BALTA Symposia & Conferences
BALTA's First Symposium - November 13-14. 2008
Plaza 500 Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
BALTA researchers and members shared the results of initial BALTA research and learned about the progress of current research projects. BALTA’s members were joined by several students working on BALTA research projects and representatives of other organizations with an interest in the social economy. Topics included:
- Housing related research implemented by Social Economy Research Cluster (SERC) 1
- Farmers’ markets research implemented by Social Economy Research Cluster (SERC) 2
- Public policy research implemented by Social Economy Research Cluster (SERC) 3
- A franchising based social enterprise initiative involving golden mussel cultivation and BC Coastal First Nations
- BALTA’s mapping program and a SERC 3 initiative to compile a preliminary profile of the social economy in Alberta and British Columbia
- A presentation by Pat Conaty of the UK-based New Economics Foundation on financing and legal frameworks for the social enterprise sector
- Shorter presentations to give a broader flavour of BALTA’s research and other initiatives included: financing, credit unions and rural reinvestment, comparing social and solidarity economy formulations, cluster based social enterprise models, land tenure and land trusts, heritage conservation, sustainability, co-operative development systems, and return on taxpayer investment for training businesses in Quebec.
The symposium also included a workshop on strengthening BALTA’s results in publishing and knowledge dissemination.
See the program for the symposium
SERC 1 Housing Research Review - power point presentation (BALTA SERC 1 Projects A1, A5)
SERC 2 Presentation on Farmers' Markets Related Research - power point presentation (BALTA SERC 2 Project B5)
SERC 3 Presentation on Public Policy Inventory Research - power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Project C9)
A franchising based social enterprise initiative involving golden mussel cultivation and BC Coastal First Nations - power point presentation (BALTA Cross-Cutting Project D2)
Social Enterprise Partnerships: Tools for Conviviality - power point presentation by Pat Conaty of the UK-based New Economics Foundation
Sustainable Infrastructure for the Social Economy: Cluster-Based Social Enterprise Models power point presentation (BALTA Cross-Cutting Project D4)
Publishing and Dissemination Workshop - power point presentation
BALTA's Second Symposium – November 24-25, 2009
Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
BALTA researchers and members shared the results of BALTA research to date, learned about recently inaugurated research projects and discussed future directions for BALTA. BALTA’s members were joined by several students working on BALTA research projects and representatives of other organizations with an interest in the social economy. The symposium was hosted by the Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal University.
The first day featured four longer thematic workshops:
- Strengthening the Social Economy Infrastructure and Scaling Up its Impacts
- Building a Supportive Environment for Social Enterprise
- Food and the Social Economy
- Municipal Government Support of the Social Economy
Day 1 also had a presentation on BALTA’s mapping program that is surveying social economy organizations in Alberta and BC. Shorter presentations highlighted BALTA research on sustainable development, co-operative models of health care and rural Alberta case studies.
At the end of Day 1, BALTA and the Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet) co-hosted an information and consultation session as a lead-up to the National Summit on a People Centered Economy (see Social Economy News).
The focus of the second morning was a presentation by BALTA lead investigator Mike Lewis followed by discussion. The session focused on the implications of climate change and peak oil for the communities in which we live and for the social economy.
Day 2 also featured short presentations on several affordable housing related BALTA projects and other research projects related to land tenure and land trusts, renewable energy, the role of faith based organizations in the social economy, the role of credit unions in supporting the social economy and rural community reinvestment, and cluster based social enterprise models.
Several sessions on the final afternoon focused on potential initiatives and directions for BALTA’s work during the remaining period of SSHRC grant support until 2011. This included consideration of options for BALTA support for university level course development and curriculum resources on the social economy and research on possible models to continue BALTA’s legacy beyond the end of SSHRC funding. The results of these discussions will help to shape further program initiatives.
The three BALTA SERCs (social economy research clusters) met over lunch and then reported into a plenary discussion at the end of the afternoon. There was a strong consensus that further BALTA research should focus on filling in gaps in the current research priorities, rather than opening new lines of inquiry, and that the main focus of BALTA work needed to shift towards disseminating and acting on the research results already obtained.
See the program for the symposium
Report on the BALTA mapping program
Presentation on a Neighbourhood Mapping Project in Calgary – power point presentation (BALTA Mapping Project E3)
Workshop Presentations – Strengthening the Social Economy Infrastructure and Scaling up its Impacts
Co-operative Development
Establishing a Co-op Development System in BC & Alberta – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Projects C2 & C7)
C7 Project Follow Up and Social Co-ops & Social Care – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Project C7 and SERC 1 Project A2)
Building a Supportive Environment for Social Enterprise – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Project C17)
Workshop Presentations – Building a Supportive Environment for Social Enterprise
The Nonprofit Sector Capital Market in BC & Alberta – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 1 Projects A3 & A8)
Procurement Policy and Market Development for the Social Economy: Expanding the Market Opportunities for Social Enterprise, Co-operatives, and Other Social Economy Businesses – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Project C18)
Calgary Social Enterprise Development Research - power point presentation (Non-BALTA Research)
Workshop Presentations – Food and the Social Economy
Westlock Grain Terminals – power point presentation (BALTA Mapping Program case study)
SERC 2 Presentation on Farmers' Markets Related Research – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 2 Projects B5 & B7)
Seikatsu Consumer Coop: Scaling up food system transformation? – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 2 Project B8)
Workshop Presentations – Municipal Government Support of the Social Economy
Municipal Government Support of the Social Economy – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 3 Project C10)
Edmonton's Social Enterprise Fund – power point presentation
Other Presentations
Sustainability, the Social Economy, and the Eco-Social Crisis: Traveling Concepts and Bridging Fields – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 2 Project B2)
Reciprocity is Green: Sustainable Development and the Social Economy – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 2)
Building a People Centered Economy: The National Summit – power point presentation
Land Tenure and the Social Economy – power point presentation (BALTA Cross-Cutting Projects D3 & D7)
Conservation Land Trusts in Alberta – power point presentation (BALTA Cross-Cutting Project D3)
Faith-Based Organizations Engaged in the Social Economy in Western Canada – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 1 Project A4)
Coop Housing Futures: A Spatial Design Research Approach: Research Project Overview – report (BALTA SERC 1 Project A7)
Collaboration, Innovation & Organizational Learning: An Exploration of Non-profit Clusters and Shared Spaces – power point presentation (BALTA Cross-Cutting Project D4)
Building Capital, Building Community: A Comparative analysis of access to capital for social enterprises and nonprofits in Ontario and Quebec – power point presentation
BALTA Legacy Social Economy Course Development: An exploration of needs, capacity and ideas – power point presentation
BALTA Social Economy Course Development Project – report
Fraser Valley Social Economy: Affordable Housing Project – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 1 Project A6)
Affordable Housing Initiative: Sustainable Management of Housing by Not-for-profit and Co-operative Organizations in Response to Decreasing Government Funding Program – power point presentation (BALTA SERC 1 Project A9)
Project D-10 Overview: Advancing the Social Economy through Networks and Collaboration – power point presentation (BALTA Crossa-Cutting Project D10)
BALTA Co-Sponsors Symposium on Working in the Social Economy
Dr. Jorge Sousa
The symposium took place in Edmonton on April 27, 2010, bringing together over 70 participants. SERC 3’s co-chair, Jorge Sousa of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education, organized and moderated the symposium.
Topics addressed in the presentations and discussion included:
- Key trends and issues impacting on the sector.
- An overview of BALTA’s mapping research on the social economy sector.
- Attraction and retention – positioning the sector as a choice employer.
- The public policy context for social economy employment, including funding cutbacks.
- Innovations in non-profit sharing of services.
- The Community Disability Services Recruitment and Retention Campaign and initiatives to promote diversity in the workplace..
- An overview of the Alberta Non-Profit/Voluntary Sector initiative and workforce strategy.
The symposium was co-sponsored by the Work and Learning Network, the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, and Alberta Employment and Immigration.
See further information and copies of the presentations given at the symposium.
