Third edition

“Community and local development
Building strategies for local development”

16 - 26 July 2012, 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 / Issues&Contents / Details / Selection / Contacts

 

 

Background

The OECD LEED Trento Centre for local development , the Training Centre for International Cooperation (TCIC) and EAFIT University of Medellin in cooperation with  the Trentino Federation of Cooperatives have set up in 2010 a joint “International Summer School for cooperation and local development”.

The scope of the Summer School is to organise specialised courses on socio-economic development and to create an international platform to exchange experience and knowledge between public officers and practitioners from OECD member and non member countries who deal with co-operation and local development issues.

The third edition of the Summer School on “Community and local development: building strategies for local development” took place from 16 to 26 July 2012 in Trento and broadened its geographical scope to include all Latin American countries.

 

Objectives of the course

The overall objective of the course was to foster participants’ capacities to implement effective local development strategies and community based development projects. Participants were encouraged to work together with international and local experts to establish a common language and a common platform for optimal exchange of experiences and knowledge.

The course aimed at:

	Working on the development of a concept of sustainable local development based on comparison of local experiences form Trentino and Latin America, looking for new strategic syntheses.
	Providing tools for reading and understanding the selected local experiences from Latin America and Europe, identifying and analysing the lesson learned with respect to the development of dynamics of local development based on the existing territorial capital.
	Benefitting form the legacy of concrete experiences analysed and to jointly design instruments which favour the process of elaboration.
	Establish and experiment with an international common platform, based on ICT, which enhances the efficiency, effectiveness and extent of exchange of knowledge and experiences about local development.

 

Issues and contents

The 2012 Summer School was organised around the understanding and acknowledgment of the factors which contribute to build local development strategies, stating from the concept of “territorial capital” and its dimensions.

	Cognitive capital. Ability to innovate, attract knowledge and competences in territories, development of high quality human resources.
	Social capital. Equity and ability to reduce poverty, life quality standards, sharing of collective values (civicness) and multicultural integration capacity.
	Eco-systemic capital. Territorial security and sustainability of resource management, biodiversity and ecosystem continuity, landscape integrity and prosperity.
	Infrastructure capital. High levels of physical and non-physical accessibility; healthy land settlement systems and reduced energetic and resources consumption, liveability and openness of urban spaces.

General characteristics

• Modular structure: one theme per day;
• Insertion of theoretical/methodological ‘essentials’;
• Practical approach prevails;
• Dedicated activities to stimulate interaction among participants;
• Participatory approach and exchange; and,
• 'Field visits' to concrete experiences of Trentino (Italy).

 

Details of the course

WHO	The Summer School is addressed to participants committed to the topic of local development, coming from or with working experiences in public institutions (local, provincial or regional l governments, development agencies, research centres, International Organisations) or private organisations (foundations, co-operatives, NGOs, etc) active in the field of local, economic, social and community development.
COUNTRIES	The applicants should be nationals and have residency, at the time of their application, in one of the countries of Latin America.
EXPERIENCES	Applicants should comply with at least one of the following: Have direct experience in the design, management, implementation, monitoring or evaluation of programmes and projects devoted to the research or implementation of local, economic, social or community development initiatives in your territory. Have participated or be currently enrolled in postgraduate or advanced specialisation course on  local, economic, social and community development and social innovation.

Working language: Spanish (interpretation from Italian may be occasionally provided).

Download the programme (available only in Spanish and Italian).

 

Participants selection process

The Summer School was organised in direct co-operation with EAFIT University from Medellin (Colombia) to which were reserved 50% of the 30 places available. The selection process of applicants from other entities was therefore for 15 places and was open to candidates from all countries of Latin America. The organisers tried to secure a balanced and varied classroom composition.

The evaluation of applications was based on the completeness of the application documentation, on the consideration of the training, skills and experience listed in the CV, on the motivations to participate expressed in the application form and on the relevance of the case study proposed.

 

Participation costs

The following costs of participation in Trento were covered by the organisers:

• Tuition and training materials;
• Accommodation (Participants will be housed in double rooms in the host structure "Villa Sant'Ignazio");
• Lunches;
• Dinners.

The participants covered their travel costs between the participants’ home country and Trento, any medical care and insurance during the stay in Italy and any costs for obtaining visas.

 

Contacts

For further information, please contact [email protected] and [email protected].