ICA Americas Newsletter - Issue 10

IYC: an officially launched challenge

p. 4

The Youth is gradually gaining ground within

cooperative organizations p. 6

Conclusions of the 3rd.

Youth Meeting by Videoconference

p. 8

Coop’Art Asks Youth to Get Creative

p. 9

What can your co‐op do to make the most of 2012 IYC?

p. 10

ICA calls on EU to do more to support diversity

in the European economy p. 11

Global300 Report 2011 (...)

p. 11

Path towards the improvement of cooperative management

p. 12

Members’ stories p.14

Cooperatives can play an

important role in peacemaking (...) p.16

A Nobel Prize for co‐ops?

p.17

The medium is the message p.18

Co‐ops making use of new ICTs

p.19

Inside

“THE YOUTH IS GRADUALLY GAINING GROUND WITHIN COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS” Interview with the President of the ICA‐Americas Youth Committee (page 6)

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF COOPERATIVES:

AN OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED CHALLENGE

GLOBAL300 REPORT ANNOUNCES WORLD’S LARGEST CO-OPS Analysis discusses how co‐operatives persevered through financial crisis, gen‐erating revenues of USD 1.6 trillion in 2008. (page 11)

A NOBEL PRIZE FOR THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT? Could the global co‐operative movement be a candidate for a Nobel Prize during the International Year of Co‐operatives 2012? (page 17)

WHAT CAN YOUR CO-OP DO TO MAKE THE MOST OF 2012 IYC? Every cooperative ‐big or small‐ should rise to the challenge of turning the UN declaration into actions during 2012 and beyond. (page 10)

PATH TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF

COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT (page 12)

CANADIAN CO‐OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: ICA‐AMERICAS OLDEST MEMBER (page 14)

ICA-Americas Newsletter Issue Nº 10 // November 2011

ICA-Americas Newsletter is an e-publication of the

International Co-operative Alliance for the Americas

[email protected] Phone: + (506) 2296 0981

Fax: + (506) 2231 5842 PO BOX: 6648 -1000 San José, Costa Rica

ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 10 // November 2011

The Editor’s Pen

Rethinking the role of youth within cooperatives

The theme of the International Day of Cooperatives, held on 2 July was” Youth:

the future of the cooperative enterprise”. This theme makes us think how the

cooperative model can empower youth and how to encourage dialogue and

understanding between different generations.

The Argentinean anthropologist Nestor García Canclini in his book: Youngsters

do not see themselves as the future. Are they the present? highlights the role

and specificity of youth life today: "Now many (young people) are in the key

places of contemporary life. Increasingly more young people are managers of

industries; they create innovative enterprises in strategic areas (computing,

digital services and audiovisual entertainment). New generations represent the

largest number of consumers of music, videos, and latest technologies; they

work in the most dynamic businesses; they are involved in gangs of drug traf‐

ficking and piracy networks; they are icons in fashion, art and advertising”.

In another section of his work, the author adds: "But young people are also the

protagonists of the present because they have the highest percentages of un‐

employment and informal employment. They are present in the statistics of

migrants and violent death as soldiers, assassins or simple victims of urban vio‐

lence. In these cases, young people are the present not only in the sense that

there is no waiting for the future but because they have little future”.

Different structures of society, its organizations and productive enterprises

cannot ignore this reality, in which the possibilities for this generation are end‐

less, but so are the difficulties and risks.

The Secretary General of UN Ban ki‐moon in his message for the celebration of

the International Day of Cooperatives invited young people to explore the

benefits of pursuing cooperative enterprises and other forms of social entre‐

preneurship. He also encouraged the cooperative movement to engage with

youth, in a spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding. “Let us recognize

young women and men as valuable partners in strengthening the cooperative

movement and in sustaining the role of cooperatives in social and economic

development” he said.

Within the International Co‐operative Alliance, youth plays an important role.

The ICA Board boasts a young member with the right to voice and vote. In the

Americas, the Regional Board also has a young member with the right to voice

and vote that advises and proposes ideas according to what is discussed within

the Youth Committee. Both members are from the American continent: the

former from Mexico and the latter from Dominican Republic. Also, most ICA

Manuel Mariño ICA Americas Regional Director

2

The future starts today. Let’s continue transforming the cooperative movement into a space for youth empowerment and forging a better world together.

“

”

members are increasingly establishing cooperative youth committees. In the

American continent, ICA – Americas Youth Committee works as a space for

integration and a meeting point of the youth committees in the different coun‐

tries.

Young cooperators have also shown how their knowledge of information and

communication technologies can be useful in terms of cooperative integration

and training. The Video Conference Meetings organized by the ICA‐Americas

Regional Committee are a good example of this. The third Video Conference

Meeting which took place on 30 June was entitled "Youth is the future made

present". It broke records in the number of participants and presentations by

cooperators. Young people from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Sal‐

vador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Dominican Republic showed

other cooperators what they are doing, their ideas, projects and interests, rais‐

ing their voices and making use of new technologies.

After the third meeting by videoconference, they committed themselves to

arrange a program for the realization of internships and exchanges of experi‐

ences, both face‐to‐face and online, using technology as a means to reduce

costs.

There still is a long way ahead of us. Young people also face difficulties within

their cooperatives: a lack of economic support for their initiatives or a ten‐

dency of adults to see them as competition for managerial positions, just to

mention two of them.

On the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Youth in August

2010, the UN Secretary General said: “The energy of youth can ignite faltering

economies. I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the

young people I meet across the world. They are making important contribu‐

tions to our work to eradicate poverty, contain the spread disease, combat

climate change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. I call on

Member States to increase their investments in young people so they can do

even more.”

The future starts today. Let’s continue transforming the cooperative move‐

ment into a space for youth empowerment and forging a better world to‐

gether.

Young cooperators have also shown how their knowledge of information and communication technologies can be useful in terms of cooperative integration and training.

“

”

ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 10 // November 2011 3

ICA‐Americas at the United Nations Official IYC Launch

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF COOPERATIVES: AN OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED CHALLENGE

The United Nations General Assem‐

bly launched the International Year

of Cooperatives (2012) at the UN

General Assembly Hall on Monday,

31 October 2011 in New York.

To commemorate the launch of the

International Year of Cooperatives, a

series of events were held through‐

out the day.

In the morning, an informal round‐

table discussion addressing the

theme “Cooperative Enterprises

Build a Better World: Contributions

to Sustainable Development”, took

place. In the afternoon, the United

Nations Deputy Secretary‐General

and the President of the General

Assembly officially launched the In‐

ternational Year of Cooperatives

(IYC), during the General Assembly

Plenary Session.

More than 150 CEOs and presidents

of some of the world’s largest co‐

operatives gathered for the official

launch and to consider how to cre‐

ate the conditions that ignite the

growth of co‐operative enterprises

throughout the decade.

The events at the United Nations

began with a roundtable discussion

involving some of the world’s coop‐

erative leaders, Maria Aranzazu Las‐

kurain – Secretary General of

Mondragon (Spain) , Li Chengyu ‐

President of the All China Federation

of Supply and Marketing Co‐

operatives (China), Piet Moerland ‐

C h a i r m a n o f R a b o b a n k

(Netherlands) and Carlos Heller,

President of Banco Credicoop

(Argentina).

The round‐table discussed the im‐

pact of cooperatives in development

with specific focus on food security,

financial and economic stability, and

environmental sustainability, while

highlighting the uniqueness and re‐

silience of the cooperative enter‐

prise model as driving their strong

role in these areas. It also touched

on their role in peace‐building and

creating bridges of communication

in areas of conflict. The role of stake‐

holders in developing the internal

capacity and policy space for

strengthening cooperative enter‐

prises was also discussed.

A sound and successful model

There are an estimated1000 million

members of co‐operatives world‐

wide and co‐operative enterprises

employ around 100 million people.

According to UN figures, 50% of the

world’s living standards are affected

by co‐operatives.

The top 300 co‐operative businesses

alone are worth 1.6 trillion US dol‐

lars, enough to make it into the top

9 economies in the world.

Globally, co‐operation has significant

presence in agriculture, financial

services, housing and utilities. And

there are all sorts of other sectors

and activities who clearly embrace

the ethos and concept.

However, most people fail to under‐

stand the importance of the model

within the global economy, and this

is a clear goal the International Year

aims to address.

During his dissertation, Carlos Heller

said “we have proved that efficiency

and democracy can be made consis‐

tent, while maintaining the solidarity

spirit of the cooperative enterprise”

The president of Banco Credicoop

explained that what sets the model

apart from others is that co‐

operatives – whether small farmers

or large consumer‐owned entities –

share the common values of democ‐

racy, solidarity, equality and self

help, creating businesses that serve

and deliver for the greater good, as

opposed to businesses predicated

on maximizing profit for a chosen

few.


"For us, it means thinking about us‐

ers, workers in charge of administra‐

tion and management, and carrying

out service processes, and produc‐

tion processes, where the purpose is

no longer to obtain the maximum

possible profit but to render the best

possible service: a service that effec‐

tively meets the needs of users and

customers, and where profitability is

necessary so that it may be able to

provide the service, so it may capi‐

talize, so it can meet the objectives

of technological adequacy and all

the current time challenges", Heller

remarked.

“It is our conviction that it is possible

to build a truly democratic and car‐

ing society. We are proud to be part

of the historical experience that con‐

ceives cooperatives as a tool for so‐

cial transformation”, he concluded.

Download Carlos Heller complete

speech.

During the round table discussion,

Sha Zakang, Under‐Secretary‐

General for Economic and Social Af‐

fairs, noted that because developing

a green economy will require

"radical shifts" in the way humans

produce and consume energy, coop‐

eratives play a valuable role in the

transition to a green economy by

creating economically and socially

sound practices.

"How can cooperatives be best util‐

ized to advance a people‐centered

approach to sustainable develop‐

ment?" he asked rhetorically. He

underscored the importance of co‐

operatives to the U.N.’s develop‐

ment agenda and its Millennium De‐

velopment Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Daniela Bas, director of DESA’s Social

Policy and Development Depart‐

ment, similarly noted that by being a

"value‐driven, people‐centered

model of enterprise", cooperatives

can positively affect particularly vul‐

nerable populations such as indige‐

nous peoples and rural communi‐

ties.

Any resilient organization that can

weather a recession would seem

invaluable in the current economic

climate. Yet cooperatives are not

given the proper attention that

would allow them to flourish, argued

Jack Wilkinson, farmer and president

of ex IFAP now World Farmers’ Or‐

ganization (Canada), at the round

table. He called for the cooperative

sector to be given the support to

become more mainstream, so that

they do not remain on the fringe.

Piet Moerland, chair of Rabobank

and president of the European Asso‐

ciation of Cooperative Banks, ech‐

oed this sentiment. He emphasised

how little known cooperatives are –

neither the number of people in‐

volved in them nor the market value

they contain. "The cooperative busi‐

ness model is, in my view, underesti‐

mated in the media," Moerland said.

He added that it is similarly underes‐

timated by legislators and in regula‐

tory frameworks.

ICA President address to the UN

After the round table, Dame Pauline

Green delivered a speech to the

United Nations General Assembly. In

her address, she emphasized the

important role that cooperatives

play in global sustainable develop‐

ment and financial stability.

She stated that “for nearly two cen‐

turies we have been helping to re‐

duce conflict, build community cohe‐

sion, build skills and expertise, de‐

velop local leadership potential, and

supporting women into positions of

economic activity and leadership in

their communities ‐ all developed

with the intellectual underpinning of

the value of collective endeavour in

sustainable member‐owned, local

enterprises – in effect co‐operatives

have taken millions out of poverty

with dignity, by helping them to

build their own co‐operative enter‐

prises.”

According to ICA’s President, the

challenge of the cooperative move‐

ment is “to make sure that more

people in decisions‐making posi‐

tions, or those who exercise influ‐

ence in the political or economic

spheres, or indeed in the media,

know about the scope, size and scale

of the co‐operative sector of the

economy, and the work it does to

sustain and build communities

across the world, and its capacity to

do so much more”.

To conclude, Dame Pauline Green

expressed the movement is con‐

scious of the great gift that the UN

has given us with this International

Year. “It is a gift that recognizes the

cooperative impact on the socio‐

economic development of the world

and its capacity to so much more.”

“Together co‐operatives will work to

make this International Year a pow‐

erful restatement of the co‐

operative ideal, and it is our aim,

that on 31st December 2012 we will

be able to pivot from a successful

International Year of Co‐operatives

to a decade of co‐operative growth”

she highlighted.

Download Dame Pauline Green com‐

plete speech.


http://www.aciamericas.coop/IMG/pdf/exposiciononuheller_en.pdf




http://www.aciamericas.coop/IMG/pdf/pg_ga_speech-2.pdf





Interview with the President of the ICA‐Americas Youth Committee

“THE YOUTH IS GRADUALLY GAINING GROUND WITHIN COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS” ICA‐Americas Youth Network

was born with the aim of sup‐

porting and facilitating the in‐

teraction between the organi‐

zations and initiatives of the

Cooperative Youth of the conti‐

nent. Towards the end of 2009,

it changed its name to ICA‐

Americas Youth Committee to

further its role as a means of

communication, cooperation

and advocacy. ICA‐Americas

Newsletter interviewed the

President of the Committee,

Franklin Ferreras, to learn more

about the relationship of youth

and the cooperative movement.

The United Nations has declared

2011 International Year of Youth

and 2012 International Year of

Cooperatives. What does this

mean for the ICA‐Americas Youth

Committee?

F: For the ICA‐Americas Youth

Committee this double recognition

means a lot. It shows that coop‐

erative youth have been working

on their cooperative ventures for

the benefit of their communities

and of those in need. Also, it im‐

plies that young people have been

influencing structures within their

cooperatives. Today, youth is in a

prominent place due to the hard

work developed at all levels in re‐

cent years. At present, we are get‐

ting ready for the Youth Coopera‐

tive Meeting to be held in Cancun,

Mexico, in November 2011 and we

have called the national commit‐

tees to prepare their delegations

so as to represent youth in this

important event. Likewise, the

Youth Committee will be highly

engaged in the celebration of 2012

International Year of Cooperatives.

What role does the youth play in

the co‐op agenda?

F: They play a leading role. A good

example of this is the fact that the

ICA Board has a young member

with the right to voice and vote.

Also, ICA‐Americas has a young

person in the Regional Board who

advises and carries out the propos‐

als and activities planned by the

Youth Committee. It is also impor‐

tant to highlight that most coop‐

eratives and federations affiliated

Sometimes when delegations are selected to participate in training courses and conferences, youth participation is low because they are not chosen to take part in such activities.

“

”

to the ICA in the region have

formed Cooperative Youth Com‐

mittees. This shows how the Youth

is gradually gaining ground within

cooperative organizations.

What are the priorities of the

Youth Committee today?

F: The priority issues are:

‐ Education and training in differ‐

ent areas such as values and coop‐

erative principles, entrepreneur‐

ship, incidence of youth within co‐

operatives, among other activities.

‐ Dissemination of the activities

carried out by young cooperators

in the Americas

‐ Promotion of the participation of

young people in the cooperative

movement. To this end, the Coo‐

pArt contest has been launched,

which was proposed by the young

representative of the ICA Board.

‐ Make the most of what remains

of the year 2011 and prepare our‐

selves to celebrate all the opportu‐

nities the 2012 International Year

of Cooperatives will present to us.

‐ Increase the integration of Coop‐

erative Youth Committees in all

countries of the Americas, which is

ICA‐Americas Youth Committee

main aim.

‐ Exchange of experiences among

young cooperators from different

countries in the region via video

conferences, internships, etc.

Which are the main problems the

cooperative youth face?

F: One of the main problems

young people face is the lack of

economic support to their initia‐

tives by their cooperatives, as well

as the lack of empathy and sup‐

port from senior members of co‐

operatives who see them as a

competition for managerial posi‐

tions. They do not view young

people as what really are: a help

for the development of the coop‐

erative movement and future

leaders. Sometimes when delega‐

tions are selected to participate in

training courses and conferences,

youth participation is low because

they are not chosen to take part in

such activities.

On 30 June the Committee held

the Third Meeting by Videocon‐

ference entitled: "The youth is the

future made present". What as‐

sessment can be made of this ac‐

tivity?

F: This third videoconference

broke records in the level of par‐

ticipation and presentations of

activities. The participants were

highly motivated and the interac‐

tion between them was impres‐

sive. There were participants from

Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El

Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Pa‐

nama, Peru and Dominican Repub‐

lic. They made their presentations

and then, there was a time for

questions and answers. At the

end, the participants decided to:

urge ICA–Americas to seek finan‐

cial resources for cooperative pro‐

jects promoted by young people;

promote the affiliation of more

cooperatives to ICA–Americas as a

means of attracting young people

to the cooperative movement; and

suggest that every ICA member

organization’s Board of Directors

has a young representative.

Is the new generation called to

play a prominent role in the hard

work of making the cooperative

movement more “visible”?

F: It is clear that the new genera‐

tion is called to play an out‐

standing role to achieve greater

visibility in the cooperative move‐

ment, because of its link with new

information and communication

technologies. Time has shown that

the mass media are crucial to

spread the word about co‐ops.

This is why we call all National

Committees to make use of the

mass media and new information

and communication technologies.

The ICA‐Americas Youth Commit‐

tee has a sub site within the ICA‐

Americas website to let other co‐

operators, the media and the gen‐

eral public, know what young co‐

operators in this region of the

world do.

… the new generation is called to play an outstanding role to achieve greater visibility in the cooperative movement, because of its link with new information and communication technologies.

“

”


On June 30, the youth of the

American region had a virtual

meeting in an activity which was

part of the celebration of the In‐

ternational Day of Cooperatives

2011. Under the slogan “The

youth is the future made pre‐

sent”, groups of young people

from different countries showed

more than a dozen presentations

in which they presented their

work and ideas. They also dis‐

cussed issues such as the visibil‐

ity of the cooperative movement

and the actions that the youth

can carry out to influence their

cooperatives. The Videoconfer‐

ence also focused on the Interna‐

tional Year of Cooperatives.

The participants reached the fol‐

lowing conclusions and/or commit‐

ments:

1. The youth work for and promote

cooperative principles and values.

2. Young people undertake to cre‐

ate a mechanism for the realization

of internships and exchanges at all

levels; both face‐to‐face and virtu‐

ally, making use of technology as a

means to reduce costs.

3. Young people undertake to con‐

tinue focusing on the structures of

cooperative institutions and in the

media so that co‐ops can have

greater visibility, presence and

reputation in society.

4. The ICA‐Americas Youth Commit‐

tee is committed to the participa‐

tion and integration of the coopera‐

tive youth of the Americas as

means to achieve cohesion.

5. Young people assume the com‐

mitment to promoting the affilia‐

tion of other cooperatives to the

ICA in order to attract young people

to the movement.

6. Young people suggest seeking

sources of funding for cooperative

projects promoted by the youth.

7. Young people recommend the

Boards of Directors to have youth

representation in each of their en‐

terprises, so as to integrate young

people into management bodies

and to engage them in decision

making.

8. Young people suggested that pri‐

mary cooperatives should allocate

resources for the activities of young

co‐operators.

9. Young people recommend estab‐

lishing strategic alliances with other

organizations which deal with the

youth in order to achieve mutual

cooperation and integration with

other youngsters.

CONCLUSIONS OF THE THIRD YOUTH MEETING BY VIDEOCONFERENCE


COOP’ART ASKS YOUTH TO GET CREATIVE

A global artistic competition de‐

signed to encourage youth to

creatively express their views on

co‐operative principles through

music, photography or video.

Coop’Art was announced by the ICA

on the United Nations International

Day of Co‐operatives on July 2. The

competition launches at the ICA Gen‐

eral Assembly in Cancun, Mexico in

November.

The ICA wants to invite greater num‐

bers of youth into the co‐operative

sector and Coop’Art is a galvanizing

project. It was conceived by José An‐

tonio Chavez, ICA’s Youth Represen‐

tative to the ICA Board. A camera, an

instrument or a voice is all entrants

will need to be able to participate in

the Coop’Art competition.

“Coop’Art is a great opportunity for

co‐operatives around the world to

get in touch and promote their mes‐

sage to young adults. This competi‐

tion will be one of the several initia‐

tives taken by ICA in the context of

the IYC and I wish it provides co‐

operative enterprises with a useful

tool to make younger generations

more involved,” said Rodrigo Gou‐

veia, Secretary General of EURO

COOP and Coop’Art organizer.

“I believe that young people today

share many of the values of the co‐

operative movement. If co‐

operatives are able to send a mes‐

sage in a way they understand and

use the communication tools that

they use, it will be possible to get

them more active and involved and

probably set the basis to find the fu‐

ture co‐operative leaders. Coop’Art

is an excellent tool to do this”, he

reaffirmed.

The theme of this year’s international

day is how co‐operative enterprises

empower youth.

It marks the approaching end of UN

International Year of Youth which

finished last August. At the same

time, it ushers in the International

Year of Co‐operatives 2012 which

kicks off in November at the ICA’s

General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico.

Entrants in the global competition

can submit their work through a

dedicated webpage for a six‐month

period beginning November. Anyone

can enter provided they are aged

between 16 and 35. The competition

has three different categories, pho‐

tography, video and music.

An awards ceremony will be held in

Manchester, UK in November 2012.

Co‐operatives provide young people

opportunities that address their prac‐

tical and strategic needs. They offer

youth a model of enterprise to create

their own businesses.

It offers opportunities to be em‐

ployed with enterprises that address

concerns for more democratic, re‐

sponsible and ethical business opera‐

tions.

“On this International Day of Co‐

operatives, the ICA calls on co‐

operators throughout the world to

engage young people in the co‐

operative movement and to invest in

their future leadership,” is the ICA’s

message on the 17th United Nations

International Day of Co‐operatives

and the 89th ICA International Co‐

operative Day.


1. Promote and support the crea‐

tion of National Committees in

every country.

2. Make use of social networks

(Facebook, Twitter) to share the

slogan of the IYC: “Cooperatives

enterprises build a better world”

and encourage discussions about

how cooperatives contribute to a

better world.

3. Use the slogan and logo in all of

your emails and correspondence.

4. Spread the word about the key

messages of the IYC using your

cooperative existing communica‐

tion materials, e.g. newsletters,

press releases.

5. Display the seven cooperative

principles in the cooperative

meeting room and analyze one

of them at the beginning of

every meeting.

6. Get in touch with parliamentari‐

ans and government representa‐

tives to let them know the coop‐

erative difference and the bene‐

fits this model can bring about to

local communities.

7. Share the slogan and logo with

clients and suppliers of the co‐op

and invite them to leave a com‐

ment about their ideas on coop‐

eration.

8. Set up a Cooperative Committee

and invite all cooperatives in

your area to find a way of col‐

laborating with a project for

2012.

9. Work on legacy projects beyond

2012. For example, think on the

possibility of declaring a Coop‐

erative City in your country.

10. Let the local press know what

your organization is doing. Send

brief articles to newspapers, ra‐

dio or TV stations and inform

them on the kinds of activities

you are planning to celebrate

such an important distinction

provided by the United Nations.

If we join forces, we can make it!

WHAT CAN YOUR CO‐OP DO TO MAKE THE MOST OF 2012 IYC?

2012 can be an exceptional year for cooperatives. It means a unique

opportunity to catch the attention of national governments,

business people, and above all, the general public to spread

the word about the true meaning of cooperation.

The UN recognition is just the first step. Now, every cooperative

‐big or small‐ should rise to the challenge of turning the

UN declaration into actions during 2012 and beyond.

At ICA‐Americas we would like to know how

cooperatives and cooperators are getting

ready for this international event. Below

you can find a list with 10 ideas about what

your co‐op can start doing right now. As

You can see, some of these ideas are

really simple and they only require

your commitment to the

cooperative message.


GLOBAL300 REPORT 2011 ANNOUNCES WORLD’S LARGEST CO‐OPERATIVE ENTERPRISES Analysis discusses how co‐operatives persevered through financial crisis, generating revenues of USD 1.6 trillion in 2008.

As part of the celebrations regarding the launch of the UN International Year of Cooperatives, the International Co‐operative Alliance (ICA) launched the latest Global300 Report. It announced that the largest 300 co‐operative enter‐prises in the world have collective revenues of USD 1.6 trillion, which is comparable to the GDP of the world’s ninth largest economy.

The report detailed that although co‐operatives were affected by the global financial crisis in 2008, they provided stability and security due to their measured risk model and their emphasis on services to members – not just profits. As a result, the co‐operative model represents an important contribution to the economic and social well‐being of populations and their communities. “The diversity and robustness of the co‐operative business model is based on principles and values,” said ICA President Dame Pauline Green. “This is why co‐operatives were resilient during the global financial crisis, employing over 100 million people worldwide and enabling the development and welfare of societies in the most competitive economies.”

This report analysed the co‐operatives by seven sectors ‐‐ which include Agriculture/Forestry, Banking/Credit Un‐ions, Consumer/Retail, Insurance, Workers/Industrial, Health, Utilities, and Other – and detailed how the global fi‐nancial crisis affected each industry. While co‐operatives were not immune to financial hardship, their flexibility in responding to the shifting markets and the trust of their members enabled these businesses to survive and thrive.

The launch of the report coincides with the United Nations International Year of Co‐operatives 2012, a monumental year which will provide a platform to educate the public on the strength and socio‐economic value of co‐operatives. Over the course of 2012, co‐operatives around the world will join together in a series of events to raise awareness of the impact and importance of the co‐operative model on societies and economies around the world, as well as promote their growth. Read the full report at: http://s.coop/7hym.

In a speech to the European Union’s

Informal Council of Industry Minis‐

ters, Dame Pauline Green, President

of the International Co‐operative Alli‐

ance, told the EU that it needs to do

more to support a diverse, strong

European economy.

Dame Pauline, President of an or‐

ganization that represents Europe’s

160,000 co‐operative businesses,

spoke to a meeting in Poland of Min‐

isters discussing European competi‐

tiveness in the run up to 2012, the

United Nations Year of Co‐

operatives.

Dame Pauline used the speech to

highlight that, although co‐operatives

are successful values based busi‐

nesses, understanding of them

amongst policy makers is limited. The

result, she explained, is that the

European economy is denied creative

growth potential and economic di‐

versity because co‐operatives are

inhibited from maximizing their con‐

tribution.

Dame Pauline singled out three pri‐

orities for the EU.

• Increasing understanding of the co‐

operative business model amongst

policy makers in the Brussels and

member states, so that co‐operatives

are on a level playing field with other

businesses.

• Supporting legislative change in

member states, so that legislation is

fit for purpose, is enabling rather

than prescriptive, and encourages

growth rather than constrains it.

• Opening up the EU’s policy frame‐

work to recognize and support the

development of modern co‐operative

business.

Dame Pauline Green said: “with 2012

designated the International Year of

Co‐operatives by the United Nations,

the European Union needs to re‐

spond. Co‐operatives are proven,

successful values based businesses

that can contribute to a strong com‐

petitive European economy. Europe

would benefit significantly from

greater diversity in the economy. Ac‐

tion by the EU to increase under‐

standing and support legislative

change would be an easy and wel‐

come step towards this.”

INTERNATIONAL CO‐OPERATIVE ALLIANCE CALLS ON EU TO DO MORE TO SUPPORT DIVERSITY IN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY


The concept of “good coopera‐

tive governance” allows coop‐

eratives to analyze and verify if

an enterprise is well managed

in terms of rectitude and trans‐

parency (ethics) without ceas‐

ing to be profitable offering

their products or services to its

members. A model of good co‐

operative governance aims at

reflecting an image of high

prestige in all senses, in order

to give confidence and an

added value for its member‐

ship. For this reason, the need

to rethink some guidelines on

optimal governance and lead‐

ership based on ethics arises.

The promotion of good coopera‐

tive governance, as it is under‐

stood by ICA – Americas, aims at

strengthening the governance of

cooperative enterprises in all

countries of the American region.

The cooperative principles, as

well as cooperative values, are

the basis for appropriate coop‐

erative governance and must

guide the normal way of action

by members, leaders, manage‐

ment and staff working in any

organization of the sector.

Taking into account the impor‐

tance for the cooperative sector

to act in accordance with ethical

guidelines, ICA – Americas consid‐

ers useful to refresh the central

concepts to guide actions in this

regard and to achieve a better

cooperative culture through the

design and implementation of

codes of ethics that serve as a

guide to the members of the or‐

ganization.

To practice proper governance,

the roots and nature of what is

wanted to be properly governed

should be very well known. In our

case, we refer to cooperatives.

Nowadays the world lives a gen‐

eral disenchantment with the

way in which organizations are

Governance, Ethics and Leadership

PATH TOWARDS

THE IMPROVEMENT

OF COOPERATIVE

MANAGEMENT


governed. Both governmental

institutions and large private

companies have failed, and coop‐

eratives do not escape this crisis.

To achieve this objective, ICA–

Americas has developed a Hand‐

book of Good Cooperative Gov‐

ernance as a guiding tool to

strengthen good governance in

the cooperatives of the region.

In the first part, the Handbook

contains theoretical arguments

on good governance in coopera‐

tives taking into account an ethi‐

cal leadership. The second part

contains an instrument of meas‐

urement with 238 indicators,

based on the seven cooperative

principles, through which it is

possible to evaluate the govern‐

ance of any cooperative organiza‐

tion. At the same time, this in‐

strument facilitates the process

to adjust the indicators if neces‐

sary.

The objectives stated in the

Handbook, once put into practice,

raise awareness and understand‐

ing in the general public to the

fact that cooperatives are enter‐

prises that, by nature, are socially

responsible and are concerned

about sustainable development,

as relevant factors in their busi‐

ness strategy.

This valuable tool for the im‐

provement and professionaliza‐

tion of management in coopera‐

tives is carried out within the

framework of the project

"Incidence, governance and coop‐

erative development", developed

by ICA – Americas with the sup‐

port of the Swedish Cooperative

Centre. The handbook has been

edited and printed after having

been used in more than 35 semi‐

nars and workshops in Argentina,

Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecua‐

dor, El Salvador, Mexico, Guate‐

mala, Honduras, Panama, Para‐

guay, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uru‐

guay, where the participants

made excellent contributions,

which were incorporated into the

final document.

ICA – Americas has made an as‐

sessment of the governance of

cooperatives in Peru, Honduras,

Costa Rica and Ecuador.

Point out that the practice of cooperative values, linked to economic efficiency, promotes a culture of transpar‐ency, confidence and credibility which improves the image of national and regional cooperatives at all levels.

Characterize the cooperative difference highlighting that the cooperative principles and values are focused on

people, their needs and aspirations through self‐support and cooperative social responsibility. Improve the institutional image of the regional cooperative movement, to convey confidence over the state,

civil society and stakeholders.

OBJECTIVES OF THE GOVERNANCE, ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP HANDBOOK


ICA Launch of the International Year of Co-operatives Bi-annual General Assembly and related meetings

Register now at: http://s.coop/70zo More information: [email protected]

Members’ stories

CANADIAN CO‐OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: ICA‐AMERICAS OLDEST MEMBER

On March 6, 1909, a group of six

leaders of Canadian consumer co‐

operatives met in Hamilton, Ontario

to talk about creating a national co‐

operative association. Two of the

co‐operators, who travelled some

2,000 kilometres from Nova Scotia

on Canada’s east coast, were late

for the meeting because their train

was delayed by a snowstorm.

It was a typically Canadian start to

what was to be a historic event in

the history of Canada’s co‐operative

movement. While co‐ops had ex‐

isted in Canada since before the

country was established in 1867,

there was no national association

representing co‐operatives.

The result of that meeting was the

Co‐operative Union of Canada

(CUC). Its goal was to bring to‐

gether co‐operatives, act as a voice

for Canadian co‐operatives and to

lobby the federal government for

legislation that would benefit the co

‐operative sector.

After the Second World War, the

CUC became active in international

development as part of the effort to

provide relief to the war‐ravaged

population of Europe. During the

1960s, its international develop‐

ment efforts turned toward the

newly independent nations in Af‐

At the International Co‐operative Alliance we know each of our

members has a story of cooperation to tell. We also firmly be‐

lieve that only if our organizations know each other better will

they be able to relate to each other more efficiently. This is

why, after 21 years of establishing the regional office in the

American continent, we have launched this space to share the

origins, present and dreams of our member organizations.

To launch this section, we invited the Canadian Cooperative

Association (CCA) to tell their story. The Union of Canadian Co‐

operatives (which later became known as Canadian Cooperative

Association) began its membership with the ICA in 1914. Since the opening of the Regional Office in 1990, the CCA

and the ICA – Americas have worked on different projects to strengthen their bonds and interaction. It should be

noted that Canadian co‐operatives are currently doing an intense and important work regarding the preparations

for the celebration of the International Year of Co‐operatives 2012.

The Canadian Co‐operative Association: A glance at the past… and a look forward to 2012

By Donna Balkan*


rica, Asia and the Americas, which

were looking for ways to develop

their communities and their econo‐

mies.

Today, the Canadian Co‐operative

Association (CCA) as it was renamed

in 1987, brings together more than

40 provincial and sectoral co‐op as‐

sociations, credit union centrals and

major co‐operatives, representing

more than nine million members of

over 2,000 co‐ops and credit un‐

ions. While its numbers have grown,

its mission – to promote, develop

and unite co‐operatives – is similar

to the vision held by its founders

back in 1909. It has also continued

the international development work

started by its predecessor, working

with partners around the world in

an effort to help reduce poverty

through co‐operation.

It was a happy coincidence that in

December 2009, as CCA was wrap‐

ping up the celebration of its 100th

anniversary, the United Nations

General Assembly proclaimed 2012

the International Year of Co‐

operatives. Since then, CCA ‐ to‐

gether with its francophone sister

organization, the Conseil canadien

de la coopération et de la mutualité

‐ have been working on plans and

projects for the International Year.

A national co‐operative sector com‐

mittee representing both the CCA

and CCCM networks was estab‐

lished to identify priorities for the

International Year: raising public

awareness of co‐operatives and the

co‐operative business model, sup‐

porting the growth and sustainabil‐

ity of the co‐op sector and creating

legacy projects that will live beyond

2012.

Together with the federal govern‐

ment’s Rural and Co‐operatives Se‐

cretariat, CCA and CCCM launched

Canada’s national 2012 website –

www.canada2012.coop – on June

28. The site is aimed at both co‐op

members and the broader public;

its features range from basic infor‐

mation about the co‐operative busi‐

ness model and co‐operatives in

Canada to suggestions on how both

individuals and organizations can

get involved in the International

Year. The IYC2012 logo can be

downloaded from the site; in the

fall of 2011, there will be additional

images, tools and resources that

will be made available. Another fea‐

ture to be added later this year is an

interactive page where people can

post their own IYC2012 messages.

CCA sees the International Year as

an exciting opportunity to shine a

spotlight on Canadian co‐

operatives, to instil pride in co‐op

members and employees, and to

reinforce its links with ICA and with

co‐operatives around the world.

The possibilities are endless!

(*) Donna Balkan

is Communications

Manager of the

Canadian Co‐

operative Associa‐

tion. For more

information about

CCA, go to www.coopscanada.coop.


COOPERATIVES CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PEACEMAKING BY BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A COMMON ECONOMIC INTEREST DESPITE THEIR CONFLICT By U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell *

The most difficult conflicts to resolve

are those in which there is a total

absence of trust on both sides. One

important way to build that trust is

through commerce that distributes

wealth widely, which creates oppor‐

tunity for all members of society and

helps prevent feelings of exploita‐

tion. Cooperatives’ shared owner‐

ship raises the possibility of an en‐

terprise that is owned by people on

all sides of a conflict.

I recently concluded more than two

years as special envoy for peace in

the Middle East. I left the position at

a time when lasting peace in that

region looks remote, but I still be‐

lieve that there is no such thing as a

conflict that can’t be ended. How‐

ever, to move toward that goal we

must address the root economic

cause of conflict.

In many of today’s most difficult

conflicts, culture, religion and terri‐

tory are huge and historic causes.

But often underlying them is an eco‐

nomic cause. Where people don’t

have jobs, opportunity, hope –

where there is only despair and in‐

stability – you have the ingredients

for political instability and political

violence.

I previously served in the peace

processes in Northern Ireland and

the Balkans during the 1990s, and I

also chaired a commission that ex‐

amined the causes of violence be‐

tween Israel and the Palestinians.

In that 2001 report, we noted that

"Palestinians expressed frustration

with the impasse over refugees and

the deteriorating economic circum‐

stances in the West Bank and Gaza

Strip." Since then, both the economy

and the prospects for peace have

deteriorated, especially in Gaza.

Although not the only factor, pov‐

erty can beget radicalism, which can

beget violence, which can beget

more poverty. Thus, a very impor‐

tant aspect of peacemaking is eco‐

nomic growth, which leads to job

creation and gives people the sense

that they are contributing members

of a growing economy.

Government has a central role to

play in the design and implementa‐

tion of any peace agreement. But in

order to create a lasting peace

among the people impacted by the

treaty, they must sense that there

are tangible benefits to improved

relations with the people whose rep‐

resentatives sit across the negotiat‐

ing table.

Indeed, my work on the peace ac‐

cord in Northern Ireland began

when I agreed to organize a 1995

trade conference to address wide‐

spread unemployment. Northern

Ireland faced a situation in which

militia participation was seen by


A NOBEL PRIZE FOR CO‐OPS?

Could the global co‐operative

movement be a candidate for a

Nobel Prize during the Interna‐

tional Year of Co‐operatives?

It’s an idea put forward by the Con‐

seil canadien de la coopération et de

la mutualité (CCCM), which adopted

a resolution at its Annual General

Meeting in June. The resolution

urges that the International Co‐

operative Alliance (ICA), which

represents the co‐operative move‐

ment around the world, be nomi‐

nated as a candidate for the Nobel

Peace Prize.

The resolution points out that eco‐

nomic and social factors create an

environment conducive to peace,

that co‐operatives play an important

role in the social and economic de‐

velopment of communities around

the world, and that co‐operatives

promote the democratic model.

According to the Nobel Peace Prize

website, institutions and associa‐

tions are eligible to receive the No‐

bel Peace Prize, as well as individu‐

als. This month, the Nobel Commit‐

tee will be asking for nominations

from such "qualified nominators" as

politicians, university professors and

previous Nobel Prize laureates.

Nominations must be submitted by

February and the winner is selected

in October.

Source: CCA


many young men as an economic

opportunity as well as a patriotic

cause.

What first seemed like a simple

trade conference led to years of

multi‐party negotiations that even‐

tually yielded the Good Friday

Agreement. That diplomatic success

was the beginning of a lasting peace

that has now held for more than a

decade.

Consider three reasons why coop‐

eratives can be an important part of

economic peacemaking.

First, cooperatives have a long his‐

tory of bridging conflict. The Interna‐

tional Co‐operative Alliance has held

together through more than a cen‐

tury of wars, despite having mem‐

bers from nations on both sides of

both World Wars as well as the Cold

War. Co‐ops have provided a chan‐

nel for dialogue among peoples,

even when their respective govern‐

ments are not talking.

Second, co‐ops exist to meet peo‐

ple’s needs, which are paramount in

the wake of violent conflict. Situa‐

tions in which violent conflict has

been occurring are not always con‐

ducive to attracting outside invest‐

ment. And outside investors are

more likely to withdraw if the long

reconciliation period faces a period

of revived tension. So the local own‐

ership of cooperatives provides a

locally‐rooted form of economic de‐

velopment.

Finally, co‐ops are based in their

communities and can help give peo‐

ple the opportunity to work together

on small‐scale democracy. In some

cases, co‐ops can bring together

members of different parties in a

conflict as members of a single coop‐

erative, providing a shared economic

interest. Unlike investment by out‐

siders, these shared enterprises re‐

build civil society as they rebuild the

economy.

Negotiations seek to get political

leaders to reach agreement, and

sometimes that only lasts long

enough for a vote. Such a moment

of agreement is essential, as it pro‐

vides the foundation for the peace‐

ful stability on which economic

growth depends. But it is not always

enough. Cooperatives can help build

trust and shared economic opportu‐

nity, and thus improve the chances

of lasting peace.

* Senator George Mitchell is the former US

special envoy for Middle East peace. He previ‐

ously served as the US Senate Majority leader

and special envoy to Northern Ireland.

Cooperatives can help build trust and shared economic opportunity, and thus improve the chances of lasting peace.

“

”

Cooperatives and the media

“THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE”

On 21 July several countries in the world celebrated the centenary of the birth of the Canadian media pioneer and theorist Marshall McLuhan, who in the sixties coined phrases like “the global village” and “the medium is the message”. He is widely recognized for having anticipated the internet and its social impact.

We are accustomed to thinking that the media are only sources through which we receive information, but the concept of Mc Luhan was that any technology (all media) is an ex‐tension of our body, mind, or being. The technological resources are un‐derstood as tools that extend human abilities. In the same way as a bicycle or a car are an extension of our feet, the computer would be an extension of our central nervous system.

The existence of cooperative media that fully convey the cooperative message seems essential in an era characterized by both giant corpora‐tions –owners of the mass media‐ and plenty of information striving to gain ground in the local, national and international agendas.

Media that are run with a mercantil‐ist vision which put profit before in‐formation, hardly ever fill their pages or radio and television waves spread‐ing the word about the advantages and the impact of the cooperative model.

Nowadays, one of the main prob‐lems cooperatives face is their lack of visibility, despite being a sector which gathers more than 800 million people, in more than 100 countries and which provides more than 100 million jobs.

It seems that, although 300 of the world's largest cooperatives are

worth $ 1.6 trillion (representing the size of the ninth largest economy in the world), co‐ops do not stand out on the agenda of the media.

On the other hand, cooperatives of the American continent sometimes get a place in the news when nega‐tive things happen. As in all human activity, cooperatives are not alien to crisis or some unscrupulous individu‐als use the co‐op model to achieve ends that have nothing to do with the cooperative spirit or the princi‐ples clearly established by the Inter‐national Co‐operative Alliance. But the question we ask ourselves is: how much is disseminated about the projects, activities, economic growth and social impact of cooperatives? The answer is: very little. Coopera‐tives have a myriad of information worth disseminating. The challenge is how to process it, sort it and place it in the hands of those who are will‐ing to spread it to their communities.

Cooperative media?

“Can media be co‐operative?” This was the question a group of journal‐ists and experts from different fields –like economy and law– attempted

to answer in an event organised by Goldsmith College, the National Un‐ion of Journalists and Co‐operatives UK last May. And their answer was a firm: “Yes, they can”.

These professionals concluded co‐operative and mutual models could help media to overcome the deep crisis they are experiencing.

The speakers agreed redefining local media as cooperatives could help to put them back into the community, serving its workers and citizens bet‐ter. Co‐operatives, mutuals and non‐for‐profit organisations are some of the alternatives experts suggested; proposals that are considered to be fairer and a guarantee of independ‐ence and freedom for workers and society.

Co‐operatives engage with its mem‐bers, whether workers or customers. This relationship can reflect in the media sector rebuilding the bounda‐ries between people and journalism. “The harsh truth is that if communi‐ties want papers that understand their issues and reflect them, and reporters want papers that are com‐mitted to journalism, then you have to find a business model which takes power and control away from people who have shown they have a paper‐thin commitment to both of these”, said Dave Boyle, member of the Co‐operative Business Development Panel at Co‐operatives UK.

According to the Canadian communi‐cations theorist “We shape our tools and then our tools shape us”. A com‐pany managed by its workers, who collaborate rather than compete and who enjoy independence from eco‐nomic powers, may have many more chances to help build a more aware and committed society. The coopera‐tive model, can help them do it.


Cooperatives have a myriad of information worth disseminating. The challenge is how to process it, sort it and place it in the hands of those who are willing to spread it to their communities.

“

”

CO‐OPS MAKING USE OF NEW INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT)

Internet and other computer

technologies have revolution‐

ized the economy and have

turned the world into a “global

village”. Using computers, key‐

boards and clicks profits are

maximized but at the same time

groups fighting for human

rights and the environment find

a common platform from which

they work in a coordinated way.

Various ICT applications can be con‐

sidered effective technologies to

facilitate financial movements and

human communication. For exam‐

ple, the Creative Commons Organi‐

zation strives to reduce the barriers

to creativity online; the Mozilla

Foundation promotes an open and

participative network; Witness pro‐

motes the use of videos to defend

human rights; Global Voices is a net‐

work of bloggers who give voice to

excluded populations; the Wikime‐

dia Foundation operates projects

like Wikipedia and encourages

shared and collaborative work of

many people via the Internet.

Some of the initiatives of the use of

ICT by cooperative organizations are:

The International Co‐operative

Alliance for the Americas offers

its service "acidigital", aimed at

supporting cooperatives in the

region in the optimization of

their presence on the internet

and the exploitation of the po‐

tential offered by ICTs. More info

at www.acidigital.coop.

Several cooperatives use social

networks, blogs, twitter and

other communications tools, al‐

though they still do not apply ICT

to organize “Cyberactions”.

Some cooperatives do work with

these technologies.

Recently‐launched Facecoop, is a

network of social solidarity, co‐

operation and development,

concerning gender, environ‐

ment, participation and fight

against poverty. Also, the Eco‐

book network of the IUCN initia‐

tive strives to promote sustain‐

able development through per‐

sonal and collective commit‐

ment.

Some examples of successful coop‐

erative media

The Chicago News Cooperative

produces journalism taking into

consideration the public in Chi‐

cago, addressing its politics, cul‐

ture, arts and the diversity of

communities that can be found

in the metropolitan area. It pub‐

lishes its articles in the prestig‐

ious newspaper The New York

Times on Fridays and Sundays. It

is the only organization that pro‐

duces entire pages in this pres‐

tigious publication. It also works

in society with WTTW Channel

11, the public television of Chi‐

cago. Visit: chicagonewscoop.org

In Uruguay, the newspaper

called La Diaria celebrated its

fifth year in the local newspaper

scene. This project was born out

of the crisis of traditional media

and the emergence of new forms

of communication. While the

company since its inception has

been characterized by consensus

decision‐making, after serving its

fifth year decided to turn into La

Diaria Cooperative. Visit

ladiaria.com

In Argentina the cooperative La

Vaca publishes the journal Mu

and produces audio documenta‐

ries for radio stations. A recent

one deals with freedom of ex‐

pression, politics and free soft‐

ware. Visit lavaca.org

In Costa Rica the Sula Batsú co‐

operative has a history of organ‐

izational strengthening and im‐

plementation of ICT. Visit sula‐

batsu.com

The democratization and access to

information and communication has

opened new horizons to coopera‐

tives. In a context in which the qual‐

ity of the information is of utmost

importance, the cooperative model

appears extremely useful to ensure

the access to quality content.


http://www.chicagonewscoop.org

http://www.ladiaria.com

http://www.lavaca.org

http://www.sulabatsu.com




ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 9 // May 2011 An e-publication of International Co-operative Alliance for the Americas (ICA Americas) ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide Editor: Manuel Mariño // Realization team: Natalia Acerenza, Virginia Pérez Auza and Jorge Cabrera (jcse) © ICA Americas // Contents can be reproduced without authorization on condition that the source is indicated

ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 10 // November 2011 An e-publication of International Cooperative Alliance for the Americas (ICA Americas) ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide Editor: Manuel Mariño // Realization team: Natalia Acerenza, Virginia Pérez Auza and Jorge Cabrera (jcse) © ICA Americas // Contents can be reproduced without authorization on condition that the source is indicated

20

SHORT ica NEWS

To mark the United Nations International Year of Co‐operatives 2012, the worldwide co‐operative move‐ment launched on November 1st a new initiative designed to provide much needed finance to co‐operatives in developing countries. This new initiative called Global Development Co‐operative (GDC) aims to support co‐operative businesses in developing countries by raising US$ 50 million to provide access to low cost loans for capital and infrastructure projects. It will target investors with an interest in international development and extending the reach and benefits of the co‐operative model. To read the full press release on the Global De‐velopment Co‐operative, visit http://s.coop/7jvm. Between the 14th and 18th November 2011 the General Assembly of the International Cooperative Alliance will be held at the Moon Palace Hotel Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico. To date, the attendance is expected to be over 2000 delegates: cooperative representatives from all over the world. Apart from the Plenary Ses‐sions of the bi –annual Assembly, a number of important activities will take place, namely General Assemblies and Plenary Meetings of the different sectoral organizations and thematic committees; as well as of the re‐gional and global ICA boards. For more information and orientation on registration go to the event’s official website: (http://www.ica2011.coop) or send an email to [email protected]. Proposed Polish legislation, which would have seen the demutualisation of the country’s co‐operative sec‐tor, is dead with the help of the hands‐on approach of the ICA. Pauline Green, ICA President, and Felice Scal‐vini, Cooperatives Europe President, attended meetings with government ministers in Poland, including the Deputy Prime Minister, in June to argue the case against the two pieces of planned legislation. The legislation affected, firstly, the Polish co‐operative housing sector and, secondly, the governance of co‐operatives. Green and Scalvini’s flying visit saw them attend a co‐operative rally, the first of its kind, which drew a crowd of about 4500. In the past few months, new staff has been appointed to the ICA team in Geneva: Elizabeth Dribben as Policy Director, Nicola Kelly as Communications Director, Prisca Boxler as Special Projects Coordinator and Alex Baker, who was seconded to the ICA for a six‐month period in September 2011 to support the delivery of communications activity for the International Year of Co‐operatives. Dr. Mutua Waema has been appointed as the new Regional Director of ICA‐Africa. Born in Kenya, he has served as executive in cooperative banks in his country and as Rabobank Foundation representative for East Africa. Dr. Waema will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The International Co‐operative Alliance continues growing globally. Nowadays ICA has 262 member organiza‐tions (226 full members and 36 associate members) from 96 countries representing approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide.

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