.
Microcredit Identity
International Conference,
University of Bologna
16-17 May 2013
Two days of conferences at the University of Bologna to reflect in depth on Microcredit and its identity. The initial objective of microcredit is to fight poverty of people in need. It is an instrument for those who need greater support, the poorest among the poor. The practice of Microcredit grew in the so-called “developing” countries around the Seventies and spread rapidly also across industrialized environments, representing a revolutionary innovation in the banking sector.
The conference aimed at stimulating participants to reflect on the meaning of the original model and the implications of its declination in other parts of the world, such as Italy, where the application of the Welfare State and its theorization are strongly integrated. Which identity traits should be preserved in the model declination, which ones can be ignored? In this perspective, understanding the process that credit triggers, assessing its best applications, towards which targets and under what circumstances, are some of the key questions to be answered during the conference. “Interdisciplinarity” is the key word of these two days: colleagues from the field of Law, Economics, Anthropology and Psychology will discuss the issue of microcredit identity by sharing personal reflections and conclusions. This will be the opportunity to submit the research from the Grameen Italia Foundation, launched to analyse the results of microcredit interventions in Italy and to assess their potential; analysis of results, process monitoring and training of operators will be key issues and key concepts at the centre of the discussion of these two days of work.