Research from the Periphery: Building Community Capacity at Instituto Banco Palmas

In 2015 CoLab expanded its collaboration with Banco Palmas, an innovative community bank in Fortaleza, Brazil working with a solidarity economy model. During 2015 and 2016 CoLab partnered with youth leaders at PalmasLab, the bank’s technology and innovation center, on a participatory action research project focused on exploring the material and immaterial forms of wealth and poverty in their neighborhood, including how residents’ desires and aspirations shape visions and action around local socio-economic development. Additionally, the collaboration produced a set of methodological tools and resources to continue to support youth leadership in areas of research and local development.