YSI @ Economy of Francesco International Summer School 2023 | La Verna

Narrative capital and spiritual capital are two ancient types of capital that are becoming increasingly important for our time’s well-being, while the modern approach to social capital serves as the connective tissue that binds them in our daily encounters. Narrative capital comprises stories, tales, legends, origin myths, and traditions passed down over time and discussed across generations. Similarly, spiritual capital includes symbolic, moral, and spiritual dimensions inherited from previous generations. Narrative and spiritual capital contribute to building a vision of the world – the weltanschauung – that uniquely identifies a person, an organization, a community, or even a country. This social fabric has a significant impact on who we engage with and how we collaborate. It is this everyday tapestry of connectedness and implicit collaboration that this concept of social capital seeks to capture.

When these capitals are available, people are better equipped to deal with life’s adversities, are more resilient, and can flourish because they can tackle those adversities by relying on the experience of past generations, taking inspiration from their reactions, and ultimately feeling in good company. These capitals, which social scientists have seldomly paid attention to, are depleting fast due to the increased individualism and secularism that our societies face, with adverse consequences regarding the sustainability of our socio-economic systems. The Economy of Francesco International Summer School will discuss these different capitals and their role in our communities.

Our project is a partnership with The Economy of Francesco (EoF), an international movement of young economists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers engaged in a process of inclusive dialogue and young, vibrant, global change, moving towards a new economy. This year, EoF is organizing its second international summer school encouraging the participation of 40 – 50 young economists. In this edition, YSI scholars will have the opportunity to participate and have mutual enrichment and dialogue between theory and praxis with other young economists.

By participating in this program, selected students will intensify their knowledge in their fields of study and research and will have the opportunity to get to know peer-leading researchers in an interdisciplinary, co-generative environment. Although the Summer School intends to bring together science academics from different countries, it also encourages the participation of practitioners in the field.

A limited number of participants will be offered financial support for their participation by YSI. This support includes: a partial travel stipend to La Verna; the summer school fee which includes accommodation and food for 6 days (from the dinner on Sunday, June 18th, to the lunch on Friday, June 23rd). The EoF Organizing Committee covers organizational costs, excursions, and transfers to and from Arezzo/La Verna based on June 18th arrival and June 23rd departure.

More information about the school can be found here: https://francescoeconomy.org/summer-school-2023/.

The selection process will take place after the deadline on April 30th.