ISTR European Network Launched in Geneva
by Marilyn Taylor and Catherina Pharoah, UK

The ISTR conference in Geneva provided an opportunity to sound European members out on the potential for a European network within ISTR. Such a network would provide a regional focus--with the possibility of events in between the biennial conferences, to raise the profile of third sector and social economy research within Europe and the EU in particular, and to create research links between different European countries.

A meeting at lunchtime on the third day of the conference attracted a good attendance. There was considerable interest in taking the idea further but some concerns, for example about what the relationship should be with established third sector and social economy networks within the region. The main points raised were:

• The ISTR European network should be a loose structure of people with common interests in the broad field of third sector, social economy, social movement research.
  
  
• The ISTR European Network should remain integrated within ISTR and should not have a separate secretariat or committee structure.
  
  
• The ISTR European Network should remain integrated within ISTR and should not have a separate secretariat or committee structure.
  
  
• The ISTR European Network should link with other appropriate networks in Europe.
  
  
• The focus should be primarily regional, i.e., European in the wide sense, but will have some specific focus on sub-areas as desired. These might include, for example, European Union, East-West exchange, sub-regions such as the existing German speaking group, particular themes.
  
  
• A European network should be developed in parallel with developments in other ISTR networks, e.g., Asia, Africa
  
  
• An email network should be set up to facilitate communication
  
  
• In the first instance, the main purposes of the network should be:
  
  
  • establishing and extending the mailing list
    
  • sharing information on conferences, research partners, funding sources and opportunities, common interests and problems, research in progress, publications
    
  • establishing a European website as part of the ISTR site and
  
  
• Other ideas included:
  
  • a regional ISTR newsletter
    
  • using the network as a basis for lobbying the EU on third sector research interests
    
  • using the network to establish a European agenda within ISTR and in the wider context
    
  • a regional conference or subregional conferences in the year between the main ISTR conferences

A small subgroup volunteered to take the ideas forward: Cathy Pharaoh, Sebastian Schnyder, Isabel Vidal, Marilyn Taylor. In order to do that, we would welcome further comments and ideas. Please send your comments and ideas to Cathy Pharoah, Charities Aid Foundation, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4TA, UK; phone: (44-1732) 520-127; fax: (44-1732) 520-100; e-mail: cpharoah@caf.charitynet.org. An e-mail network will be established.