Since March 2004 we have been involved in the preparation of the Krakow Social Economy 2004 conference, which took place in Krakow from 27-29 October 2004.
The Conference covered:
[>] Presentations of various forms of Social Economy in
Europe.
[>] Strengthening co-operation between organisations involved in
the Social Economy from Central Eastern and Western Europe, by
debating topics that include: an appropriate legal framework; the
creation of a social economy development fund; the access of the
social economy in the East to EU Structural Funds; sustainable
local development; co-operative banks and rural development;
co-operative entrepreneurship.
[>] Recognition of the Social Economy by the new Member States
as interlocutors and fundamental partners for social and civil
dialogue.
The social economy conference was attended by over 1,000 participants from all over Europe representing NGOs, associations, foundations, co-operatives and mutuals. The plenary sessions included Jerzy Hausner, Minister of Economy and Labour, Bronislaw Geremek and other representatives of the Committee of the Regions, EQUAL, and the Social Economy Intergroup of the European Parliament.
We were responsible for the organisation and co-ordination of the following seminar: Sustainable local development: activation of social capital and "local authorities / social economy" partnership [day 2, seminar A5].