CIRIEC International; history and organization

Objective and history

CIRIEC is a non-governmental, international scientific organization.

Its objectives are to undertake and promote the collection of information, scientific research, and the publication of research results on economic sectors and activities oriented towards the service of the general and collective interests to be shown as follows:

• action by the public authorities in economic fields (economic policy, regulation.);
• public utilities;
• public and mixed enterprises at the national, regional and municipal levels;
• the so-called "social economy" (not-for-profit economy, cooperatives, mutuals, and non-profit organizations);
• workers' participation

In these fields, CIRIEC seeks to offer information and opportunities for mutual enrichment to practitioners and academics as well as for promoting international action.

In 1947 Professor Edgard MILHAUD, a French economist, founded earlier the review then known as the "Annals of Collective Economy".

"CIRIEC Membership shall not imply that its members subscribe to any theories of a political, economic or social nature. It shall merely imply that members adhere to the association's statutes". (Art. 5 of the statutes)

CIRIEC is a federation or a network of the international sections, consisting of various collective or individual members: enterprises and organizations associated with network-economics together with socio-political networks (government agencies, public administrations, socio-professional federations, trade unions) or technical networks (public utilities, semi-privatized firms), enterprises and organizations from the "social economy" sector (cooperatives, mutual, associations, non-profit or not-for-profit enterprises and organizations, foundations), individual researchers from universities and research centres interested in CIRIEC's activities.

In many countries, CIRIEC has deepened close contact with enterprises, institutions or individuals who have literal interests in public, social or cooperative economy.

Organization

The International Board forms CIRIEC's Board of Directors.

It is composed of delegates of the national sections.
Its meetings (twice a year) are organized due to one international section's invitation.

The biennial General Assembly

It meets every two years in accordance with the occasion of the international Congress of CIRIEC.

Scientific Bodies

The International Scientific Council is organized and is composed of delegates of the national sections of CIRIEC.
It directs the activity of two International Scientific Commissions: one devoted to issues concerning Public Services and Public Enterprises the other devoted to Social and Cooperative Economy.

Both Commissions are also composed of the transversal commission. These Commissions and their working groups as a whole form an international network of more than a hundred academics and experts, involving in many research activities.

CIRIEC International Biennial Congress

CIRIEC International Biennial Congress has been held under the main subjects, reflected to social environments and member-sections' demands. Until 1970s, the most congresses adopted these titles such as "collective economy", "public and corporative economy." But after the end of 1980s, the key words like "non-profit organization", "mixed economy", "social economy" has tended to increase.

The places and titles of recent congress are as follows:

• 1996 (Lisbon, Portugal.); Towards what economic and social cohesion? The contribution of public enterprises, cooperatives and social economy enterprises.
• 1998 (Cologne, Germany.); The management of human resources in public, social economy and cooperative enterprises.
• 2000 (Montreal, Canada.); Social economy and public economy; new form of cooperation in an era of globalization.
• 2002 (Naples, Italy.); Renewal of welfare and general interest policies. Public institutions, regulated markets, social economy.
• 2004 (Lyon, France.); The Response of the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy to the expectation of the society: Basic Right, Social Needs, Solvent Demand.
• 2006 (Istanbul, Turkey); The public, social and cooperative economy in the context of globalization: in the service of a more responsible and more solidarity-based economy.

Reports from Japan at the CIRIEC International Biennial Congress

• May, 1994 (Graz, Austria)
  • "The Public, Cooperative and Social Economy Enterprises Facing The Industrial and Competition Policy", by Kohei SAKAMOTO (Chairman of the Board of TORAY Business Research Institute)
• May, 1996 (Lisbon, Portugal)
  • "Information Network System as the Social System", by Yuichi MASUDA (Tokyo University)
• May, 1998 (Cologne, Germany)
  • "Japanese Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations in Transition after collapsing of the Bubble Economy: A Provisional Report", by Hajime IMAMURA (Toyo University)
• June, 2000 (Montreal, Canada)
  • "Public Utilities Reform in Japan", by Munenori MONURA (Kwansei-Gakuin University)
• October, 2002 (Naples, Italy)
  • "Reform of Long-term Care in Japan: from Administrative Placement to Market", by Kaori SAITOi (Toyo University) and Masatomi FUNABA (University of Marketing and Distribution Sciences)
• September, 2004 (Lyon, France)
  • "How Can Social Economy Improve User Access and Capability? Case of Health Co-ops", by Akira KURIMOTO (Director & Chief Researcher Consumer Co-operative Institute of Japan)
• June 2006 (Istanbul, Turkey)
  • All reports in this Congress were asked to join the round tables set to make clear the common subject of the Congress; The Public, Social and cooperative Economy in the Context of Globalization-In the service of a more responsible and more solidarity-based economy:
    In this congress, members of Japan CIRIEC contributed a lot as reporters and moderators as following.
    • Report at Round Table titled "Agricultural Cooperatives"; Akira KURIMOTO as reporter.
    • Report at Round Table titled "The role of public authorities in guaranteeing services provision and ensuring territorial development"; Hajime IMAMURA as reporter.
    • Report at the Round Table titled "Financing Modes for sustainable infrastructure supporting good quality services?"; Kazuhiko TABATA (Hyogo University) as reporter
    • Moderators of the Round Table; Matsuyo MAKINO (University of Hyogo) and Masatomi FUNABA (Prof. Emeritus of Hiroshima Univ.)
• September 2008 (Sevilla, Spain)
  • "Innovation and management: Answers to the great challenges of enterprises of the public, social and cooperative economy"

Social economy conferences

• 1st CIRIEC International Research Conference on the Social economy
  (Victoria ,Canada), October 22-25, 2007
  • CIRIEC International, CIRIEC-Canada and the Canadian Social Economy Hub have jointly organised this conference. The theme of this first initiative has been "Strengthening and Building Communities: The Social Economy in a Changing World".
• 2nd International CIRIEC Research Conference on the Social Economy
  (Ostersund, Sweden) October 1-2, 2009
  • This Conference follows the great success of the 1st International CIRIEC Research Conference on Social Economy in Victoria, Canada, 2007. CIRIEC International, CIRIEC-Sweden and the Mid Sweden invite you to participate in an exceptional forum for knowledge exchange, contributing to the dissemination of the most recent research developments on Social Economy. The theme of the 2009 Conference is "The Social Economy in a world facing a global crisis."

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