Eleventh Annual Economic Self-Reliance Conference

Building Economically Self-Reliant Families

November 6–7, 2008
BYU Conference Center

The annual ESR Conference is focused on bringing to together researchers and practitioners to build sustainable models for economic self-reliance.

This last 2007 conference hosted 300 participants and focused on MicroEnterprise, MicroFranchise Development, Education for Economic Self-Reliance, and Economic Self-Reliance in Utah.

A total of 30 classes were offered by 57 presenters and panel members. The conference included an Action Fair where 13 organizations offered insights into their programs of Self-Reliance throughout the world.

Martin Burt founder of Fundacion Paraguaya, the first education NGO of its kind in Paraguay, was awarded the ESR Social Innovator Award. Burt's ideas included the belief that the private sector not only had a responsibility to strengthen the country's social fabric but that business leaders were capable of producing long lasting social transformation by improving the lives of the poor.

Registration for the 2008 conference is now available.

Please see the Conference Archives for recordings of past conferences.

Additional information about the BYU ESR Center can be found at www.selfreliance.byu.edu.