Seminar on Ethical Finance and Banking

On Saturday October 4th Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust 2014 organized a training seminar about Ethical Banking and Finance, at the Catholic Institute in Floriana, aimed at discussing how financial institutions such as banks could by certain practices reduce poverty, promote social justice and encourage growth that is environmentally sound.

The seminar was led by Micol Arena from AGICES (National Fair Trade Assembly – Italy) and by Riccardo Milano from Banka Etica – Italy, a bank described by The Economist as a bank that takes its name seriously.

Mr. Milano covered the basics of ethical finance and banking and shall be discussed the multifaceted discussion on the definition of ethical banking and its relations to Fair Trade. Micol Arena gave on overview of the latest debates and discussions taking place within the Fair Trade movement and later presented educational educational activities that could be used in youth groups and in classrooms to raise awareness on Ethical Banking and Finance.

Riccardo Milano

Born in 1950 and having graduated in Law, Riccardo Milano haas approximately 25 years of experience working as a stock trader and budget analyst for the IMI (Instituto Mobiliare Italiano). Milano has presented lectures in courses delivered at the SDA Bocconi University in Milan and Luiss University in Rome. Following interest he left his previous job as a stock trader and studied theology in Verona and consequently he taught for 8 years at various State Institutes of the Diocese of Verona and indeed he has become a scholar of Social Doctrine of the Church and particularly of Moral Economy. In this role he has held courses and lectures at the Institute of Religious Studies and Catholic University in Italy.

Milano often participates as a speaker at conferences on ethical finance, Microcredit, Corporate Social Responsibility and relating topics in short term courses and seminars in Italy and abroad. In 2009 and 2010 apart from having many encounters on the Encyclical Caritas in Veritate he was contracted to deliver lectures with various Universities. Today Milano collaborates with newspapers, magazines and TV program companies to deliver his view and opinions about the social and ethical economy.

He is the author of the book “La Finanza e la Banca Etica. Economia e Solidarieta”. Ed Paoline, Milan, 2001 and the author of “Microfinance and Microcredit” section in the Treccani Encyclopedia (volume The Book of the Year 2005 ). Milano is the coauthor of Microfinance for the Dictionary of Civil Economics edited by S. Zamagni, L. Bruni (Città Nuova editrice, 2009) written together with Prof. L. Becchetti. Milano has just finished the chapter: History of the Social Banking for The European Institute of Social Banking. At the moment Milano is a member of the management board of Banca Etica and of other organizations.

Micol Arena

Micol Arena works in Agices on national and international projects aiming to raise awareness of the significance of Fair Trade and to strengthen Fair Trade Industry. She is a member of Ctm Altromercato’s Project Committee, the group in charge of assessing the compliance with Fair Trade standards of Ctm Altromercato’s partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She has been working in Fair Trade since 2009 after her specialist degree in Political Studies (Cooperation, Development, Transnational Markets – University of Torino), coordinating projects, training and implementing cultural activities of a regional network of Fair Trade Organisations in Italy.

“Fair Share’s main goal, the e-learning environment dedicated to Fair Trade and entrepreneurship, can be a real turning point for the training and sustainability issues of Fair Trade organisations. I’m happy to contribute to the project and I have many expectations from this project.”