Co-operative Legislation – Public Consultation
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the findings of a recent study on the implementation of the European Co-operative Society and in which Centre staff was involved. The closing date for submissions is 15th June 2011. Further information on the consultation can be accessed at:
Co-operative Legislation:Staff of the Centre recently completed the “SCE” project funded by the EU Commission and co-ordinated by the European Research Institute on Co-operative & Social Enterprise (EURICSE), Co-operatives Europe and the EKAI Centre of Mondragón. The project assessed the implementation of the relatively new European Co-operative Society legal form. It also collated and explored national legislation on co-operatives across all member states. The report can be accessed at
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/social-economy/
Conference on Financial Exclusion and Consumer Debt Research: The Centre for Co-operative Studies has recently been awarded funding by Combat Poverty Agency, to host a conference on Financial exclusion and consumer debt research. The conference will bring key researchers in these areas together to disseminate their findings collectively and to act as a forum within which issues in financial exclusion and over-indebtedness in Ireland can be explored and debated by researchers policy-makers, regulators, financial service providers (especially credit unions), social partners, organisations working to combat financial exclusion, and politicians. The event is intended to help to continue to raise awareness of the issues surrounding financial exclusion and over-indebtedness in Ireland and to identify key areas for action and for further research. It is proposed to hold the event in Aula Maxima, University College Cork during September, 2007
Book Series: The Centre was commissioned to write a series of six books by Oak Tree Press, The first of the series has been published and is entitled ‘Helping Ourselves: Success Stories in Co-operative Business and Social Enterprise’. To find out more about the book click here
Department of Agriculture and Food: Research Stimulus Fund: (M. Ward, O.McCarthy, R. Briscoe, M. O'Shaughnessy): Funding was awarded for a project examining Effective Structures for Farmers' Markets. This is a three-year project from October 2006 to September 2009. Ms Aisling Moroney has been appointed to undertake this research as part of her PhD.
Combat Poverty Agency: Policy Research: (N. Byrne, O. McCarthy, M. Ward): Funding was awarded for a research study entitled 'Evaluation of the Credit Union and MABS Services in terms of their impact on the Financial Capability of Low-Income Groups'. This research will directly build on recent research carried out by Byrne, McCarthy and Ward (2005) which highlighted that while access to financial services is essential, it also vital to ensure that people have the ability to use these financial services. The overall aim of the proposed research is to evaluate the credit union and MABS services in terms of the standard service and targeted pilot initiatives in terms of their effectiveness in building financial capability. The research will commence in early 2007.
President's PhD Scholarship in the Colleges of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences, and the College of Business & Law, 2006: (O. McCarthy): The President's PhD scholarship will fund a student to undertake a PhD on credit union governance from 2006 - 2009. The scholarship will cover the PhD fees of a full-time student for 3 years. Mr Ted O'Sullivan has been appointed under the terms of this scholarship.
EMES: is a research network of established university research centres and individual researchers whose goal is to gradually build up an European corpus of theoretical and empirical knowledge , pluralistic in disciplines and methodology, around “Third Sector” issues. For more information see http://www.emes.net/
Meeting the Credit Needs of Low Income Groups: Credit Unions-v-Moneylenders: (N. Byrne, O.McCarthy and M. Ward):The research for this study was funded under the Poverty Research Initiative 2004 of the Combat Poverty Agency. The study focused on examining the service of the credit union and the moneylender in terms of credit provision to low-income groups. The research also estimated the extent of moneylending in two communities in Munster. It was found that a significant number of people borrow from moneylenders but that well over half are simultaneously borrowing from mainstream sources, in particular the credit union.Within the literature, borrowing from a moneylender is seen as an indicator of being excluded from other more affordable sources of credit. However, in Ireland borrowing from a moneylender is not a clear indicator of financial exclusion, as a significant proportion of moneylender borrowers are also borrowing from mainstream sources. This analysis also brings out the nature of the borrower and moneylender relationship which is based on tradition, convenience and the development of a close relationship which can create the basis for dependency.We conclude that any policy approach must not only focus on access to financial services but must also equally focus on financial education and regulation. The research is published under the Combat Poverty Agency Working Paper Series as Working Paper 05/05. It can be located on the http://www.cpa.ie
Current/Recent Projects
Joint UCC/Teagasc PhD Fellowship Opportunity on the potential of co-operatives:
PhD Fellowship Opportunity
A
Governance approach to enhancing farm viability:the
potential of co-operatives
A large proportion of small
and mid-sized conventional farm enterprises in Ireland is officially
categorised as economically unviable. With a decline in farm numbers come
associated threats to social and cultural sustainability. This is the
predominant concern of the ‘Middle Agriculture’ movement that has gained
prominence in the US. Co-operatives, in this context, represent a survival
strategy and an effort at acquiring greater producer autonomy in a market where
food processors and supermarket multiples have control. Newly emerging
co-operatives of family farmers and growers in Ireland are in a position to
learn from international experience in the United States and Holland, where there
are examples of successful marketing/branding co-operatives; information
sharing co-operatives; and bargaining co-operatives, operating within the
contexts of commodity food markets and differentiated food markets. What can
the development of Irish co-operatives learn from these international
experiences? What are the
characteristics of successful co-operatives operating internationally and what
are the determining factors in their success? What are the broader market and
consumer–driven forces that surround their operation? This four-year PhD project
will involve conducting qualitative field research to answer these broad
research questions both abroad and in Ireland. The project will incorporate a
participatory action research component, working directly with policy
representatives, agricultural extension support officers, industry
stakeholders, and producers. The
successful candidate will have a background in sociology, political science, cooperative
studies, rural/community development, food business and development,
agricultural science or a related discipline.
The value of the Walsh
Fellowship stipend is €21,000 p.a. for four years (less UCC post-graduate fees).
Terms and conditions of the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme are available at: http://www.teagasc.ie/research/postgrad/
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Olive McCarthy, Centre for Cooperative Studies & Dept of Food Business and Development, University College Cork. O.McCarthy@ucc.ie
Or
Dr. Áine Macken-Walsh, Teagasc Rural Economy and Development Programme (REDP), Mellow’s Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway. Aine.MackenWalsh@teagasc.ie
To apply, please submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae and a completed research proposal form to coopphd@ucc.ie
The closing date for applications is: Friday 29th April, 2011, 5pm.