0:34 Who are you and what relationship do you have with Fiare Banca Etica?
2:09 Fiare Banca Etica as we know it today was born in 2005 from the marriage of two projects based in ethical finance: Banca Popolare Etica, a cooperative bank working in Italy since 1999, and Fiare, which has been operating in Spain since 2005. Can you explain how this initiative came about and what produced this confluence with Italy?
6:57 You are a bank subsidiary that is part of a cooperative. Can you explain this coexistence of the legal form of the subsidiary with the cooperative formula?
8:03 On your website, you write that “we are a cooperative bank of reference in Europe with more than 42,000 members between Italy and Spain, organized in 5 geographic areas, with different participation bodies. We guarantee democratic management and ethical commitment to member participation under the principle of ‘one person, one vote.’” How is your internal operation coordinated and organized?
13:08 Who is part of the steering committee or driving group?
14:10 Fiare Banca Etica has more than 42,000 members in Italy and Spain. What is the partnership protocol for individuals and legal entities?
15:48 What is the international reach of Fiare Banca Etica? Do you work alongside other ethical cooperative banks?
18:01 Fiare Banca Etica is a financial tool at the service of social transformation. Can you explain what you mean when you talk about an ethical banking model? What are its principles?
23:07 Why talk about ethical banking and not public banking?
24:04 Fiare Banca Etica works for the transformation of the current social and financial system. What’s the direction of this transformation? Or, in other words, what model of society is being supported?
27:18 What model of ethical finance does Fiare Banca Etica support and practice?
29:19 What services does your bank offer and how do these services differ from those offered by traditional banks?
30:58 What differentiates the ethical banking model from that of a savings bank?
31:59 Are you one of the signatories of the Solidarity Economy Charter issued by the REAS based on the principles of equity, work, environmental sustainability, cooperation, non-profit, and commitment to the environment?
33:06 Thinking about the demographic diversity that shapes our societies based on gender, ethnic, and class variables, do you think that Fiare Banca Etica includes this diversity within its cooperative ecosystem?
35:40 What activities does Fiare Banca Etica organize to promote a critical view of the economy in both formal and non-formal education?
37:11 Do you get invited to speak about your vision of the economy at universities, secondary schools, or high schools?
38:52 Is Fiare Banca Etica a tool for political advocacy? Are you invited to be political interlocutors at public policy discussion tables at the local, state, and European levels?
40:54 Those of us who study economics from heterodox approaches understand that the existing social model is derived from capitalist economic assumptions, which are totalizing and inadequate because they don’t guarantee the biophysical sustainability of the planet, social justice, or the lives of various species. Taking into account the setting of social crisis and energy collapse that we’re living through, what analysis does Fiare Banca Etica make of those responsible for this situation?
42:13 What analysis does Fiare Banca Etica make of the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals?
43:27 Is this a political project? If so, what kinds of politics are we talking about?
43:58 Was there any connection between the events of 15M and Fiare? 44:50 You’ve been working at this cooperative for 15 years. Can you tell us about some of the challenges relevant to ethical banking and the environment of Fiare Banca Etica?
46:56 At the Constellation of the Commons we’re working on the production of a proactive and exciting collective imagination that encourages citizen participation and co-responsibility for the approaching eco-social, polyethical, and economic transformations. Could you share a piece of good news from Fiare Banca Etica that supports this proactive outlook?
48:04 How do you keep your enthusiasm for this project alive, living as we do in a time of social crisis, energy collapse, and political indifference?
“Fiare Banca Etica was born from the union of two projects based on ethical finance: Banca Popolare Etica, a cooperative bank that has been working in Italy since 1999, and Fiare, which has been operating in Spain since 2005. Both want to be a tool at the service of the social transformation through the financing of third sector projects, the social and solidarity economy and the promotion of a culture of financial intermediation, under the principles of transparency, participation and democracy.”
