Founded in 1989, the network today consists of 40 organisations originating from 16 countries all over the world (with dependencies and affiliates of their own in 60 countries).

The conference Once a year, INAISE invites the world of social finance to a priviliged and important gathering, since it is the main opportunity for those financiers to evaluate and reposition themselves according to newly emerging trends. For this year's conference (1996), reflection crystallised around a fact that has become difficult to ignore: the WORLD is ONE.

Indeed, by considering the repercussions alone (environmental and social), we henceforth will be dealing with an economy of truly global dimensions.Yet, in the absence of satisfying global, institutional solutions for a more sustainable development, local and decentralised initiatives will continue emerging throughout the world. The appearance of "alternative" financiers like those of the INAISE network is precisely one of the multiple manifestations of this phenomenon.

Objectives

The objective of this conference is to evaluate possible financial strategies, local and decentralised, in response to some of our major global challenges. More specifically, the concern for more sustainability will be tested in a double sense: firstly, how indeed do social investors contribute to a more sustainable development by intervening at their local level? secondly, to what degree do social investors themselves rely on sustainable structures?

Hence,

workshop 1 ("sustainable energies") will analyse to what extent social investors can help cities that have embarked on a path of sustainability to implement an intergrated energy strategy;

workshop 2 ("fair trade") will evaluate the different financing modes of fair trading, focussing speciafically on how to sustain the athics of fair trade as it gains in importance;

workshop 3 ("banking co-operations") will discuss the risks and opportunities involved for social investors who accept the help of "mainstream" banks;

workshop 4 ("micro funding") will look at how social investors can contribute to a sustainable management of the newly created micro-fundings put in place by most of the international institutions such as the World Bank and the European Commission.

Participants

The number of participants will be limited to 200. All should, in some respect, be interested or connected to "socially responsible finance", be it ethically, environmentally or-North-South oriented, or addressing the "third sector", the "social economy" sector (co-operatives, associations and mutuals), small enterprises, ethnical minorities, local communities or women.

Contact:

Viviane Vandemeulebroucke, INAISE
Rue d' Arlon 40
B-1000 Brussels
BELGIUM

Tel: +32.2.2303057
Fax: +32.2.2303764
E-mail: aries-inaise@geo2.poptel.org.uk