This is a CTP of initiative: FEBEA/Fiare (Spain)
The interviewee highlights the celebration of the Fiare Banca Etica members’ assembly, held on November 28, 2015, as a turning point in Fiare's history. Firstly, it is noted that this assembly was held simultaneously in two venues: in the city of Padua (Italy) and in the town of Barañain (Spain), in order to facilitate the attendance of the partners from both territories, and avoiding long journeys to the Italian headquarters as she describes:
Another turning point was the last assembly we had, in November 2015. Perhaps identifying all the important moments of Fiare with assemblies we celebrate may seem strange ... but this last assembly, which took place at the same time in Barañain and in Padua… At that meeting the new electoral regulation was agreed. But above all I would emphasize that we could work at the same time, jointly in two venues ... that, that is, is a very big step forwards
This meeting pursued the approval of the modifications in the statutes of Fiare Banca Etica as well as the approval of a new electoral regulation for the election of the Board of Directors of Fiare Banca Etica. Both proposals are the result of an earlier review process aimed at acknowledging the (international) dimension of the project after the integration of Fiare and Banca Popolare Etica. This electoral regulation is preceded by an intense debate within the bank in which representatives of the territorial groups, reference partners, the ethics committee and representatives of the hired workers were involved. Changes are introduced in the bank's governance model, which must be adapted to the current level of complexity of the bank, to the increase in the number of Spanish members, both individuals and organizations.
The interviewee stresses the importance that the partners of Fiare have to participate and discuss jointly in both territories, thanks to the technology and the mechanisms provided by the organization. This has allowed the partners to visualize that the work on both sides of the Mediterranean is possible and that the difficulties or barriers derived from the internationalization of the initiative can be solved:
We introduced the statutory changes, there was a debate and all that happened at the same time one place and the other ... well, we have to realize that we move in a tremendously immense space, right? (...). Since this was possible, we have seen it possible. And the participation has been very great ... and very organized ... for me it has been a perfect, perfect way of doing it. People talked here and also in Italy. We have the possibility of simultaneous translation of everything, what was being said in one place or another
We were able to vote all at the same time, to change things right there. There was a previous idea of the changes to aprove regarding electoral regulations , but during the assembly we modified the quorums that had been established ... And it was thanks to the interventions of the members, during the same assembly, that attendees accepted. And there was a time to comment, to vote and refine them ... I think we have taken a tremendous step, starting from that assembly
This turning point is the result of the close collaboration and the work developed by the members and partners of Fiare Banca Etica both in the Spanish territory and in the Italian territory. The initiative represents the first experience of an European credit cooperative with headquarters in Italy and Spain. Fiare Banca Etica is a banking cooperative that has a structure agreed in previous assemblies and follows an innovative model management, comprising a professional team led by President Ugo Biggeri and a board of directors composed by 14 other members who represent the sectors and groups integrated in the bank. However, the leaders of the bank emphasize that this, and most of the decisions taken in the assemblies, are preceded by processes of cooperation and internal participation open to the social base of Fiare.
As President Biggeri [1] points out in an article explicitly written for this context, the agreements adopted in the assembly will reinforce the processes of internal participation and communication between the partners and the bank's structure:
“Beyond the model of government that we may vote in the Extraordinary Assembly, we must recognize that the process, although still leaving room for improvement, shows the high level of participation that such a large international banking cooperative can hold. Sometimes we ourselves do not realize the originality of what we do or the ways of participation we experience. It has not been an easy path and it is clear that there is no perfect solution. We all have potentially different positions that we wanted to point out, defend and propose. But it has been a collective effort in which we have demonstrated that we are able to adopt ideas and manage the critical points to elaborate the best system shared by most of the social base of our cooperative. I believe that giving value to this participatory process and the results it has obtained is a great demonstration of the democracy that rules our bank” (Biggeri, 2015, p.4).
The co-production of this turning point has also been facilitated by the trust relationships established between the partners of Fiare Banca Etica, through joint work and the opportunity to meet and interact personally in the different assemblies and activities carried out by the initiative as the repondent stress as follows:
I have had the honor and pleasure of attending these meetings regularly and of participating in many meetings since I took over the GIT (Local Initiative Group). Through each of these meetings, Fiare has been strengthened. In addition you realize in each meeting that all the headaches we have here, in our meetings, are shared in other territories, each one with its specificities. And you arrive, thinking you had discovered the gunpowder and the Navarrese tell you: We have just discovered it ourselves... It’s nice we agree, that we understand things in the same way and even more is nice seeing we have used the same formula to fix it ... and that is very important, that is very, very important and besides ... now I do not say Navarra, I say Ana, who is the coordinator there, you know? And of course, the meetings, the after-meeting coffees, and the talks at night in the hotel as new ideas come out
Finally, the evolutionary processes Fiare Banca Etica is experiencing is favored, in part, by an increase in the critical awareness of European citizenship, which, starting with the banking crisis of 2008, seeks new alternatives and shows its predilection for ethical finance options. This has led to an increase in the number of Fiare partners and an interest in the Italian initiative to build an European cooperative. The interviewee mentions Fiare is currently generating expectation at the European level:
I think we are getting even further because we are already a sign of European identity at least (...) Other people who travel much more around Europe tells us that a lot of people are watching us with a lot of curiosity, with a lot of attention and very much looking forward to join in. And in fact, we have very good relations with Portugal. I would not be surprised if they will join us... But from what I have heard, in Germany there are many people who are eager to join; the same in Holland. And perhaps surprisingly, at least for me there are three countries of those that we previously considered Eastern Europe, that are really on the move; and where you find interesting initiatives that ask a lot: how did you do it
References:
[1] Fiare Banca Etica (2015). BancaNote. November, 2015, 2. Retrieved from: http://www.fiarebancaetica.coop/sites/fiarebancaetica.com/files/web/Main%20Menu/Asamblea%20personas%20socias/Noviembre%202015/BancanotE_2-nov2015_es_ok.pdf
A series of events preceded Fiare's November 2015 assembly of partners. The first of these is related to the opening in 2014 of the first Fiare Banca Etica banking office in Bilbao, Spain, but which operates throughout the territory through an electronic banking platform. This office involves a qualitative leap in the consolidation of Fiare as a banking alternative and targeting the most critical sectors with the traditional banking system but that did not yet have an ethical initiative capable of meeting its financial needs.
From then on, Fiare partners are more aware of the transformative capacity that the initiative can have and that is determined by the proximity to the territory:
It's an important moment first because of our visibility. We have now an office here. Also for the independence that gives us. Because we are no longer agents of Banca Popolare Etica. This is another office and has independence to make decisions on credits up to a certain amount ... that greatly accelerates the processes ... the credit applicant is closer to the entity that is going to grant it. Before, the last decision was made in Italy. Imagine, from Lugo to Padua there is a lot of difference. There is a lot of distance in every way. And now it is only from Lugo to Bilbao and the director of the Bilbao office comes to Lugo and talks directly with you. So in those things it has been a very noticeable change, it has been fundamental
However, the transformation of Fiare into banking cooperative has meant a separation between the partners of the social initiative and the professional structure of the bank. The partners who until now had been spokespersons or representatives of a social initiative are restricted in their ability to act, so as not to violate Fiare's internal rules.
When the Bilbao office was opened in October 2014, we had a very important meeting with all the coordinators, those who were responsible for the communication and the people who also carried the ethical-social commissions to tell us that from that moment our roles would be different. We must be careful with what we communicate, with how we communicate. That is, members cannot act as workers of the entity (...) but that does not mean that between those roles there is no communication or common work, for that there is the community of action that we are trying to create. That we are gradually creating it, in an indefinite way and that we have started to do since that moment, since October 2014
From that moment on, Fiare leaders are aware that new roles and responsibilities need to be defined internally, as well as establishing mechanisms for the participation of partners. This will be discussed at a meeting of Spanish partners from the Spanish side in Madrid in May 2015 (and coinciding with an assembly of partners from the Italian side). Associates start to discuss the new governance model of Fiare and the new concept of “community of action " that will be driven forward.
The objective will be to strengthen the mechanisms of participation of Fiare, as explained by the president of the cooperative [1] as follows:
"This process does not only reinforce the associative diagram by which the participation of members of Banca Etica at the territorial level is organised, but it also adds it (the diagram) to the statutes, as well as the role of leading partners. For the first time, the role of the partners and members who work in the Banca Etica group is clearly recognized and possible interactions with the elections of the banking institutions are established " (Biggeri, 2015, p.4).
[1] Source: Fiare Banca Etica (2015). BancaNote. November, 2015, 2. Retrieved from: http://www.fiarebancaetica.coop/sites/fiarebancaetica.com/files/web/Main%20Menu/Asamblea%20personas%20socias/Noviembre%202015/BancanotE_2-nov2015_es_ok.pdf
The interviewee has not identified any kind of explicit contestation to the agreements adopted during the Fiare Banca Etica assembly of partners in 2015. In fact, the ease of the dialogue between those participants who gathered at both the Italian and the Spanish headquarters is highlighted. Likewise, the participants' ability to intervene, make proposals and even make changes during the assembly to improve the regulations and agreements approved is positively valued.
This moment of inflection in Fiare's history is preceded by a process of internal discussion about the mechanisms of election of the board of directors, as well as the desire to create new spaces of participation and debate that bring banking institutions back to the volunteers and to its social basis. Thus, it seems that there is some tension in some of the partners in the fear of losing influence in the decision-making processes of the bank. In general, the interviewee acknowledges that there is a high degree of confidence in the decisions taken by the organization's board, in which the partners have delegated their responsibility.
However, the consolidation of the initiative is still recent and people who have taken a more active role so far may have had misgivings or doubts about how the initiative will be managed from this moment on. This has led to a more combative attitude among them, greater transparency in the decisions taken by the Council and the creation of new communication channels.
The agreements adopted at the 2015 assembly seem to go along this line, but processes are slow, which can, in turn, generate some frustration among the most combative partners:
Yes, there are more demands by some people ... and more understanding by others. It’s normal. There has been debate (...) we have to advance carefully, being more cautious. To take it slowly and bit by bit, because doing things well requires time. Yes there has been debate in that sense; I think so, but a rich and positive debate. And furthermore, no matter how much we are all partners and committed in many things, not only our time, but our money too, there are a number of decisions that we ultimately know we do not take, but that are taken by a technical part of the staff and we have to leave those things in their hands
The event that gave rise to this turning point took place at the end of 2015 (N.A., barely three months had elapsed at the time of this interview). Therefore, it is considered that it is still very early for the perception within the social group of Fiare Banca Etica, of the importance this will have in the history of the initiative. However, the interviewee reflects on the understanding of these critical moments within Fiare.
In general, each of the steps that the Spanish initiative has taken in its 10 years history have been qualified, by most of the partners, as crucial moments or milestones that represent a step forward for the achievement of the objectives set by the initiative. Therefore, the interviewee does not doubt that this moment will be considered again a critical moment:
They're all historical moments, right? Because it's the first time we do something.... and we laugh at how much we say we are making history... All of them are historical moments. Every time is the first time for something... Logically there are many first times for many things ... and then maybe, to identify which one is more important in the history, sometimes it’s hard to decide, right? Thinking of all those years, in all the meetings we have had. I have had the great luck of being involved in many of these, not at all but in many of these historical moments ...
The relevance of this milestone is also shared by key people in the initiative, such as Peru Sasia[1], the leader of Fiare and a member of the Fiare Banca Etica´s Board of Directors, who especially emphasized the symbolic value of this assembly as well as for being a time of celebration of the successes achieved so far:
"We will hold next November 28 the first assembly of Fiare Banca Etica which will be formally celebrated in two venues simultaneously. One of them, Pamplona. And it will be, above all, a party (...) On November 28, it will be a year since we got the "1550", that magic number that is nothing more than the banking establishment granted by the Bank of Spain. Our current accounts start by 1550 (we have current accounts!). And ten years will have passed since we began to give our first steps as financial agents. The end of the first stage of the Banca Etica Board of Directors, which at the 2013 Assembly certified that we were part of a tangible real ethical banking project that presented itself in its best in Florence as a real and international cooperative eager to project itself into the future in order to further transform finances, is close. Let's face it, all this deserves a part" (Peru Sasia, 2015, p.7)
References:
[1] Opinion article published by Peru Sasia in: Fiare Banca Etica (2015). BancaNote. November, 2015, 2. Retrieved from: http://www.fiarebancaetica.coop/sites/fiarebancaetica.com/files/web/Main%20Menu/Asamblea%20personas%20socias/Noviembre%202015/BancanotE_2-nov2015_es_ok.pdf
Regarding the question of what lesson she has drawn from this turning point, the interviewee refers to the learning derived from her participation in Fiare, in a broader context. Thus, it highlights an understanding of the dimension of the Fiare project, which goes beyond a simple credit cooperative to become an innovative initiative capable of having social impact in the territory:
We are so deluded that we go right there, at the heart of the financial system. And this has a lot of capacity to generate a really effective change. It is a process, I think, of high political content ... and it is very challenging, and it generates a lot of hope ... because you see that it is possible, and that we have continued to believe some in others and that a financial institution has been created, I believe that there is no institution in Spain more complete, that moves more people from the base, and with such an heterogeneous base
This impact has led to a change in the relationships between different sectors or social entities, which is understood as the result of a learning process, the ability to work collaboratively with other entities and groups which are different (common prejudices have also arisen), but with they share common values.
Fiare is defined as a project capable of bringing together different sensitivities, which makes possible new cooperation channels:
I would highlight Fiare's ability to involve very different people and entities in the same project, people and entities that are so different… and we are all working side by side. It has given us the possibility to know each other... For me, it was very, very, very significant ... I always explain this…in a Galician assembly, one of the member entities, an environmental association, publicly acknowledged that thanks to Fiare they had been able to begin to collaborate and to be comfortable working with people and entities with whom they would never have thought they could. And they were so generous that they said it publicly. For example, they would never have thought of working with Church entities, and we have realized that we can not only work together on projects but also that we share many common beliefs. Only for this reason was it worth the effort. For me that is already worth it ...Fiare has laid a basis for collective action that I hadn’t met before in any other field. We are all one and also realizing that we can do it. And not only that, we can do it and we are doing it at ease
The participation of partners from both countries in the Fiare Banca Etica 2015 assembly of partners has favored the mutual knowledge among them and the creation of bonds of trust. The event has also allowed the understanding of the barriers that still exist - within Fiare - for a more active participation in decision-making spaces:
We still need to empower ourselves a bit more ... for example, in order to appoint people from the Fiare area as candidates for the Board of Directors, there are certain difficulties (...) Sometimes for personal reasons, sometimes the volunteers who are doing a huge amount of work cannot longer do it ... and of course, having physical distances shortened as well... Although some Boardmeetings have been held here in Spain, most of them are in Italy. That requires someone who could run to go there, that not everyone can.
This turning point has also drawn a third reflection on the evaluation and self-criticism that Fiare partners make on the trajectory of the initiative, which sometimes focuses on looking for mistakes and gaps in the project, rather than in celebrating the successes or those more emotional, relational aspects that bring satisfaction to associates:
Sometimes we look at ourselves very critically. Yes, I think that sometimes we evaluate ourselves too much; it is great to evaluate ourselves and every year, logically before starting a new year because we evaluate the previous one. And I value the amount of hours invested with heart very much, the personal efforts that people are investing in this. And that could not be paid with money. And that you do it because it is something that fulfils your life ... the capacity that Fiare has to gather so many different people. I'm learning so much here.... Although I had worked a lot in the networking, in the Galicia Sur GIT (local group), there was not that heterogeneity ... what Fiare has done I have not seen it in any other network where I have worked at.
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