International Cooperative Alliance for the Americas - Issue Nr. 6 - September 2010
12
The Editor’s Pen p. 2 ICA Membership: Belonging to the global co‐operative movement p. 3 XVII Regional Conference and IX Assembly of ICA‐Americas p. 4 Co‐op Case Study p. 6 Co‐operative leaders invite to participate in the largest fair of the co‐operative sector p. 7 Brazilian co‐operatives exports rose by 14% in 2010 p. 7 2012 UN International Year of Co‐operatives: A unique opportunity to make the case for co‐ops p. 8 Canada: National public opinion survey on co‐operatives p. 9 Housing co‐ops: much more than having a roof over your head P.10 Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 ICA-Americas Newsletter Inside 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 2012 UN International Year of Co‐operatives A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CASE FOR CO-OPS Interview with María Elena Chávez Hertig, ICA’s Deputy Director‐General (page 8) CANADA Housing co-ops: much more than having a roof over your head BELONGING TO THE GLOBAL CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT The ICA global network has 245 mem‐ ber organizations from 91 countries, and represents nearly one billion indivi‐ duals worldwide. (page 3) PROMOTING DECENT WORK IN ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA Co‐operatives in Argentina and Thailand launched No Chains a new global gar‐ ment brand produced by worker‐run factories free of slave labour. (page 6) CANADA: NATIONAL PUBLIC OPI- NION SURVEY ON CO-OPERATIVES The Canadian Co‐operative Association conducted a national survey measuring Canadians' perceptions and awareness of co‐operatives (page 9)
Transcript
The Editor’s Pen
p. 2
ICA Membership: Belonging to the global co‐operative movement
p. 3
XVII Regional Conference and IX Assembly of ICA‐Americas
p. 4
Co‐op Case Study p. 6
Co‐operative leaders invite to participate in the largest
fair of the co‐operative sector p. 7
Brazilian co‐operatives
exports rose by 14% in 2010 p. 7
2012 UN International Year of Co‐operatives: A unique opportunity
to make the case for co‐ops p. 8
Canada: National public opinion
survey on co‐operatives p. 9
Housing co‐ops:
much more than having a roof over your head
P.10
Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 ICA-Americas Newsletter
Inside
ICA-Americas Newsletter is an e-publication of the
International Co-operative Alliance for the Americas
Fax: + (506) 2231 5842 PO BOX: 6648 -1000 San José, Costa Rica
2012 UN International Year of Co‐operatives A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CASE FOR CO-OPS Interview with María Elena Chávez Hertig,
ICA’s Deputy Director‐General (page 8)
CANADA
Housing co-ops: much more than having a roof over your head
BELONGING TO THE GLOBAL CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT The ICA global network has 245 mem‐ber organizations from 91 countries, and represents nearly one billion indivi‐duals worldwide. (page 3)
PROMOTING DECENT WORK IN ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA Co‐operatives in Argentina and Thailand launched No Chains a new global gar‐ment brand produced by worker‐run factories free of slave labour. (page 6)
CANADA: NATIONAL PUBLIC OPI-NION SURVEY ON CO-OPERATIVES The Canadian Co‐operative Association conducted a national survey measuring Canadians' perceptions and awareness of co‐operatives (page 9)
{ The Editor’s Pen }
Welcome to the latest issue of the ICA-Americas Newsletter!
The upcoming 17th ICA-Americas Regional Conference entitled: "Co-operative Commitment to the Preservation of the Planet" will, as noted, take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, form 22 to 26 November, 2010. Its main focus will be the analysis and discussion of four thematic axes: Global Warming (management of carbon emissions, gas emissions and greenhouse effect), Energy and New Technologies, Water and Sanitation and, Cities, Rural Areas and Environment.
ICA- Americas invites the co-operative movement to actively take part in this significant event in the region. The 17th Regional Conference will also include various other academic activities such as meetings and sectoral forums.
In our in-depth interviews we had the pleasure to interview ICA’s Deputy Director-General, María Elena Chávez. She reflected upon the “unique opportunity” and the challenging times ahead the co-operative movement has due to the declaration of the UN International Year of Co-operatives (IYC).
Readers will also find a follow-up of the main events that are taking place concerning a wide range of co-operative matters, where the ICA- Expo has a remarkable place, since it means a great opportunity for co-operatives to build business relationships with other co-operatives around the world.
Last but not least, this issue includes news form Argentinean and Brazil-ian co-operators. You will read a case-study about Co-operatives in Ar-gentina and Thailand that have launched “No Chains”, a new global gar-ment brand produced by worker-run factories free of slave labor.
Manuel Mariño ICA‐Americas
Regional Director
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 2
All of your suggestions and proposals regarding the newsletter’s contents are very important for us,
since our primary goal is to provide a publication enriched by your opinions.
The global network of co‐operatives affiliated to the ICA has 245 member organizations from 91 countries, and represents nearly one billion individuals worldwide. ICA membership is open to all the organizations which ad‐here to the ICA declaration on Co‐operative Identity and pursue ICA’s objetives.
Through ICA, the member organization
is identified as a leader of the co‐
operative movement which helps
broaden its possibilities and find new
contacts and resources. Co‐operatives
around the world join ICA to be part of
an organization whose main purpose is
to represent and defend the interests
of the co‐operative movement at na‐
tional and international level. The Alli‐
ance helps co‐operators find practical
solutions to their day‐to‐day challenges,
providing useful information and ex‐
perience.
The ICA membership benefits members
in different ways. It helps co‐operatives
address problems concerning govern‐
ment legislation. It advocates the interests and success of co‐operatives, disseminates best practices and know‐
how, strengthens their capacity building and monitors their performance and progress over time.
The Alliance strives to promote the interchange of ideas, by means of international events, seminars, workshops
and regional conferences which provide better opportunities for negotiation and education.
Since its foundation in 1895, ICA has been the custodian of co‐operative values and principles and has made the
case for their distinctive values based economic business model. The Regional Office for the Americas ‐‐ established
in 1990 in San José, Costa Rica‐ is the connection between the co‐operatives of the American continent and the
worldwide network. It gives every co‐operative the opportunity to participate in specialized areas so that they get
involved with the sector of their interest. In addition, it is responsible for implementing the decisions taken by the
regional political bodies of ICA‐Americas and putting in operation the development projects.
ICA Membership
BELONGING TO THE GLOBAL CO‐OPERATIVE MOVEMENT
Candidates for membership must fill in a “Membership Application Form” and provide the ICA with the following :
Rules of the Organization
Annual Report
List of member societies / affiliates
The completed form and supporting documents must be sent to ICA‐Americas Regional Office’s Membership Depart‐ment, to Apartado Postal 6648‐1000 San José, Costa Rica” or to “De la Iglesia Virgen de Loreto. Rohrmoser. 300 met‐ros norte, 100 metros oeste. Edificio de 3 niveles, lado izquierdo, contiguo al parque, San José, Costa Rica.
MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURE
If you need any further information and have any questions regarding ICA membership, please contact us at [email protected]
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 3
ICA has started an active process to mitigate the effects of
climate change through the resolution "Climate change: our
co‐operative commitment." The central points of this reso‐
lution are: to reduce greenhouse emissions, to communi‐
cate and educate members on how they can reduce carbon
emissions and to focus their political influence to contribute
to the Kyoto Protocol. Besides, the Leadership Council on
Climate Change and Sustainability of the Alliance is being
set up and it shall guide co‐operatives and all sectors of ICA
to propose goals and actions for environmental sustainabil‐
ity.
In recognition of its record of social responsibility and the
potential of co‐operatives to generate an impact that can
reduce the effects of climate change, ICA has been invited
to participate in the McKinsey Water Initiative. Through this
initiative, the International Co‐operative Alliance is commit‐
ted to co‐operate in collecting data on this subject and as‐
sist in the process of analysis with the support of co‐
operative members.
In addition, the theme for the International Day of Co‐
operatives on July 5, 2008 was "Facing Climate Change
through Co‐operative Enterprises." Its aim was to highlight
the fact that co‐operatives are businesses that have signifi‐
cantly contributed to tackle climate change. To this end, co‐
operatives were called to strengthen their efforts to pro‐
mote sustainable development and fight global warming.
In this context, ICA‐Americas is also developing initiatives
and promoting environmental practices. In the 16th Re‐
gional Conference, held in San José ‐ Costa Rica, co‐
operators taking part in various activities, agreed on the
need to mitigate environmental degradation which has
been increasing in recent decades.
Environmental issues were also addressed in the First Co‐
operative Summit of the Americas, "Co‐operative Model:
Response to Global Crises," incorporating it as one of the
three main topics of discussion, which was called "Growth
and Sustainability".
The outcomes of the I Summit concerning environmental
issues reflected a growing interest of the co‐operative
movement and a need to influence on these issues. This
concern became clear in the agreements of the Guadalajara
Declaration. As part of the Declaration, the Co‐operative
Green Pact (Pacto Verde Cooperativo) was included, as an
initiative to promote the adoption of measures and proce‐
dures aimed at preserving the environment to lead genuine
social co‐operative responsibility.
Due to the fact that environmental issues have aroused
great interest within the co‐operative sector, the 17th Re‐
gional Conference to be held in Buenos Aires ‐ Argentina
will focus on the theme "Co‐operative Commitment to the
Preservation of the Planet."
The main objective of this Regional Conference is to raise
awareness in the region about the importance of environ‐
mental preservation and to point out the commitment of
the co‐operative movement in this field.
In order to provoke discussion and participatory analysis,
cross‐cutting themes have been defined that will be the
guideline for the development of the activities planned at
the Regional Conference. These axes are:
1. Global Warming (management of carbon emissions, gas
emissions, greenhouse effect)
2. Energy and new technologies
3. Water and sanitation
4. Cities, rural areas and environment
The 17th Regional Conference will also include various other
academic activities such as meetings and sectoral forums,
each of which will have a specific methodology.
The American Continent has natural conditions that must be
secured for environmental conservation and for future gen‐
erations. Unfortunately, co‐operative organizations also
contribute to environmental degradation, and thus, certain
practices must be corrected and strategies established to
minimize these impacts on the conditions of development
and on people’s welfare.
We must seize the socio‐environmental commitment of co‐
operative organizations to implement practical and viable
options which are also environmentally sustainable.
Therefore, we extend our cordial invitation to you to partici‐
pate in this year’s Conference being an active part of it and
supporting the progress of the co‐operative movement.
Thank you in advance for your kind attention and very re‐
spectfully we ask you to spread the word about this activity
among co‐operative organizations in your country so we all
reaffirm our commitment to preserving the planet.
The International Co‐operative Alliance for the Americas, as the highest integration body in the American region, with the support of member organizations in Argentina are honored to invite the co‐operative movement in the Americas and other social economy organizations, to participate in the 17th ICA‐Americas Regional Conference entitled: "Co‐operative Commitment to the Preservation of the Planet", to be held in Buenos Aires ‐ Argentina, from 22 to 26 November, 2010.
For more information on the 17th Regional Conference: http://www.aciamericas.coop/CR2010/index_en.php
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 4
5
17TH ICA‐AMERICAS REGIONAL CONFERENCE
PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 5
8:00‐18:00 Registration
9:00‐10:00 ICA‐Americas Executive Meeting *
10:30‐13:00 ICA‐Americas Regional Board Meeting *
14:30‐18:00 ICA‐Americas Regional Board Meeting *
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21
8:00‐18:00 Registration
9:00‐13:00 ENVIRONMENTAL SYMPOSIUMS
1. Global Warming 2. Energy and new technologies 3. Water and sanitation 4. Cities, rural areas and environment
FORUMS
VII Continental Forum of Co‐operative Women VI Universities Network Forum Worker Co‐operatives Seminar
13:00‐14:30 Free
14:30‐18:00 ENVIRONMENTAL SYMPOSIUMS 1. Global Warming 2. Energy and new technologies 3. Water and sanitation 4. Cities, rural areas and environment
FORUMS VII Continental Forum of Co‐operative Women (CREG Assembly)1 VI Universities Network Forum Worker Co‐operatives Seminar
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22
8:00‐18:00 Registration
9:00‐13:00 FORUMS II Financial Sector Forum VII Youth Forum II Co‐operative Education Forum VI Parliamentarians Forum * II Insurance Sector Forum Agriculture Sector Seminar
13:00‐14:30 Free
14:30‐18:00 FORUMS II Financial Sector Forum (COFIA Assembly) 2 VII Youth Forum (Regional Youth Committee Assembly)3 II Insurance Sector Forum II Co‐operative Education Forum VI Parliamentarians Forum * II Insurance Sector Forum Agriculture Sector Seminar
19:00 Opening Ceremony
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23
9:00‐12:30 IX Regional Assembly
9:00‐13:30 FORUMS Health Co‐operatives Utilities Co‐operatives Co‐operative Social Balance and Governance Scholar Co‐operatives The Media and the Co‐operative Movement Co‐operative Business Exchange Round‐Tables
13:00‐14:30 Free
14:30‐18:30 Key Conference 1 “Environmental Sustainability: through solidarity action and co‐operative ethics”
Co‐operative Political Dialogue “ICA and its proposals for Environmental Policy"
9:00‐13:00 Key Conference 2 "Co‐operative Social Responsibility and the Preservation of the Planet"
Key Conference 3 "Environmental Public Policies and the Incidence of the Civil Society"
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25
13:00‐14:30 Free
14:30‐17:00
Closing Conference
Conference Conclusions
20:00 Closing Ceremony
(*) Activity with invitation only (1) CREG: Regional Equity Gender Committee
(2) COFIA: Financial Co‐operatives Committee of the Americas (3) Youth Committee
The new brand was launched on 4 June, 2010 and it was born as a fight against continuation of sweatshops and to offer a viable alternative model of decent work. The pro‐moters of the idea put it simply: “Unlike for other famous clothing brands, those who buy No Chains products give 100% of the reward of the labor to the workers – there is no trade fairer than this”.
The workers who formed Thailand’s Dignity Returns co‐operative were all unfairly dismissed employees of Bed and Bath, a sweatshop facility that forced members of its pro‐duction teams to consume amphetamines so that they could work consecutive shifts, while fining workers’ several days wages for sneaking bites of food during long periods when breaks were not permitted.
In Argentina, many Bolivian workers have been rescued by members of the La Alameda co‐operative, which has de‐nounced the sweatshop owners for their illegal detention of entire families of migrants that work under slave conditions in clandestine home factories.
Experience clearly shows that no improvement in workers’ conditions can be meaningful and lasting without worker representation, either through genuine unionization or through worker‐ownership. The workers of No Chains know this from their own lives.
The concept of No Chains was born when two co‐operatives met at a 2009 Bangkok labor conference about workers’ responses to economic crisis. Gustavo Vera from La Ala‐meda had been invited to share the experiences of Argen‐tinean workers in 2001 who occupied factories when their management left them bankrupt and unpaid.
La Alameda in Argentina and Dignity Returns in Thailand thus agreed to jointly launch a global brand of sweat‐free clothes, calling upon both consumers and social movement groups to help end slave labor in the garment industry. Both co‐operatives were already well‐known for being composed of seasoned workers who had faced forced labor conditions and now fought for the core values of worker self‐management, solidarity, and decent work.
Now, the workers form a unique venture between Asia and Latin America. Though they are continents apart, they share common problems of democracy, social inequality, and pov‐erty and exploitation of workers, especially of migrants.
In Buenos Aires and Bangkok, the models of T‐shirts were displayed in a simultaneous launch event linked by video‐conference technology, on June 4, 2010. The T‐shirt designs that were presented were made by designers from South Korea, Indonesia, U.S., Hong Kong and Argentina, and were chosen by the workers in an open global design contest ear‐lier this year.
Promoting decent work in Asia and Latin America
CO-OPERATIVES IN ARGENTINA AND THAILAND LAUNCHED NO CHAINS A NEW GLOBAL GARMENT BRAND PRODUCED BY WORKER-RUN FACTORIES FREE OF SLAVE LABOUR
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 6
From two corners of the world, Thailand and Argentina, two groups of workers have joined to make their own common call to arms: no more chains in the garment industry! Dignity Returns in Bangkok and La Alameda in Buenos Aires jointly call upon consumers and activists alike to support decent work in the garment industry – by supporting their global sweat‐free brand, No Chains.
COCO--OP CASE STUDYOP CASE STUDY
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 7
CO-OPERATIVE LEADERS INVITE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST FAIR OF THE CO-OPERATIVE SECTOR “The 2010 coop Expo will be a great opportunity for co‐operatives to build business relationships with other co‐operatives around the world”, said Paul Hazen, President Chief Executive of the National Business Association (NCBA). “It will be an opportunity to sell and market your co‐operative products, to gain access to new markets and to learn from co‐operatives in other countries about how to make your business even better”, he emphasized.
ICA President, Dame Pauline Green also stated the impor‐tance of the ICA ExpoCoop 2010. “This is your chance if you are a producer of co‐operative goods and services to show‐case your products and your services to the rest of the co‐operative world but also to the wided commercial world who’ll be sending buyers. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for us co‐operators to show the rest of the world that our model of business is different“, said Pauline Green in a video posted at the ICA Expo Tweeter.
Another reason why ICA Expo is a must for every co‐operative in the world is the location of this international fair. Based on the purchasing parity power (PPP), India has the fourth largest economy in the world. It is one of the most attractive business and investment destinations due to its significant labor force, diversified natural resources and a strong macroeconomic foundation.
To make this event a remarkable success, ICAExpo is regis‐tering big buyers to be present in Bangalore‐India. 320 buy‐ers have already been registered. The commercial interest in co‐operative products of these buyers ensures a positive business results to co‐ops present at the Expo.
“We are encouraging exhibitors to send us as soon as possi‐
ble a list of products they will showcase so that we can or‐ganize better business meetings for them during the event”, said Luiz Branco, president of the tradeshow.
More than 8,000 visitors and buyers are expected at ICAExpo 2010. The highlight of the tradeshow will be meet‐ings between exhibitors and potential buyers during the Business Rounds.
“We have almost 80% of floor space sold and expect a busi‐ness flow of over 100 million dollars”, added Luiz Branco, president of the ICA Expo.
If you want to participate in ICA Expo or need further infor‐mation about this trade fair please contact Marianella Ramírez at: [email protected]
BRAZILIAN CO‐OPERATIVES EXPORTS ROSE BY 14% IN 2010 In the first semester of 2010 the exports of Brazilian co‐
operatives showed an increase of 14%. Co‐operatives
exported a total of USD 1,99 billions whereas in the
same period in 2009 they had exported USD 1,74 billions.
These figures appeared in a report carried out by the
Gerencia de Mercados (Gemerc) of the Organização das
Cooperativas Brasileiras (OCB), an ICA member in the
Americas.
“This increase shows a recovery tendency in commodities
prices in the international market. Also it reflects the open‐
ing of new co‐operative businesses in Asia, the Middle East
and Africa, for example” said Márcio Lopes de Freitas,
OCB’s president. He added that important commercial ac‐
tivities were taken up again with the United States, Japan
and Russia. Asian countries appear as the main market for
Brazilian co‐operatives representing the 51% of the ex‐
ports.
The manager of Mercados, Evandro Ninaut, said that the
price recovery is directly related to the emerging countries.
“This process is a result of the expansion of the main
emerging countries, which have been favored by its inter‐
nal demand and the “blindagem” (shield) of their financial
system. This has been crucial to stabilize the effects pro‐
duced by the international financial crisis. We can also
mention the dollar depreciation, which has contributed to
higher commodities prices since it boosts the demand of
raw materials”.
Sugar, ethyl alcohol, soy and meat were among the main
products exported by Brazilian co‐operatives during the
first semester of 2010.
Expectations regarding the IYC are not only many, but
also huge. “The expectations are that the Year will
open the door to recognition at a level to the fact that
the co‐operative form of enterprise is the right kind of
business, the better kind of business and successful
business. The expectations are also that after this
year, co‐operatives will be better positioned on inter‐
national and national agendas”, ICA’s Deputy Director‐
General emphasized.
For the IYC, the ICA is going to be taking a leading role
working with its members and with the UN agencies
to ensure that co‐operatives are recognized as a suc‐
cessful and sustainable business model. “The idea is
that we will focus on public awareness and the visibil‐
ity and recognition of the co‐operative model of enter‐
prise”, said Maria Elena Chávez Hertig. “We are hop‐
ing to put the strategy together that will be used by
each of the co‐operative movements in their national
context to promote the co‐operative way of business,
but allowing them to have as much flexibility in the
way they feel is the best to get that recognition in
their countries”.
According to María Elena Chávez Hertig, the co‐
operative movement has already started planning
their activities for the Year. “Co‐operatives are sharing
a lot of ideas on how they will celebrate and make the
most of the International Year. There are many initia‐
tives including the revision of legislation that impact
co‐operatives, to the establishment of co‐operative
development funds, the organization of conferences,
participation in trade fairs, even have national govern‐
ment mint coins and bills for the Year, and issue com‐
memorative postage stamps. The ideas are very di‐
verse with everyone thinking about what will work
best in terms of promoting the co‐operatives in their
own countries. There will be also more celebratory
initiatives like prizes, and concerts.”
ACCESS TO RELEVANT INFORMATION REGARDING
THE IYC
Sharing information on the IYC is important. ICA has
launched a web page on the IYC to explain what it is,
how it came about and suggests what can be done.
There is also the official UN website, which is now live.
It includes the latest information about the official na‐
2012 UN International Year of Co‐operatives
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CASE FOR CO‐OPS
María Elena Chávez Hertig, ICA’s Deputy Director‐General, is “thrilled” about the
UN International Year of Co‐operatives (IYC) as it presents a “unique opportu‐
nity” for the ICA and for the co‐operative movement to make a mark on a
change in how people on the street, policy makers, and governments see co‐
operatives. “We have this International Year to open up people’s minds. It comes
at a perfect time in the aftermath of the crisis when people are looking for other
kinds of business. They want to see enterprises being more democratic, more
open, and more giving to their communities. And that’s what the co‐operative
enterprise is about. It’s about people coming together to improve their lives.”
Funding to support events organized for IYC
UN International Years at the outset do not have a specific budget allocated to them to support activities.
“What the UN would like to do is to seek outside funding from interested governments and other partners,
foundations and others that would like to sponsor or contribute to the activities of the international year. In
additional, UN offices at country and regional levels may have funds that can be allocated to special projects
during or in preparation for the IYC. We will also be seeking additional funds to support ICA activities”, said
Maria Elena.
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 8
tional committees, as well as the names and contacts
of focal points for each country. It will also include ba‐
sic information on celebrations that will be organized,
co‐hosted or sponsored by the United Nations and its
agencies. It is intended to be a source of information
useful to everyone. It’s linked from the ICA website
and is available to all the co‐operative organizations
and to those organizations that are interested in pro‐
moting co‐operatives.
The movement needs to work together to stand out
among all of the other messages that compete for the
public's attention. To this end, the ICA will also be
sending out a brief newsletter by e‐mail to all its mem‐
bers to update them on preparations ‐ who is doing
what and what is planned by the UN. “It will be avail‐
able on the ICA website in English and Spanish”, María
Elena Chávez Hertig explained.
At the same time, the UN and the other members of
the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement
of Co‐operatives (COPAC) are working on a slogan and,
once agreed, it will develop a logo. ICA would encour‐
age co‐ops to make the logo and slogan known by us‐
ing it widely on all their communication materials to
have a consistent and common message.
“The International Year of Co‐operatives will not solve
all the challenges faced by co‐operatives, but it is an
opportunity to make people and policy‐makers change
their attitudes and go some way to addressing a myr‐
iad of issues. “We can not let this opportunity go un‐
Preparations for International Year of Co‐operatives
CANADA: NATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY ON CO‐OPERATIVES
In the spring of 2010, CCA commissioned Ipsos Reid to
conduct a national survey measuring Canadians' percep‐
tions and awareness of co‐operatives. The survey was
commissioned in preparation for the International Year of
Co‐operatives, which will take place in 2012. CCA will con‐
sider the survey results when preparing key messages and
planning activities to take place during the International
Year.
Some of the survey’s key findings include:
One in five respondents identified themselves as a mem‐
ber of a co‐operative; in Manitoba and Saskatchewan,
61 per cent of respondents cited membership in a co‐op,
while the figure for Alberta was 44 per cent.
Seven in 10 respondents agree that co‐operatives keep money in the local economy, are an important part of
their communities and create jobs that help support lo‐
cal communities.
More than two‐thirds of respondents agree that co‐
operatives are a trusted place to do business and save
members money.
Two‐thirds of respondents agree that co‐operatives pro‐vide quality products and services. The same percentage
of respondents agrees that co‐operatives offer good cus‐
tomer service and have a good reputation.
Three out of five respondents agree that co‐operatives offer good value for money and are well‐run businesses.
The words most commonly associated with co‐
operatives are "local", "for all ages" and "about commu‐
nity."
Two in five respondents consider themselves to be "very
familiar" or "somewhat familiar" with co‐operatives.
Click here for Ipsos Reid’s report on the survey results.
The United Nations International Year of Co-operatives will afford us a platform to tell our story. We won't wait until then to share our message, but the International Year provides opportunities that are not normally available .
Charles Gould ICA’s new Director-General
“
”
International Year of Co‐operatives
http://www.ica.coop/activities/iyc/index.html
http://social.un.org/coopsyear/index.shtml
http://www.copac.coop/iyc/index.html
http://www.aciamericas.coop
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 9
Most housing co‐ops in Canada were developed under
the federal government programs for affordable housing
which began in the 1970s and finished in the 1990s.
Housing co‐ops in Canada have always been associated
with housing for people with lower incomes and they
used to fill a gap between ownership and rental.
“There is not much new development of housing co‐ops
in Canada today” said Nicholas Gazzard, who explained
CHF has tried to encourage the government to include
co‐operatives in any new development program it offers.
“It hasn’t been easy for us to do that over the last ten or
fifteen years” he said.
During the development years ‐from the mid 1970s to
the mid 1990s‐ CHF did manage to get government sup‐
port. The legacy of those programs remains: there are
over 90,000 units in 2,200 housing co‐ops throughout
Canada.
Today, the main problem co‐operatives have is financial.
“The government has been putting money into housing
but not in specific programs. Instead, it gives money to
the provinces, and the provinces spend it however they
want. Province governments tend to fall to more tra‐
dional forms, top‐down management of affordable
housing” Gazzard said.
He explained that during the downturn they were able
to persuade the government to invest in existing housing
co‐ops to help with repairs and renovations. However,
the government has not supported the creation of new
ones.
Nicholas Gazzard highlighted the population of housing
co‐ops is getting older and as a result, a re‐development
should be encouraged. “We do have an aging problem
because we have older peolple living in units bigger than
they need. We are trying to promote the idea of existing
co‐ops buidling new units that should be suitable for
seniors, who made their families in the co‐op, but whose
childen have grown up and left. They are living in a unit
bigger than their needs but they have nowhere else to
go” he said. “If new units were built within the co‐
operative, this would free up larger housing units for
younger families” he added.
At the moment, CHF is also analyzing the idea of a new
model of housing co‐ops partly rental ‐ partly ownership.
“In some markets in Canada, particularly in the big cities,
home ownership is very difficult for young people to
achieve because the cost of housing is very expensive.
We are talking about an hybrid model between rental
and ownership in which a co‐operative member owns a
Interview with Nicholas Gazzard, executive director of CHF Canada
HOUSING CO-OPS: MUCH MORE THAN HAVING A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 10
The last federal housing programs supporting co‐operatives in Canada date from the mid 1990s and although the governments have spent money on housing, they have not favored co‐op development as part of an affordable housing strategy. At present, there are almost 4 million Canadians living in core housing need and in some cities home ownership seems impossible for young people. Nicholas Gazzard, executive director of the Co‐operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF) and vice president of the Interna‐tional Co‐operative Alliance (ICA) Housing Board, talked to ICA‐Americas Newsletter about how co‐op housing could be reinvented to address these problems.
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 10
part of the house and rents the rest of it from some sort
of organization, who actually holds the titles. You get
your security and you get some equity, though not the
full equity return. In exchange for that you get access to
the market."
As an example, Gazzard suggested a model that was
talked out in the United Kingdom. "It arose from a prob‐
lem of scarcity of housing for key workers in London. So
we are talking probably about this kind of demographic:
not very highly paid people, but not poor people either,"
he explained.
Gazzard emphasized reinventing co‐ops for affordable
housing is crucial and expressed one of the things they
would like the government to start doing is measuring
results. “Right now the government is putting money into
housing but it is not measuring the reduction of housing
needs, since it allows the money to go to any kind of de‐
velopment. It is only in a housing co‐op that the members
have control over their community” he remarked.
“Our members in more than 2,200 housing co‐ops across
the country push us quite actively to lobby the govern‐
ments for more co‐ops for the new generations. They do
want to see the same benefits extended to other Canadi‐
ans. Within the co‐op itself they are quite active, they
attend meetings and help each other in different ways.
Also, they usually tend to use other co‐operatives such as
banking co‐ops more than the typical Canadian does”.
The way Nicholas Gazzard talked about co‐operatives
throughout the interview showed he strongly believes in
this model for affordable housing; he has no doubt that
belonging to a community is much more than just having
a roof over your head.
Almost 100 years of housing co‐operatives in Canada
1913 ‐ First continuing housing co‐op in Canada for students.
1930s to 1970s ‐ Further student housing co‐ops formed
1930s and 1940s ‐ Housing builder co‐ops formed in Quebec and in Atlantic Canada
1968 ‐ The Co‐operative Housing Foundation of Canada is formed. It convinces federal government to make $30
million available for pilot co‐op housing projects
1973 ‐ Canadian government launches the first program to develop housing co‐ops for families with differing
income levels
1973 ‐ 1978 ‐ About 7,700 co‐op homes are created across Canada under the first program, which ends in 1978
1979 ‐ 1985 ‐ 39,000 co‐op homes in mixed‐income communities are created under the second federal program
1986‐1991 ‐ 14,500 units delivered under the third and last federal program
1992 ‐ The federal government cancelled the last co‐op housing program
Only Quebec has an active development program today
In all, the programs have delivered over 90,000 units in 2,200 Canadian housing co‐ops.
ICA-Americas Newsletter // Issue Nº 6 // September 2010 11
Following a search by Global Recruitment Specialists, the Board of the International Co‐operative Alliance (ICA) has selected Charles Gould to serve as the organization’s Director‐General. Mr Gould comes to ICA after serving as Chief Executive Officer of Volunteers of America in the United States, a Washington‐based health care, housing, and human services organization, where he provided strategic leadership to 16,000 full‐time staff and directed USD 1 billion in annual turnover. In each of the last five years of his administration he was recognized as one of the fifty most influential leaders in the United States non‐profit sector. Charles Gould follows Iain Macdonald, who served as Director‐General during the past eight years and, in an‐ticipation of the changing economic environment, positioned the world co‐operative movement to take its proper place in the global economy. The ICA Asia Pacific Regional Assembly, which meets once every two years, will have various events related to its 9th Regional Assembly in Beijing, China from 01 to 05 September 2010. The events during the above period will bring together the interests of 530 million co‐operators through their ICA affiliated representatives from 25 countries in the region. The Regional Assembly will deliberate on the emerging opportunities for co‐operatives in the aftermath of global economic recession and the considerable resilience shown by leading cooperatives world over, and on the global concerns like climate change, food security and social develop‐ment. The 9th Regional Assembly for Africa and related meetings which will be held in Maseru, Lesotho, from 11‐15 October 2010. The meetings will be held at the Lesotho Convention Centre are being co‐hosted by the Leso‐tho Government on behalf of the co‐operative movement in Lesotho . The theme for this year's Regional As‐sembly will be “Combating Climate Change through Co‐operatives”. Climate change affects all, not the least co‐operatives that operate in all fields of human endeavor. This theme has been chosen to bring into focus matters of climate change and how co‐operatives across the continent can respond and start initiatives to mitigate against its adverse effects. Founded on 19 August 1895, the International Co‐operative Alliance celebrates its 115th anniversary this year. Noteworthy too is ICA Asia‐Pacific's 50th anniversary this year. The regional office was founded on 14 November 1960. ICA continues to increase its membership. Currently, ICA has 245 member organizations from 91 countries, representing more than 800 million individuals worldwide.
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