“EM.CANTOS” - AN EXPERIENCE OF COOPERATION IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

By the 1980s new approaches to territorial organization appeared, powered by various contributions, among which the experiences of Italian industrial districts, where stands the concept of "territorial systems of production of competitive success" (Lopez, 2001:106). This discourse of development and territory management based on endogenous gains and the need to identify their competitive advantages has been enhanced with the introduction of the concept of democratic, inclusive and local 'governance', which is characterized by the involvement of a large number of players - individuals and institutions - representing various interests and should therefore work preferably in networking or partnership (EU, 2003). In this theoretical context, in July 2009, the Polytechnic Institute of Beja promoted a cultural event based on a territorial matrix - the "em.cantos" - bringing together as partners, the fourteen municipalities in the district of Beja, the Civil Government of this region and two regional media organs. This extended abstract deals with that experience of organizational cooperation, the sharing of responsibilities in the implementation of the various editions in the period in which the event took place, ie, September 2009 to July 2010, and thus an innovative form of partnership to contribute to good governance and sustainable development of the territory.