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Yesterday, the Finnish OBCD project members visited Tampereen Sarka, an interesting and diverse social enterprise in Tampere Finland. Tampereen Sarka is a social enterprise owned by the City of Tampere, and their operations are visible all across the city. For example, Sarka is responsible for operating Tampere City Bikes and also provides customer service for the bike users. Sarka also takes care of maintenance, and construction work all around the city and also offers career coaching and staffing services. Their motto is: Everyone has the right to work: work is an essential part of a person’s identity, well-being, and inclusion in society. Tampereen Sarka promotes work inclusion and meaningful employment by connecting job opportunities with the right people. Sarka is also one of the members of Finnish OBCD ecosystem. Thank you for the warm reception and insightful discussions on a sunny summer day. Representatives from Helsinki Business College Oy, Silta-Valmennusyhdistys ry, Valo-Valmennusyhdistys ry, the YYO Competence Center for Social Enterprises, and Tampereen Sarka took part in the discussions. If you’re ever in Tampere, we highly recommend visiting Tampereen Sarka to see their operations in action. Let’s continue to work together and support social enterprises that promote positive change in society!

Elsa Pardonen, a coordinator at Silta-Valmennusyhdistys, participated in an international training pilot organized by the OBCD (Open Business for Community Development) project during the spring and summer. According to research conducted by the OBCD project, social enterprises require a broad range of both business and social skills. The goal of the training is to enhance the expertise needed in social enterprises. Some participants from the training pilot also had the opportunity to attend the four-day international OBCD Bootcamp held in Rome, Italy, where participants from various countries worked and studied together in stunning historical Rome. Elsa was also participating at the OBCD Bootcamp. Here’s how Elsa describes her experience from the trip to Italy: “I work at Silta-Valmennusyhdistys as the network coordinator for the YYO, The Center of Expertise for Social Enterprises in Finland. I expected the Bootcamp to offer opportunities for expand my networks and deepen ecosystem thinking. I joined the OBCD project and the training organized by Helsinki Business College because I saw it as an opportunity to deepen my understanding of business models related to social entrepreneurship. The Bootcamp brought together students from various European countries and different sectors of society, ranging from university students to CEOs. What united us all was our interest in developing social entrepreneurship business practices and international networking. The training took place in the sweltering July heat in Rome at Tor Vergata University. It included small adventures during metro closures, significant insights among the Finnish team, and genuine enthusiasm from both local and international lecturers. The Bootcamp involved substantial collaboration and brainstorming focused on refining business models for social enterprises. We also undertook a couple of study visits in Rome, which greatly enriched our learning—one focused on the “social farming” concept and the other on helping the homeless in Rome through social enterprise methods. I hoped for valuable discussions and network expansion in July, and I received both. If the saying is true, my lifespan has been significantly extended, given the amount of hearty laughter, new contacts, and fresh ideas that emerged from the collaboration between actors from different countries”. After the piloting phase, the training content developed through the OBCD project will be published later this fall as MOOC online courses. The course materials will be freely available to everyone, and the training modules will offer comprehensive and diverse information for anyone interested in social entrepreneurship as well as those working in social enterprises. The materials will be available in English, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, and Greek.

The AGCI Umbria, within the actions promoted by the European project OBCD – Open Business for Community Development, in particular in the one concerning the construction and development of the Local Ecosystem, considered it important to involve the members belonging to the Local Ecosystem Italy OBCD in the meeting that was held on Monday, 24 June 2024, at the Vibia Sabina and Adriano’s Hall (Chamber of Commerce of Rome) in Piazza di Pietra – Rome, with the theme “Cooperation in the social economy for an Italian Action Plan”. The event was organised by the Alliance of Italian Cooperatives (ACI), made up of AGCI, LEGACOOP and CONFCOOPERATIVE, in collaboration with Social Economy Europe and CECOP and is aimed at analyzing the prospects of the social economy and illustrating the proposals of the Italian cooperative movement, in the presence of, among others, Maria Teresa Bellucci, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policies, and Lucia Albano, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. As far as OBCD’s Ecosistema Italia is concerned, in addition to AGCI Umbria, numerous partners participated in the event: the BASE 3 cooperative, Tor Vergata University (with prof.ssa Natalia Marzia Guzmerotti), the Association of Social Promotion Roma Open Lab, the Consortium Meuccio Ruini Impresa Sociale, AGCI Nazionale, BE VALNERINA and LOCALCARBON ITALIA cooperative di comunità, IT Impresa e Territorio Srl, EFTILIA società benefit and the social cooperatives LA SPERANZA of Terni and LUDUS of Rome.     The programme of the event, which had a high political and institutional profile, allowed the participating members of Ecosistema Locale Italia to take an in-depth look at the policy lines that are being defined, at a European level, regarding the Social Economy and the increasingly urgent need to provide all European countries with appropriate legislation on the subject. In addition to the scheduled speeches, the participation of the Minister of Labour of the Spanish Government, Yolanda Dìaz, was very important and welcome. She expressed the importance of the Social Economy within her country and for the whole of Europe: “The economy of the future of Spain, as of Europe, can only be social. Indeed, the social economy has proven in recent years to be a highly resilient, inclusive, participatory model that puts people at the centre of its actions. Spain is currently the only European country that has a National Strategic Plan on the Social Economy. I know the value, not only economic, of Italian cooperation, it is a model we look at with great interest. I hope to be able to meet my counterpart in the Italian government as soon as possible to learn about the proposals and develop a common strategy. We will promote (in the EU) the inclusion of the social economy as a cross-cutting element in the Union’s industrial, economic and social policies, putting into practice in all its dimensions the recommendation of our parliamentary group, ensuring an increased budget and timetable for the European Social Economy Action Plan.” Díaz finally said that the European ministers of labour and social affairs will continue to join forces to ensure that ‘the social economy becomes a strategic axis in the coordination of budgetary, economic and social policies in the framework of the European semester. The speech by Juan Antonio Pedreño – President SEE (SOCIAL ECONOMY EUROPE) was greatly appreciated. He argued, numbers in hand, that the Social Economy is a business model ‘that quantitatively has the same importance as the automotive sector in Europe’. For Pedreño, ‘a phase full of challenges has finally begun at a time when the Social Economy enjoys great recognition at national and international level’. According to Pedreño, this business model addresses three major challenges of European society: “It strengthens democracies, facilitates the green transition and the fight against climate change, and reduces social inequalities”. All in all, the conference represented an important opportunity for Ecosistema Locale Italia to take a closer look at what is happening at an international and European level and to become more aware of the fact that the work undertaken thanks to the European OBCD project is consistent with the most recent and innovative European political instances and that, therefore, Ecosistema Italia is a valuable and useful laboratory for experimenting good practices for the pooling of innovative ideas and cutting-edge models that combine business development with the appropriate social and environmental repercussions.

From the 1st to 4th of July 2024, 20 representatives of social enterprises and 10 trainers from Italy, Greece, Finland and Spain gathered in Rome to apply the principles of 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲! The training activities took place at Tor Vergata University – Department of Economics and Business.   On the 1st of July, after a welcoming session by the staff of the Welcome Office of Tor Vergata University, the participants were engaged in interactive theoretical and practical sessions on 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲. After these theoretical sessions, participants, divided into small mixed groups, had the opportunity to start developing their own 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭s.   On day 2, participants attended a workshop on context analysis and system thinking. They then went on a field visit to Agricoltura Capodarco Soc. Coop. sociale, a social enterprise committed to employing disadvantaged groups, protecting the environment and promoting sustainability.   Day 3 focused on developing 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 using the OBCD Business Model Canvas.  In the afternoon, participants went on a field visit to Binario95, a social hub for the reception and support of homeless people in Rome.   The last day was Pitch Day!  The 5 groups of participants had the opportunity to present their 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 and business models: ✔️ RotAdventure ✔️ Ranking – Climbing high Ranking in the sky ✔️ Opus Nexus – Connecting work ✔️ EcoTribu ✔️ G.I.S.A   Click  here to watch interviews with some of the OBCD Bootcamp participants!

The AGCI Umbria, within the actions promoted by the European project OBCD – Open Business for Community Development, in particular in the one related to the construction and development of the Local Ecosystem, considered it important to involve the five social co-operatives that are part of the Italian OBCD Local Ecosystem: – LUDUS SOCIAL COOPERATIVE – POLIS SOCIAL COOPERATIVE – ITINERA SOCIAL COOPERATIVE – GEA SOCIAL COOPERATIVE – HERASMUS SOCIAL COOPERATIVE In the meeting held on Monday, 6 May 2024, at the CGIL Umbria headquarters, the following topics were discussed: 1. prevention and 2. management of burnout in the workplace. The meeting is part of the initiative, supported by INAIL Umbria and implemented by INCA CGIL Perugia, with the support of AGCI Umbria and Legacoop Umbria, called “WORK AND WELL-BEING“. This project is aimed at implementing actions for the prevention and management of burnout within companies, with particular reference to Social Enterprises, and consists of 4-hour online training sessions, in which the issue of burnout in the workplace is examined.   The initiative was sponsored and financed by INAIL Umbria, which has always placed great emphasis on the prevention of psychosocial risks in the workplace, asking every company to assess work-related stress so that an optimal level of it is present in every organization so that it is a source of stimulation for workers and not stress. One of the possible consequences of a high level of organizational stress related to poor management is the so-called Burnout phenomenon, which is mainly present in helper professions, such as: social and health workers, nurses, doctors, social workers, educators, teachers and in general the professions related to a helping relationship. The meetings were held by Dr. Valentina Nardi, Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Labour Consultant, and involved, among others, more than 200 worker members of social cooperatives belonging to AGCI Umbria. The aforementioned social cooperatives involved participated actively and massively in the meetings, showing considerable interest and appreciation for the approach used and the topic addressed, which is of great topicality in Social Enterprises, especially in the present post-pandemic era. The event included the following scientific presentations: Valentina Nardi – Labour Consultant and Work Psychologist, Project Manager for Inca CGIL: The prevention of Psychosocial Risks carried out by the INAIL UMBRIA -INCA CGIL UMBRIA partnership over the years: summary of experiences and results Alessandra Ligi – Regional Director Inail Umbria: Wellbeing in the workplace at the centre of the agreement between Inail Umbria and Inca CGIL Umbria Silvio Ranieri – Regional Secretary of Anci (National Association of Italian Municipalities) Umbria: The experience of psychosocial risk management in Public Administrations, the role of Anci Umbria Mariella Cleri – Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology in the Master’s Degree Course in Nursing and Midwifery Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Perugia: Recognising, expressing, educating human presence in work experiences: an empowering training model Matteo Ronchetti – Researcher at the psychosocial risks and protection of vulnerable workers laboratory – INAIL DIMEILA: The new frontiers of research in psychosocial risk prevention The speeches were preceded by greetings from Roberto Panico, Inca CGIL Umbria regional coordinator, and from representatives of AGCI (General Association of Italian Cooperatives) Umbria – President Gabriele Nardini was present -, CONFAPI (Italian Confederation of Small and Medium Industries) Umbria and ANCL (National Association of Labour Consultants) Umbria. During the event there were several moments of discussion between the users and beneficiaries of the project in question, in which the real cases affecting the Social Enterprises involved in the project and forming part of the Italian Local Ecosystem were explored in depth: several testimonies from social cooperatives were brought in, which shared with all present the problems related to the particular specificities of the helping professions and the Social sector. Very important was the speech of Dott.ssa Anamaria Voicu, from the POLIS Social Cooperative in Perugia, strongly emphasized the importance of stress and burnout prevention and management actions within social enterprises, especially in this complicated period characterized by the increase in generalized anxiety, the emotional and personal after-effects of the pandemic, the bombardment of highly anxiety-provoking news about international conflicts and tensions, fears about climate change and, last but not least, the difficulties – specific to social cooperatives – in organizational, economic and management terms inherent in the implementation and application of the adjustments provided for in the renewal of the National Collective Agreement for Social Cooperatives. As other members of the Local Ecosystem were also present, the debate was close and constructive, and the importance of all actions – such as training, coaching, counseling – whose ultimate target is human resources, through the increase of personal competencies – with particular reference to soft skills -, the improvement of interpersonal relations, the rethinking of top-down organizational models, the correct management of conflicts, stress and burn-out situations, emerged strongly. The meeting on 6 May was therefore an important moment to take stock of the situation with regard to actions that can be taken to promote the well-being of workers within the world of the helping professions organized as Social Enterprises and to relaunch the importance and socio-entrepreneurial value of the entire sector that falls within what can increasingly be defined as the Social Economy. The President of AGCI Umbria, Gabriele Nardini expressed great satisfaction for the strong attention that is being paid by institutional actors, such as INAIL and ANPI, by O.O. S.S.,by Employers’ Organisations and, not least, by the Social Enterprises themselves, on improving the working conditions of social workers and all those who operate in the Social Economy. This united effort is fully in line with the spirit of the European OBCD project, which is expressed in all the actions, placed within and at the margins of the Italian Local Ecosystem, aimed at promoting an innovative and far-sighted model of inclusive, open, sustainable business with important positive spill-over effects, within the processes inherent to the services provided and externally, towards the entire community.

On Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd March, the first international meeting on the new directions of International Cooperation was held at the Museum Complex of San Francesco in Trevi. The event was organised by the ‘Fondazione Social Economic Development Enrico Mattei’ and takes its cue from Italian Law Decree 161-2023 called ‘PIANO MATTEI’. The meeting was attended by Italian government authorities at the highest level, including Minister Plenipotentiary Giuseppe Fedele (on behalf of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hon. Edmondo Cirielli), Minister Plenipotentiary Fabrizio Lobasso, Deputy Director General for the Promotion of the Country System, Central Director for Economic Internationalisation. The event was attended by numerous ambassadors from the African continent and representatives of the most important governmental and non-governmental organisations working in international cooperation. Also present were the heads of regional and local institutions. AGCI Umbria actively contributed to the realisation of the conference, in full collaboration with the Be Valnerina community cooperative, which took care of the logistical aspects and relations with the many people who attended. Among the various speeches, AGCI Umbria President Gabriele Nardini presented, on Saturday 2nd March morning, the Local Development Plan that has been set up in Umbria thanks to the application of the actions envisaged by the OPEN BUSINESS European Project. Several partners of the OBCD Local Development Plan in Umbria attended the event. 1 and 2 March 2024 was a two-day event of great international importance not only for Trevi, but for Italy. In fact, the Umbrian town hosted the conference: ‘International Cooperation as an Instrument of Development’, organised by the Foundation ‘S.E.D. – Social Economic Development Enrico Mattei’, the Municipality of Trevi and also sponsored by AGCI. The event was attended by authoritative representatives of the Meloni Government, Ambassadors from various nations, institutional representatives of the Umbria Region, and entrepreneurs from the international scene. “The Trevi meeting is an appointment of great importance for us cooperators,” says AGCI Umbria president Gabriele Nardini, “because the concept of international cooperation refers to the values and instances that originated with the beginning of the cooperative movement in the second half of the 19th century, in which words like mutuality, subsidiarity, sharing, inclusiveness and solidarity were the cornerstones of a new ideal of economic, social and human development, which immediately set itself up as an alternative to the prevailing speculative and lucrative model, which has caused the disasters that have been under everyone’s eyes for decades. Putting the person and the cooperative scheme back at the centre as the common denominator of future processes of international collaboration, will best honour the memory of Enrico Mattei, who was a pioneer and bearer of these values in an era torn apart by viciousand predatory interests. The fact, then, that this event is held in Umbria, a land of art and culture, underlines that international exchange must also and above all refer to the bilateral correspondence of different and complementary cultures, values and knowledge, with the aim of an enrichment that passes through mutual knowledge and through the rapprochement, in a perspective of cooperation, between cultures that are only apparently different. This event is a very relevant opportunity to reiterate the need to promote new business models, such as Open and Inclusive Business and new development strategies that have an increasingly social connotation. Social Enterprise and Open Business are the key to a new and positive Sustainable Development that can only germinate and grow from a renewed model of international relations that provides for the equal dignity of the actors involved in it. In this regard, it is important that the Local Development Plan that was created in Umbria thanks to the application of the European OPEN BUSINESS Project was presented on this occasion. The Umbrian Local Development Plan is, in a small way, a virtuous example of how relations between the various partners can be managed and coordinated, all having the common goal of shared, inclusive, sustainable, fair and equitable development.” For Eugenio Fusignani, president of AGCI Culturalia: ‘The benefits of the energy transition and the green revolution are not only environmental, but also have a positive impact on the economy and the wellbeing of the community, providing for the growth of employment, social and sustainable development. The energy transition has a long lead time. It will take place largely through the transition to an energy system based on renewable sources, such as photovoltaics, wind and hydroelectric power, thus drastically decreasing the consumption of carbon, gas and oil. We can therefore see it as a point of arrival of a long journey in which we cannot give up traditional fossil fuels and therefore have to plan for their extraction, as Enrico Mattei himself had already foreseen in the 1950s. Co-operation plays an important role not only in the production and labour sphere, but also in the cultural one, because the energy transition will inexorably imply new cultural processes, bringing into play all the co-operative structures of a cultural nature that can provide support to schools, universities, and the business world, which will be fundamental for the research and implementation of real social, economic and cultural innovation’.   ********************** PRESS/WEB REVIEW – https://agciumbria.agci.it/comunicazione/agci-presente-al-convegno-su-%E2%80%9Cla-cooperazione-internazionale-strumento-di-sviluppo%E2%80%9D-l – https://agciumbria.agci.it/comunicazione/la-cooperazione-internazionale-come-strumento-di-sviluppo-nel-nome-di-mattei – https://www.perugiatoday.it/video/trevi-convegno-fondazione-enrico-mattei-cooperazione-internazionale-africa.html?fbclid=IwAR2vH16-PuAGYDj_7gN0E631-5NXcKXLOtbrRorRq8INGQYKNUTxYU6qWWU – https://www.rainews.it/tgr/umbria/video/2024/03/cianetti—trevi-matteimxf-307f20a1-2a37-4f7a-8624-da8eaf04e8e8.html?fbclid=IwAR1g4S4r8NfdbKUGBVGlHBb5risVj9lhznsSmuPYdxhnbWLec_b6UeHu4V0 – https://www.facebook.com/100013717547167/videos/1094292818472473/

Following our initial gatherings in Patras, Greece, and Barcelona, Spain, last week marked another milestone as OBCD partners convened in Helsinki, Finland, for the third transnational project meeting. During these two days, our focus was on advancing project activities and preparing for the upcoming testing phase of the two training curricula developed as part of the project. In addition to defining future activities for further developing the local ecosystems created within partner countries (Greece, Spain, Italy and Finland) to support social entrepreneurship, project partners had the opportunity to visit some social enterprises in the city of Helsinki, namely IPI Kulmakuppila and Lapinlahden Lähde.  Formerly a pioneer in mental health care in Finland and one of the oldest psychiatric hospitals in Europe, Lapinlahden Lähde has transformed into a center for art, culture, and well-being. It currently hosts various events, conferences, and debates. In the upcoming weeks, our partners will actively participate in launching and testing the OBCD MOOC – an online training course tailored for professional roles unique to social enterprises, presenting potential avenues for new employment opportunities across Europe. This initiative includes the curricula for “Manager and Developers of Social Enterprises” (EQF5) and “Administrative Professional” (EQF6), among others. Stay tuned for more information on the OBCD MOOC! Don’t miss out on valuable insights and news – register for our newsletter today! Your journey into the world of community development and social entrepreneurship starts with a simple click. Sign up here

Within the framework of the OBCD – Local Ecosystem Program, CCIB met Mrs. Sonsoles Jimenez, founder of the XANO CHANNEL, a non-profit association of teachers, inspectors of education and professionals, created in 2010 that aims to promote active citizenship, personal and professional growth, employment, non-formal education and the use of ICT among organizations and people. The activities and objectives of the organization are inspired by the principles of equal opportunities for disadvantaged people and between men and women. Our partner CCIB asked her some questions about the local Ecosystem and how it can support working in a collaborative way, creating synergy and exchanging expertise and methodologies with local and international organizations, in order to maximize the impact of the activities we carry out.   CCIB: Why did you join the ecosystem? What is the added value for your organisation to be involved? SJ: We decided to join the Spanish ecosystem to promote equal opportunities and inclusivity, aligning with its principles of creating synergy and exchanging expertise with local organizations to maximise the impact.   CCIB: What are the main takeaways from these meetings? SJ: Raising awareness of the relationship between social and economic benefits.   CCIB: How can the OBCD ecosystems contribute to making the social economy mainstream and support social enterprises in the project countries (and beyond) in their mission, according to you? SJ: The OBCD ecosystem can contribute to facilitating cross-country knowledge sharing, providing an interactive platform, and developing toolkits that empower social enterprises and promote the mainstream adoption of the social economy.   CCIB: How can the OBCD project support you? SJ: It can support the VET association by involving educational institutions in combating social issues through sharing best practices within the ecosystem. Students can learn and increase their skills from different fields of application.   CCIB: What do you look forward to? SJ: We are looking forward to a system that promotes a space for open discussion, sharing of ideas, and innovation to enable youngsters to improve their knowledge and equip them with strong competencies related to new social issues.  

Within the framework of the OBCD – Local Ecosystem Program, AN.KA was invited on 6 th December 2023 to meet Mr. Panagiotis Tournavitis, CEO, Cooperative Bank of Karditsa, in order to ask him some questions about the local Ecosystem and the relationship of this with the Cooperative bank. AN.KA and the Cooperative Bank of Karditsa are linked by traditional relations of close cooperation. The Cooperative Bank in its original form (as a credit cooperative) was hosted in the incubator of ANKA for two years, from 1994 to 1996. Today the Cooperative Bank is a shareholder in AN.KA and holds the 2nd largest percentage of shares, after the Municipality of Karditsa. The two bodies (ANKA and the Cooperative Bank) are the main members of the Local Cooperative Ecosystem of Karditsa.   SK: Why did you join the ecosystem? What is the added value for your organisation to be involved? PT: The Cooperative Bank of Karditsa decision to join the OBCD ecosystem was driven by our commitment to foster community development and sustainable economic practices. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our core values and strategic objectives. By being part of OBCD, we gain access to a diverse network of like-minded institutions, enabling us to share and learn best practices in community banking and social entrepreneurship. The added value for us lies in the opportunity to engage with innovative financial models and tools, which are crucial for supporting local businesses and social enterprises. This partnership also opens avenues for international collaborations, enhancing our ability to learn from and adapt global best practices to our local context. In summary, our involvement with OBCD is a strategic step towards strengthening our capabilities in fostering sustainable community development and financial inclusion.   SK: What are the main takeaways from these meetings? PT: The OBCD meetings are a hub of rich insights and learning. Key takeaways include the exposure to pioneering approaches in community-driven economic development, and the opportunity to engage with thought leaders in the field of social finance. These meetings serve as a platform for exchanging ideas on innovative financial products and services that can support local communities. Another significant aspect is the focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) and how financial institutions can align their strategies to contribute towards these global objectives. In essence, the meetings provide us with valuable perspectives on how to effectively support economic growth while prioritizing social and environmental considerations.   SK: How can the OBCD ecosystems contribute to making the social economy mainstream and support social enterprises in the project countries (and beyond) in their mission, according to you? PT: The OBCD ecosystems have a pivotal role in mainstreaming the social economy and supporting social enterprises. By fostering an environment of collaboration and knowledge sharing, OBCD can help amplify the impact of social enterprises in both the project countries and beyond. This involves providing platforms for these enterprises to share their experiences, challenges, and best practices. Additionally, OBCD can advocate for policy changes that support the social economy, helping to create a more favorable environment for these enterprises to thrive. By highlighting the success stories and the tangible impact of social enterprises, OBCD can also play a key role in changing public perception and increasing awareness about the value and potential of the social economy.   SK: How can the OBCD project support you? PT: The OBCD project can support the Cooperative Bank of Karditsa in several ways. Firstly, by providing access to innovative financial tools and products specifically designed for social enterprises and community projects, which can enhance our product offerings and service delivery. Secondly, facilitating networking opportunities with other financial institutions and stakeholders in the social economy sector can lead to valuable partnerships and collaborations. Additionally, the OBCD project can offer training and capacity-building programs to our staff, ensuring that we stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices in community banking and social finance. This support is crucial for us to continuously improve and adapt our services to meet the evolving needs of our community.   SK: What do you look forward to? PT: Looking forward, there are several initiatives and resources from OBCD that we are particularly excited about. The development of a new toolkit tailored for banks involved in social financing would be incredibly beneficial, as it would provide practical resources and guidelines to enhance our operations. An interactive platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration would also be valuable, enabling us to engage more effectively with other banks and stakeholders. Additionally, we anticipate more cross-country knowledge sharing initiatives, which would allow us to learn from the experiences of similar institutions in different geographical contexts. Finally, we are looking forward to participating in targeted training and workshops, which would help in building our capacity and equipping our team with the skills and knowledge needed to better serve our community. These resources and initiatives would be instrumental in helping us achieve our mission and contribute more effectively to the social economy.  

Gabriele Nardini, President of the OBCD partner AGCI Umbria, interviewed Luca Zarfati, President of Roma Open Lab APS and head of the Social Sector at EPLI – Ente Pro Loco Italiane. Have a look at the interview below! Gabriele: Why are you involved in the social economy and the third sector? Luca: The choice for me was almost compulsory, since, due to my disability, I necessarily entered the circuit of care and assistance for the disabled, which in Italy is managed not only at the public level but mainly by Social Cooperatives. Within the world of Social Cooperatives, I had the great fortune to meet Eugenio De Crescenzo, Head of the Social Economy of AGCI (General Association of Italian Cooperatives), who encouraged me to work in the Social sector and helped me find my way in this complex and articulated world. Thanks to him and the AGCI, the Social Promotion Association ROMA OPEN LAB was born, of which I am President and I work full-time in Social Economy, also within EPLI – Ente Pro Loco Italiane. Gabriele: Why did you join the Italian ecosystem? What is the added value for your organization? Luca: As ROMA OPEN LAB APS and EPLI we have been collaborating for some time with AGCI Umbria and have signed two important memorandums of understanding, especially with regard to professional training. When we were asked to participate in the Italian Ecosystem of the OBCD project, we were enthusiastic because we are convinced that one of the distinguishing features of those who work in the Social Economy is networking and creating a web of relations between actors who, although different, have a common denominator in the SE. The added value of Ecosistema Italia for our organization is the possibility of being able to confront ourselves with subjects that may be very different from us, but who are animated by the same passion for the wellbeing of people, for the fight against inequality, and for the promotion of a sustainable, inclusive and ethically just economy. Gabriele: What are the main results of these meetings? Luca: The most striking result is that we have received, each time, so many interesting and often unexpected inputs, which have helped broaden our vision and increase our open-mindedness. Gabriele: How do you think OBCD ecosystems can help make the social economy mainstream and support social enterprises in project countries (and beyond) in their mission. Luca: OBCD ecosystems involve periodic meetings between the various components and this favors the establishment of relationships and exchanges that gradually become stronger, more articulate and richer in positive spill-over effects on all components of the ecosystem. Ecosystems can slowly grow and gradually replace the pre-existing socio-economic fabric, which is often competitive, closed and not very inclusive, gradually generating a new social and economic reality that is more sustainable and attentive to the social needs and fulfillment requirements of the people who live and operate within these ecosystems. Indeed, I am convinced that if we compare Local Development to a fabric, Social Entrepreneurship would not be its thread, but its glue. It is a glue that builds stronger, resilient, united communities. It is a glue that turns every challenge into an opportunity. This is how the ENTERPRISE NETWORK is built. Gabriele: How can the OBCD project support you? Luca: Certainly through the training of entrepreneurs who have the skills to manage businesses in a more sustainable way and attentive to the welfare needs of all those connected to the businesses themselves (workers, suppliers, customers, institutions, civil society). Another way in which the OBCD project can support us is by facilitating exchanges and relations between our organisation and other stakeholders involved in the ecosystem. In this way, we can have more opportunities to grow as an organisation and to grow and develop, together with the other partners, the entire ecosystem. Gabriele: What are you looking forward to? Luca: We are looking forward to an interactive platform that facilitates the exchange of information, best practices, experiments, or anything else that can give us the stimulus to increasingly improve our work, our organisation and the services we provide.