8th Biennial RAMICS International Congress in Brazil

“Plurality of Social Currencies: solidarity economy, municipal and community currencies for inclusive and sustainable futures”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 8-12, 2026

Official Website

>> Download the program here <<

Important dates:

Activity	Date
Submitting abstracts	January 31st, 2026 (Saturday)
Notification of acceptance	March 1st, 2026 (Sunday)  *Proposals submitted before the deadline will be evaluated and communicated in advance.
Registration deadline	Early Bird: April 2nd, 2026 (Thursday)  Late Registration: April 22nd, 2026 (Wednesday)
Submitting full papers	May 24th, 2026 (Sunday)
Conference	June 8-12th, 2026

For submission and registration, check the official website.

Address: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), FGV Headquarters Building (Praia de Botafogo, 186 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ)

Organization of the Congress:

• Centro de Estudos em Microfinanças e Inclusão Financeira (FGVcemif) 
• Programa de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computação (PESC/COPPE/UFRJ)
• Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ)
• Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)
• Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)
• Research Association on Monetary Innovation and Community and Complementary Currency Systems (RAMICS)

Title of the Conference:

• 8th Biennial RAMICS International Congress in Brazil. Plurality of Social Currencies: solidarity economy, municipal and community currencies for inclusive and sustainable futures

Conference Presentation

The Ramics research association focuses on studying monetary innovation and community and complementary currency systems. Since 2011, the network has met every two years to share experiences, ideas, and practices on complementary currencies.

The 8th congress will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 8-12, 2026.

In a global context marked by growing mistrust in governments and widening gaps between local and central institutions, complementary and community currencies have emerged as innovative tools to rebuild social and economic connections. Across the world, these initiatives foster solidarity, inclusion, and resilience by creating local exchange systems and sustainable models of development rooted in community participation. Numerous experiences have been developed in different regions, each with distinct characteristics, objectives, and institutional arrangements.

Beyond their economic function, these currencies serve as instruments of social innovation and democratic experimentation. They encourage collective governance, stimulate local entrepreneurship, and strengthen citizens’ capacity to act within and beyond traditional market logics. By doing so, they invite a rethinking of value, cooperation, and sustainability in contemporary economies, aligning financial practices with broader social and environmental goals.

The 8th Biennial RAMICS Conference, entitled “Plurality of Social Currencies: Solidarity Economy, Municipal and Community Currencies for Inclusive and Sustainable Futures,” seeks to deepen and enrich the debate on these initiatives. Through lectures by national and international experts, presentation of academic research and experience reports, and field trips, the event aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and exchange of experiences, contributing to the advancement of discussions on solidarity economy, local development, and financial inclusion.

Conference website (for paper submissions and additional details): https://ramics2026.sciencesconf.org/. 

Organizing committee:

Prof. Anderson Oriente (IFRJ, Rio de Janeiro) 

Prof. Ariádne Scalfoni Rigo (UFBA, Salvador) 

Prof. Bruno Chapadeiro Ribeiro (UFF, Niterói) 

Prof. Eduardo Diniz (FGV, São Paulo)  

Prof. Lauro Gonzalez (FGV, São Paulo) 

Prof. Luiz Arthur Silva de Faria (UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro) 

Marcos Rodrigo Maciel Ferreira (UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro) 

Prof. Paula Duarte (FGV, Rio de Janeiro) 

Pedro Paulo Gonçalves neto (UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro) 

Rogério de Castro Melo (FGV, São Paulo)

Themes for paper presentations are:

1. Digitalization, and technologies
   • Suggested key words: 4th industrial revolution, digital currencies, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, digital divide, governance, centralization, software licenses, digital sovereignty, digital financial inclusion etc.
2. Territories, and participation
   • Suggested key words: empowerment, decentralization, decommodification, (re-)distribution, social cohesion, social innovation, community resilience, local development, participation, regional, local, governance, civil society, community currencies, citizenship etc.
3. Public policies, and relations with governments
   • Suggested key words: federalism, basic income, debt crises, poverty, inequality, liquidity, inflation, ethical finance, social harmony, social justice, centralization, governance, institutional arrangements, legal framework, municipal currencies etc.
4. Environment, and sustainability
   • Suggested keywords: degrowth, perpetual pandemics, energy transition, natural resources, ecology, green new deal, green investment, climate change, biodiversity, energy poverty, agroecology etc.
5. History and theories
   • Suggested key words: monetary reform, history, transition phases, typologies, design, theoretical review, conceptual propositions etc.
6.  Emerging themes and other approaches (in case your work is not covered by the other themes).

More information will be published here and in the official website in due time, sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about it. For submission and registration check the official website.

Scientific Committee (in alphabetical order)

Prof. Anderson Oriente (IFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Prof. Ariádne Scalfoni Rigo (UFBA, Salvador, Brazil) 

Prof. Bruno Chapadeiro Ribeiro (UFF, Niterói, Brazil)

Prof. Eduardo Diniz (FGV, São Paulo, Brazil)                                                         

Prof. Ester Barinaga, University of Lund (Sweden) 

Dr. Gabriella Gimigliano, University of Siena 

Prof. Georgina Gomez, ISS, University of Rotterdam (Netherlands) 

Dr. Jens Martignoni, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland) 

Prof. Jerome Blanc, Triangle, Sciences Po Lyon (France) 

Prof. Lauro Gonzalez (FGV, São Paulo, Brazil) 

Dr. Luca Giachi, CNR Issirfa (Italy) 

Prof. Luiz Arthur Silva de Faria (UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 

Prof. Masayuki Yoshida, Joetsu University of Education (Japan) 

Prof. Paula Duarte (FGV, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 

Dr. Rossitsa Toncheva (University of National and World Economy, Bulgária) 

Additional information:

On June 4, 5, and 6, 2026, there will also be an additional event organized by the Conference of the Brazilian Network of Community and Municipal Banks, to be held at the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation, in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro.

The Conference of the Brazilian Network of Community and Municipal Banks aims primarily to strengthen the networks of popular and solidarity economy initiatives supported by community and municipal banks across the country. In addition, the event will serve as a space for organizing the movement’s agendas and advocacy priorities, as well as for electing the Network’s new board of directors.

The conference will bring together approximately 250 participants, including leaders from civil society organizations from more than 100 cities, researchers, national and international public officials, and other invited guests.

Further information will be available on the RAMICS 2026 website: https://ramics.cos.ufrj.br. 

7th Biennial RAMICS International Congress in Italy

“The Future of Money: Democracy, Localism and Inclusion”

Rome, Italy, Nov. 6-8, 2024

Date of the conference: November 6 (morning) – November 8 (afternoon) 2024.

City: Roma, Headquarters of the National Research Council (CNR) and ISSIRFA Headquarters (Via dei Taurini, Rome)

Organization of the Congress:

• ISSIRFA, National Research Council (CNR) ramics2024@issirfa.cnr.it
• Research Association on Monetary Innovation and Community and Complementary Currency Systems (RAMICS)

Title of the Conference:

• 7th Biennial RAMICS International Congress in Italy. The Future of Money: Democracy, Localism and Inclusion

Conference Presentation

The Ramics research association focuses on studying monetary innovation and community and complementary currency systems. Since 2011, the network has met every two years to share experiences, ideas, and practices on complementary currencies.

The 7th congress will be held in Rome, Italy, Nov. 6-8, 2024.

Against a backdrop of citizenry’s mistrust towards the governments of their own countries   successive economic crises over the years have further widened the gap between the local and central institutions. In view of these challenges, complementary currencies may be able to reconnect the knots of the citizens with formal institutions (and vice versa).

Many experiences with complementary means of payment in recent years have resulted in systems of mutual exchange traceable to business communities, with the creation of closed circuits in which members voluntarily exchange goods and services, offsetting debts with credits. Or with initiatives characterized by solidarity and participatory systems aimed at strengthening community relations for development that aims at being financially and economically sustainable. One of the unknowns often encountered is the relationship with national and subnational institutions and in particular on the presence or absence of specific state regulatory references. In the case, in fact, of weakness of state norms, the production of goods and services has moved “regardless” of such references, eschewing the formal economy. The need to meet the motivations from below, born to avoid processes of impoverishment of communities, through the use of complementary monetary circulation systems, and the ability of regional and local institutions to transpose the pushes from below are at the basis of the possibility of creating social innovation or, in negative cases, an economic reality at the edge of the invisible. It is therefore on these issues that we invite researchers, activists and anyone interested in such processes to the conference entitled: “The Future of Money: Democracy, Localism and Inclusion.”

Themes for paper presentations are:

• Digitalization – Can CCS help bridge the distance between the technological and digital divides. Suggested key words: 4^th industrial revolution, Digital currencies, Crypto currencies etc.
• Regional/Local – Communication between local/ regional administrations and communities through CCS. Suggested key words: Decentralization, Decommodification, (Re-)Distribution, Social cohesion, social innovation, Community resilience, Community development and Local development.
• Welfare state – how CCS can help the social system. Suggested key words: Debt crises, Poverty, Inequality, Liquidity, Inflation, Ethical finance, Social harmony, Social justice, etc.
• Enviroment – The role of the CCS in the field of sustainable and biodiversity. Suggested key words: Perpetual pandemics, Energy transition, Natural resources, Ecology, Green New Deal, Green investment.
• Historical – the different economic, social and cultural phases of the history of complementary currencies. Suggested key words: history, transition phases, civil society, currency.
• CCS – Review and renew. Case studies, concepts, experience reports.

Please contact us by email: ramics2024@issirfa.cnr.it

Dear members

Thank you for joining us in the association and in our great congress in Sofia.

We will send you a lengthier report in the next newsletter in the beginning of 2023. However, at this point we wanted to share a few highlights and one of them is that we are going to resume the circulation of newsletters twice a year. You can find the old ones here.

We wanted to quickly update you on the composition of the 4th Ramics management Committee, its activities and resources. We held our first meeting immediately after the general Assembly in Sofia on October 29th, 2022. By this message we would also like to inform you on who to address for your various interests.

• Georgina Gómez (Erasmus remains as President of the MC
• Eduardo Diniz becomes Co-president
• Jérôme Blanc continues as Treasurer
• Ester Barinaga continues as Secretary
• August Corrons continues as Secretary and Co-Editor of the IJCCR
• Jens Martignoni becomes Chief Editor of the IJCCR journal
• Masayuki Yoshida takes responsibility for communication. This includes the Newsletter and Announcements
• Ricardo Orzi and Rossitsa Toncheva continue as members of the Management Committee

Rolf Schroeder continues to curate the CC-Lit but he has retired from the Ramics Management Committee. Yannick Lung was responsible for communications and has retired from the Management Committee. We thank both of them for their contribution and hope they continue to support the association as members and participating in conferences.

More news will follow!

Dear RAMICS members, 

Dear IJCCR readers,

Thank you so much for taking part in our first online roundtable! It was a great success with more than 50 participants from all over the world. Your pro-active involvement raised a lot of fruitful discussions!

You can find the the recorded video (YouTube, TubEdu), the text file of the chat (click here), and the speakers’ presentations (click here).

See you at the next RAMICS event!

At a time of uncertainty about the future and increased precarity in the present, we at RAMICS believe that complementary and community currencies have become and even more relevant tool to build community resilience and hopefully help us transition towards a more sustainable future. So, while the pandemic has forced the bi-annual RAMICS conference to be postponed, we see the need to keep the conversation alive. For this reason, we are organizing an online Round-table on March 5, 2021.

The round-table will focus on the question: What ideas, technologies and practices are conducive to the development and institutionalization of complementary currencies?
Presenters will be Chikako Nakayama, Manabu Kuwata, Fabienne Pinos, Rolf Schroeder and Marcus Petz.
They will help us advance the conversation on ideas, technologies and practices advancing efforts to implement complementary currencies.

Mark the date in your calendar, stay tuned, and join the conversation on

March 5, 2021

• 17.00-19.00 Japan time, or

• 09.00-11.00 Central European time.

Click on the link to join the round-table https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/63626993784.

Dear RAMICS members,

We are glad to announce that our last RAMICS Conference, which took place in Japan (Hida-Takayama) in 2019 (RAMICS 2019), won the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Award for Contribution to the Attraction and Hosting of International Conferences in the category of hosting international conferences (small-to-medium size).

RAMICS 2019 is one of the eight winners (four for the large size events and four small-to-medium ones) in the category of international conferences in 2020. It seems that the initiative to issue community currency in Takayama during the conference was highly evaluated. This initiative was based on the community currency markets at previous conferences in Brazil and Spain.

This award recognises not only RAMICS 2019, but also the way RAMICS conferences have been organised in the past. The people of Sarubobo coin and Enepo are also very happy about this award.

The press release can be found here in Japanese only.

Thank you for reading and for your support,

Best wishes

Here is a reminder on the call for papers for the 5th RAMICS Congress, to be held in Japan, Sept. 11-15th.

The deadline has been postponed to May, 14th.

Proposals dealing with community and complementary currencies, under digital forms or not, and with monetary innovation, are welcome.

Don’t hesitate to visit the website of the congress and of RAMICS association.

The Research Association on Monetary Innovation and Community and Complementary Currency Systems (RAMICS), in partnership with the International Journal of Community Currency Research (IJCCR) and the Bibliography Databank of Community Currency Research (CC-literature), announces the launch of the first edition of the RAMICS’ Best Paper Award on monetary innovation and complementary currency systems.

This initiative aims to promote research that improves the present understanding of the state, the development and the potentialities of monetary innovation, complementary currency systems and any case of money-based social exchange systems as well. It takes place in the framework of RAMICS biennial congresses. In addition, it seeks to facilitate and strengthen the relationships between those who act in the field of complementary currency research and the movements of activists on the subject, articulating research and practice, rigorous academic reflection and promotion of social change.

Consequently, RAMICS’ Fifth International Congress on Monetary Innovation and Complementary Currency Systems, to be held in Japan – Hida-Takayama, on Sept. 11-15^th, 2019, will introduce the first edition of this Best Paper Award, for a paper written in English, considering criteria of originality, relevance, and academic quality.

 Selection process

The selection will take place considering the papers accepted by the international scientific committee of the Congress, and presented during the Congress.

The winner of the award will be announced during the Congress in attendance of the author or at least one author if the paper is co-authored.

The jury may renounce to grant the award if it considers that the competing papers do not meet the expected quality and relevance requirements.

Contest rules

Research norms of an academic paper

Please remember that an academic paper is not a social commentary, an opinion or a “blog”. An academic paper begins with a thesis – the writer of the academic paper aims to persuade readers of an idea or solution to a problem, based on empirical qualitative or quantitative evidence or on theoretical and conceptual analysis. A paper should be structured on a research question that is presented and explained in the introductory section, with reference to the existing literature.

Academic writing should present the reader with an informed argument. The research process is not simply collecting data, evidence, or “facts,” then copy-and-pasting” this preexisting information into a paper. Instead, the research process is about the investigation — asking questions and developing answers through serious critical thinking and thoughtful reflection.

Conditions to be part of the contest

– Articles should be original unpublished material, and not submitted for publication elsewhere.

– Essays will be accepted written English

– Provisional versions or works that have obtained a local, national or international prize will not be accepted.

– The articles must be submitted to RAMICS Congress for presentation, then accepted and presented.

– The applying papers must follow the presentation guidelines that will be circulated in the call for papers of the Congress.

Topics of the papers

– The articles should be based on the thematic areas proposed in the call for papers and guidelines of the RAMICS 5th Congress.

– The work may consist of an analysis of cases and/or theoretical reflections related to the suggested topics.

– Presentations of an individual or collective authorship with no more than three authors will be accepted. In the case of collective essays, the award will be the only one per work.

 The award

The awarded paper will receive an amount of 300 euros. The amount is not per author but per paper, and in the case of multiple authorship, the authors should share this amount.

The awarded paper will be published in the issue of the International Journal of Community Currency Research (IJCCR) that corresponds with the proceedings of the Congress. It will be indexed consequently in the Bibliography of Community Currency Research (CC-literature).

The winners are committed to delivering the final essays adapted to the editorial standards of RAMICS/IJCCR.