International Summer School for cooperation and local development (Trento, Italy) - 2017 edition

VivinTrentino* meets the Summer School
(starting from minute 15) - video in Italian only

^{*The RAI Provincial column in Trentino dedicated to knowledge sharing to promote sustainable development, culture and social cohesion}

Eighth edition

“Community and local development
Building strategies for local development”

17- 28 July 2017, Trento, Italy

Organisers

OECD LEED Trento Centre

Training Centre for International Cooperation
EAFIT University of Medellin

in collaboration with the Trentino Federation of Cooperatives

Background / Objectives / Topics&Contents / Methodology / Participants / Requirements / Contacts

Background

#SumSchool17 Tweets

The International Summer School for "Community and local development" has arrived to its Eighth Edition. This project originally emerged from the cooperative relationship established between the OECD LEED Trento Centre for local development , the Training Centre for International Cooperation (TCIC) and EAFIT University of Medellin in collaboration with the Trentino Federation of Cooperatives and the contribution of Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy.

The main scope of the Summer School is the promotion of local development, i.e. promoting the understanding and acknowledgment by both public and private actors of the analysed territories’ capital factors (“Territorial Capital” and its conceptual dimensions) that contribute to build local development strategies. Such strategies are further considered to be the basis for any transformation process aimed at guaranteeing better lives for the local communities residing in the selected geographical territories.

The role and the strategic capacity of local actors, together with the commitment to collaborate and coordinate actions towards the design of a "shared future”, represent key elements of development processes rooted in local contexts, in which differences should be exploited as opportunities rather than considered as barriers.

In this way it is possible to promote strong ties between regions and communities; and to design development strategies with a multi-dimensional nature, able to integrate the different dimensions – cognitive, social, infrastructural and ecosystemic - of the "territorial capital". Addressing territorial capital is an effective way to face global challenges and to increase communities’ ability to operate and adapt to economic, social and environmental transformations. Moreover, it is essential for local actors to have the required skills to develop the knowledge and specific skills to promote regional partnerships based on integrated public policies, and to be able to value their own human, environmental and institutional resources.

This ability to create relevant social networks, integrating different approaches and experiences, underlies the work methodology developed during the Summer School. The project represents the meeting point of innovative experiences in terms of community development practices performed in the context of the Trentino region in Italy, and in the most varied realities of the Latin American countries. In this way, constructive comparisons under different reading frameworks are strongly encouraged. In other words, the Summer School aims to develop a dialogue between European and Latin American actors who may guide a process of continual redefinition and adaptation of local development strategies.

Objectives

	Sharing concepts and ideas on sustainable local development based on comparison of local experiences form Italy and Latin America, looking for new strategic syntheses.
	Providing common interpretation tools and understanding the particularities of selected local experiences, identifying and analysing the main highlights from applied projects and practices aimed at promoting local development according to existing territorial capital.
	Promoting online and offline constructive social networks among participants in order to efficiently exchange relevant knowledge, practical experiences and work methodologies, on local development.

Topics and contents

The Summer School is organised around the understanding and acknowledgment of the capital factors that contribute to building local development strategies. Such a specific mission is strongly based on the theoretical concept of “territorial capital” and its dimensions.

	Cognitive capital.
	Social capital.
	Infrastructure capital.
	Eco-systemic capital.
	Institutional capital.
	Culture capital.

This multidimensional concept represents a cross-disciplinary way to approach multiple territorial characteristics, particularly those that are fundamental to launching an effective process of economic, social, institutional and environmental, development process.

Summer school brochure (available in Spanish and Italian only)

Methodology

Active involvement of the participants before the beginning of the Summer School in order to prepare the case study that each will take to the Summer School.
A modular programme structure: one different topic is developed each day.
Three basic inputs are stressed: participants’ Latin American case studies, local experiences in Trentino (Italy), and inputs from experts.
Insertion of theoretical/methodological “essentials”.
“Field visits” are conducted to concrete local initiatives in Trentino (Italy).
Applied practical orientation is highly prioritized.
An active participatory approach and efficient exchange of knowledge/experience among participants before, during and after, the Summer School’s programme are promoted.

The Summer School is based on active exchange of participants’ knowledge and experiences (multi-stakeholder open dialogue). Thus, the case study described in the on-line registration form is considered to be a fundamental condition for registration, and will be presented and discussed during the Summer School’s sessions. If selected, the proposed case study cannot be changed or disregarded.

Participants

Participants should be strongly committed to local development topics and activities. They should currently work (or at least they should have working experience) in public institutions (national, regional, provincial or local governments, development agencies, research centres, international organizations) or private organisations (foundations, co-operatives, NGOs, grassroots community organisations, non-profit entities, etc.) active in the field of local, community, economic and social development.
Participants should be nationals, and residents to the date of application, of a Latin America country.
The on-line application form has to be filled out as indicated:
- Personal and professional information.
- Motivations for participating in the Summer School.
- Case study (project, programme or initiative, whether it is currently being implemented or concluded within the last 5 years and is directly related to the candidate’s professional experience).

The Summer School is organised in co-operation with EAFIT University from Medellin (Colombia), for whom 40% of the 35 available places are reserved. The selection process of the other 20 available places is open to candidates from all Latin American countries ensuring a varied and balanced classroom composition.

Organisations of the selected participants

• Administradora colombiana de pensiones – Colpensiones, Colombia
• ASDI, Colombia
• Centro de Estudios Regionales del Pacífico – CERPA, Colombia
• COMFAMA, Colombia
• Consejo de la Administración Provincial de Pinar del Río, Cuba
• Cooperativa Cooservunal, Colombia
• CORFO - Agencia Nacional de Desarrollo, Chile
• Corporación de Desarrollo Social de la Municipalidad de Independencia, Chile
• Corporación para la planeación del desarrollo local – Corplanes, Colombia
• Corporación regional de desarrollo, emprendimiento e innovación para la competitividad de la región del Biobío, Chile
• Fundación Construímos, Colombia
• Fundación Empresas Públicas de Medellín,Colombia
• Fundación Grupo Argos, Colombia
• Fundación Haceb, Colombia
• Fundación Madre Tierra - FUMAT, Nicaragua
• Fundación para el Desarrollo Empresarial Rural -FUNDER, Honduras
• Gobierno Provincial de Cienfuegos, Cuba
• Instituto para la Inclusión Social y el Desarrollo Humano - INCLUIR, Argentina
• Instituto Chileno de Innovación y Emprendimiento – Innovare, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile
• Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Guatemala
• Oficina de Planificación del Área Metropolitana de San Salvador, El Salvador
• Poder Popular Municipal Cienfuegos, Cuba
• Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo,Perú
• Prosperidad Social, Colombia
• Secretaria de medio ambiente, México
• Servicio de Cooperación Técnica - SERCOTEC, Chile
• Universidad de La Habana, Cuba
• Universidad EAFIT Social, Colombia
• Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Argentina

DEADLINES

The deadline to fill in the application form is March 31st, 2017 at 24.00 (Italian time).

The selection process will be finalised by April 20th, 2017.

The participation will be considered to be confirmed once the registration fee is received by the organisers. The registration fee has to be paid no later than May 5th, 2017.

The Summer School will take place from Monday 17th to Friday 28th July, 2017.

VENUE

Trento, Italy.

LANGUAGE

Spanish.

The effective participation in the Summer School 2017 Training Program "Community and Local Development" - fulfilling the indispensable minimum requirements that are announced in the selection phase of the participating group - make it possible to obtain the corresponding academic certification. The accreditation is issued by the Universidad EAFIT, a recognized academic institution with legal headquarters in the city of Medellín, Colombia. It is awarded the title of "Diploma in Social Innovation, Territorial Capital and Local Development" with the incumbencias and legal effects that this title implies.

Requirements for participation

Tuition, training materials, and full board (accommodation and food) will be covered by the Summer School’s organisers. Participants will be hosted in double rooms.

A registration fee of 400 Euros is required. Payment instructions will be provided together with the result of the selection process.
Daily active participation in the Summer School’s sessions is compulsory during the entire duration of the programme. In case of withdrawal, the registration fee will not be reimbursed and the accreditation certificate will not be awarded.

Transcontinental travel expenses, as well as medical insurance, entry visa application charges (if required for the specific home country), and other personal expenses not specified in this call, will be covered by the participant or by his/her home institution.

It is recommended to verify, as soon as possible, whether citizens from the candidate’s home country are required to apply for an entry visa to Italy. In many instances, the process of granting a visa may take more than 30 days. In this regard, it is highly recommended to carry out the corresponding bureaucratic process enough time in advance. Also, it is recommended to advance the needed administrative procedures in case participants require any authorisation from their hosting organisation or working entity.

Contacts

For more information, please contact summerschool@tcic.eu.

Développement économique et création locale d’emplois (LEED)