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INAISE Working Groups
4 Working groups have been created to allow Inaise members working
together on common topics and/or concrete projects.
Full "passport" available for members in the Member 'section.
Social Banks
| Objectives |
• Sharing experience & viewpoints and management
related issues among social banks (having a banking license).
• Explore possible collaborations on specific issues.
• Develop discussion platforms on specific topics |
| Why ? |
To share experiences and develop opportunities among
social bankers who are in a comparable working environment within the
framework of a (national) bank license.
It is open to members & and invited non-members (for introduction) |
| Context |
(Regulated Banks licensed or nearly bank licensed)
members of INAISE, are performing well and experiencing a substantial
growth in the “crisis” years 2007 & 2008. Having a banking license
within our own country we face comparable challenges, difficulties and
opportunities. |
| Co-ordination |
Andreas Neukirch (GLS Bank, Germany) & Lars Pehrson
(Merkur bank, Denmark) |
Financing Renewable Energy in the South
| Objectives |
Setting up schemes of collaboration between INAISE
members having experience in alternative energy financing in the North
and members of the South having experience in social financing of
communities that want to develop local renewable energy investments. |
| Why ? |
Energy access in developing countries remains an
important issue, as most of traditional fuel-based electricity
networks do not succeed in providing a secure and affordable energy
service to all. Renewable energy technologies appear to be a good and
needed alternative for people to have access to electricity in
developing countries. It is a decision to be made at community level. |
| Context |
Several Inaise members, mostly in the North, have a
long term experience in financing renewable energies in their
countries.
Several Inaise members in the South have finance experience at a micro
finance level and close contacts with local communities.
Cross border financing makes more chance to succeed through risk
sharing and knowledge of the local situation.
The Work Group intends to offer a space of collaboration in this
field.
Members of the North can combine their credits, share the risks and
diversify their portfolio, providing additional “climate change”
customer satisfaction to their depositors.
Members of South can offer their local communities additional
financing opportunities at an ecological infrastructure level, with
local knowledge and guarantees for the credit providers.
A possible win-win situation for all parties involved. |
| Co-ordination |
Dominique Lesaffre & Bastien Médard (SIDI, France),
Marcel Hipszman (INAISE) |
World Social Finance Observatory (WSFO)
| Objectives |
Medium term:
- A “social finance” definition
- Create two interactive databases
- a “who’s who” (listing people and organisations active in the
sector)
- a “knowledge” database (surveys, papers, articles & available
documents on the subject)
- To facilitate a creative dialogue between researchers,
practitioners, investors and policy makers in the Social Economy. It
involves building an active network of university researchers,
practitioners and communities.
Long term:
Creation of additional databases:
- solidarity savings schemes,
- solidarity finance indicators |
| Why ? |
There is a need to create a forum for the development
and the management of knowledge, skills, tools and practices for
Social Economy sector build-up. It implies research, refining concepts
and developing locally relevant indicators & management tools, build
theories, test assumptions, benchmarking. |
| Context |
There are already training institutions and
consultants providing all kind of services, but there is a strong need
for universities and research institutions to play a more critical
role to build knowledge on a more sustainable way through research
and training programs. |
| Co-ordination |
Bernard Bayot, Réseau Financement Alternatif, Belgium |
Asia Pacific Social Finance Bank
| Objectives |
Medium term
Exchange of ideas among (local) institutions and persons interested in
the future creation of a multi-stakeholder Social Finance /
Development Bank, facilitating institutional and financial linkages
between socially responsible investors (communities of savers, ethical
investors, social ventures, etc.) and social / solidarity based
enterprises.Long Term
- Transforming non-bank social finance institutions (SFIs) in Asia
into social development banks.
- Setting up a regional/continental association of SFIs and social
development banks in Asia |
| Why ? |
The bulk of ethical funds today are invested in global
investment funds that do not necessarily support the development of
social/ solidarity based enterprises in developing countries. Some of
these ethical funds have lost money as a result of the global crisis.
It is imperative for social and solidarity economy initiatives to
offer small savers and ethical investors a financially sound and
socially responsible alternative for investing their money.
Transforming SFIs into development banking institutions may provide a
good alternative for the deployment of ethical funds. |
| Context |
The idea of an Asia Solidarity Fund was advanced by
John Samuel (International Director of Action Aid) at a meeting of
partner organizations of CSRSME Asia in Manila in July 2007. It was
subsequently advanced at the (first) Asian Forum for Solidarity
Economy in October 2007 in Manila, and further elevated at the CSRSME
Asia regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2008.
Participants of the CSRSME Asia regional workshop on the financing of
SMEs with CSR Agenda in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 10-13, 2009
further endorsed the proposal and formed the Social Enterprise Task
Force (SETF). Concrete proposals from 9 social finance institutions (SFIs)
indicated, however, the policy constraints for foreign equity
investments in non-bank finance institutions. They suggested a
two-step process towards the workshop’s goal consisting of: (1)
transformation of SFIs into social development banks in individual
countries; and (2) gathering the SFIs and social development banks to
form a regional/ continental association that will eventually usher in
the establishment of an Asian Solidarity Fund, if not an Asian Social
Development Bank. |
| Co-ordination |
Ben Quinones, Coalition of Socially Responsible SME,
Philippines |
INAISE Charter and Quebec Declaration
During their Annual General Meeting in Quebec held on the 4th of June
2008,
INAISE members adopt the
charter.
On the 6th of June delegates to the Summit sign the Quebec
declaration.
Access the reports and papers of
Quebec Summit 2008...
Institute for Social
Banking
Next Master
Programme in March 2009
INAISE members, together with other banks and foundations have created and
support the Institute for Social Banking which is developing University
Courses in the field of ethical, ecological and social oriented banking. The partners of
this project are: Alternative Bank in Switzerland, Cultura Sparebank in Norway, Ekobanken
in Sweden, Evidenz Stiftung and Freie Gemeinschaftsbank, Switzerland, GLS
Gemeinschaftsbank and GLS Treuhand, Germany, La Nef, France, Merkur, Denmark and
Triodos Bank, the Netherlands.
Click
here to access the presentation of the Master Programme 2009
For any further information please contact: Institute for Social Banking,
Sven Remer, tel.: ++49-234 5797-185, e-mail:
sven.remer@gls.de
or visit their website www.social-banking.org
 2007: INAISE is a founding member of
IRIS, the Inter-network of responsible economy Initiatives.
Founded in January 2007, it is the connection between European and
international networks representing different families of responsible
economy initiatives: responsible finance (FEBEA, INAISE), Fair Trade (IFAT),
responsible consumption (ASECO, URGENCI) and Social Integration
Enterprises (ENSIE), with the participation and support of institutional
partners (Council of Europe and the Trento Autonomous Province, Italie).
IRIS activities aim to:
• Connect, exchange and dialogue within the responsible economy networks
;
• promote mutual training and support ;
• Dialogue with public institutions ;
• Develop further links and initiatives between governmental concepts
and methods initiated by the Inter-network members.
Website:
http://www.iris-network.eu
Toward a world-wide social finance system
Since 2002 Inaise has been participating in the European Social Fora and World Social
Fora
During the WSF in Porto Alegre in January 2003, the idea launched during the
former WSF in 2002, of creating a world-wide social finance system (or circuit) was
presented during a major seminar (see below). Since then this project was also discussed
during INAISE Annual General Meeting in May 2003 and the members approved this new
development of INAISE.
In order to further the development of this world-wide social finance
system, INAISE organised a seminar in Paris (ESF), 12-15 November 2003, and one workshop,
one seminar in Mumbai (WSF), 16-21 January 2003 and one seminar in Porto Alegre (WSF 26-31
January 2005)
World Social Forum 2005 : Porto Alegre 26-31 January 2005
Click here to access the report on INAISE seminar. Other reports on
social and solidarity economy events are available on the website of the Workgroup on Solidarity
Socio-Economy, co-organiser of our seminar.
 The pictures of the
World Social Forum are available (Click on the camera)
World Social Forum 2004 took place in Mumbai, India, from
the 16th to the 21st of January 2004. INAISE organised one workshop and one seminar on
solidarity finance and the world wide social finance circuit.
A report on all events related to social and solidarity-based economy is available in
French (32 pages, pdf file). Access the content.
Access the report (pdf file)
You will also find a lot of information and documents related to
social economy events (including social finance) on the website of the workgroup
solidarity and social economy of Alliance 21 (France). Information is available in
French, English and Spanish.
Click here to view
the pictures of the WSF in Mumbai
European Social Forum Paris - November, 2003
The ESF took place in Paris and Saint Denis from November 12 to
November 15, 2003. "Solidarity" economy was one of the topics discussed during
one conference, several seminars and workshops. A "solidarity" village was
organised and gave the opportunity to all social economy and social finance organisations
to be present in one place. A synthesis of the seminar on solidarity finance, organised by
Inaise is available. Click here.
World Social Forum Porto Alegre - January, 2003
Inaise was present in Porto Alegre and contributed to different workshops and seminar on
ethical and solidarity finance.
The summary of the workshops is now available. Click here for English
version or Spanish version
Photo-reportage on the World Social Forum. Click here
European Social Forum 2002
INAISE has been actively participating in the social forum in November 2002 in Florence
(Italy).
A summary of the seminar on ethical finance and micro credit lead by Frans de Clerck,
president of Inaise, is available in English
- French
and Spanish.
INAISE research, projects....
 January - September 2001
Getting the framework right - Public
support frameworks and strategies for local and micro-finance.
INAISE has contribute to a project launched by New
Economics Foundation. This project was co-financed by the European Commission Directorate
General Employment and Social Affairs
The project addressed the issue of "support from
regional and national authorities" specifically for the new sector of local and
micro-finance that has emerged to serve people, sectors and regions that mainstream
banks are no more willing or able to finance. The project identified good practice of
government support measures for local and micro-finance to create local employment –
many national and EU programmes, though well intended, are poorly designed to support the
sector, mainly due to fundamentally different "money cultures". Case studies and
a handbook, illustrate good practices and provide tools for officials and practitioners to
assess the potential of different measures.
In September 2001, a conference has concluded the project.
The conference was especially tailored for public officials and policy-makers that wanted
to discover new and efficient ways to support local development in their communities.
The Handbook
is in English and Italian. The case studies and country reports are available in English,
ask Inaise secretariat if you want to get them.
The website dedicated to the project doesn' t exist anymore....
More information on the project : Case studies, Issue, challenge
and partners
1998-2000
Social
Banking Challenge 2000, supporting the growth and development of social
investment across Europe. With the support of DGV 3rd System and Employment Pilot Action.
The core objective of this project was to accomplish a significant step in the development
of social investment in Europe : to go over from a first pioneering period which has
lasted 10 to 20 years to a phase of "mainstreaming" by building scale into the
movement. New financial instruments and services that had shown their technical usefulness
and significance at a small level were to be grown and multiplied to increase their impact
throughout Europe. From a pioneering phase, the time was felt ripe to see and test how to
mainstream the movement.
The project did succeed in the overall goal of identifying practice across the EU, of
identifying barriers to growth and to tackling them at least by creating a process of
change. There is greater awareness of social investment and its role in job creation as a
result of this project. However, the project did not succeed in developing concrete links
with mainstream banks.
Outputs of the projects:
Conferences / roundtable / meetings in several countries including the first
European Forum on Social Investment in Roubaix (report available in French and English see
"publication" section)
Publications :
- 4 newsletters in En and Fr,
- 50 case studies written by experts in the different aspects of social finance in En and
Fr,
- Book on Banking 2000, alternative ways to globalisation "Banking and Social
Cohesion". 42 experts, consultants and bankers contributed to the writing of
this book. It has been published by Editions Charles Leopold Mayer for the French edition
and by Jon Carpenter Publishing for the English edition.
To order these publications go to the "publication" section.
The EC has updated the web site on the "Third
System and Employment"pilot action with the final results of the
pilot action. INAISE Social Banking 2000
project was one of the 81 projects supported by this pilot action. The web site contains:
a directory of the projects supported by the Pilot Action and their main outcomes,
documents relating to joint seminars organised by the European Parliament ant the European
Commission in 1998 and 2000, capitalisation reports and external evaluation reports.
Access the EC web site, click here.
2000
INAISE was a partner in the Banking on
Culture project:
Banking on Culture is an innovative action research project set up to investigate and
stimulate new sources of financial investment for the cultural sector in Europe. The
project has worked with partners in Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Belgium,
Portugal and the UK, testing a range of new financial mechanisms with the aim of embedding
these within local and regional economic policies and in future investment strategies.
North West Art Board was the leader of this project. Banking on Culture was part financed
by the European Commission's Third System and Employment Pilot Action Programme.
The final report is available in English, Greek; Italian and Portuguese. The banking
on culture website doesn't exist anymore. Copies of the English version of the
report can still be asked to Inaise secretariat.
The following reports are available in a pdf file format.:
- English
- Greek
- Italian
- Portuguese
- French - the final report is not available in French
but you can access two reports who are the basis reports from which the final report has
been made: BOC1 and BOC2
As the documents date from 2000, contact details etc
are likely to be out of date. The data contained in these documents has been
provided by the individuals and organisations listed for the purposes of reference,
referral and information. It should not be used for any purposes other than those
specified
1997-1998
Financial Instruments of the Social
Economy in Europe and their impact on job creation
This research, co-financed by the DGV of the EC, has shown the employment creation
capacity of the new Financial Instruments in the Social Economy (FISE) in Europe. The
study was based on 50 case studies representing the large spectrum of new financial
instruments that have come up these last 10-20 years throughout Europe. Its main findings
were (1) that these FISE created jobs with very little money, (2) that the created jobs
would not have existed otherwise (i.e. very low displacement effect), and (3) that the
created jobs were to a large extent in those sectors recognised as "unmet needs"
(e.g. neighbourhood services, environment, etc).
Download Word 97 report and case studies in the "publication" section, this report is also available in French
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