Co-operative News

The Ultimate Political Debate on Solvency II

AlisonGrant — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:55:19 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Peter Skinner, MEP and Rapporteur for the European Parliament for Solvency II and EIOPA and long-time member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), will join Jonathan Evans MP, in a lively debate from both a national and European viewpoint on the opportunities and challenges that Solvency II presents during the forthcoming ICMIF Solvency II Solutions seminar on May 24, 2012.

For ICMIF members this is the ideal opportunity to learn about the current state of play for Solvency II implementation and specifically about the issues and benefits for the mutual and cooperative sector during the ICMIF Solvency II Solutions Seminar which takes place on Thursday, May 24, 2012 in London, UK. The event is completely free of charge for ICMIF members and places are still available but it is essential to register in advance. Please register now.

During the recent ICMIF Meeting of Reinsurance Officials (MORO) in Paris, the President of Willis Re (an ICMIF Supporting Member), Paddy Jago, talked to delegates about the Solvency II Solutions seminar saying that the current regulatory environment facing mutual insurers would be discussed during the seminar and therefore “I would encourage everyone who is able to attend”. He went on to explain how the unique one day seminar will explore how mutuals can maximise their capital flexibility within the constraints of the standard model, and benefit from the Solvency II process.

Also at the MORO conference Nick Charteris-Black, Managing Director, Market Development EMEA, for A.M. Best, told delegates that the Solvency II Solutions seminar “is an event purely focused on Solvency II and the issues for ICMIF members and it’s really for those who want to debate and discuss what the implications of Solvency II will be for the mutual sector. There is still a lot of uncertainty and hopefully a number of views and perspectives will come out of the sessions.”

The full agenda can be found on the ICMIF web site along with the biographies of the expert speakers who will be presenting at the event plus a delegate list. We urge you to secure your place by registering now for this special event for ICMIF members.

NCBA's Liz Bailey Featured in Shareable Magazine

AnthonyMurray — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:02:02 +0000

Courtesy of Shareable.net. Shareable is the online magazine that tells the story of sharing and covers the people and projects bringing a shareable world to life.

Cooperative Leaders Meet with White House

While the current narrative of the American economy is far from hopeful, cooperatives are setting a more uplifting tone. According to the National Cooperative Business Association in Washington, D.C., 29,000 cooperatives operate in the nation’s economy, and these democratically governed businesses generate two million jobs each year.

The group’s interim president and chief executive officer, Liz Bailey, steered a delegation of 150 leaders and advocates of cooperatives to the White House on May 4th to spark a dialogue with federal officials about the critical role that cooperatives play in job creation and economic development, and how that role could be expanded to revive economically depressed areas and the middle class.

Bailey said there were representatives from various sectors of the coop economy including food, agricultural, finance, housing and health care, adding that the wide representation was to “give a real flavor of how vast the cooperative model is being used in the economy." Policy makers at all levels of government are generally unaware of the huge scope, power, and promise of the cooperative model at a time when

Cooperative Leaders Meet with White House | Shareable Magazine

benrogerswpg: Winners of the Show Us Your Co-op! contest....

AnthonyMurray — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:56:22 +0000

benrogerswpg:

Winners of the Show Us Your Co-op! contest. http://bit.ly/L4zsJm

Credit unions sprout cooperative message at Green Festival

AnthonyMurray — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:07:58 +0000

Native New Yorkers and international visitors alike obtained fresh insight into the power of cooperatives at the NYC Green Festival to mark Earth Day last month.

From the benefits of membership to their social responsibility impact, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions together with four New York City-based member credit unions engaged several hundred visitors about their work in the communities they serve at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan,.

Taking part in the spreading the awareness of financial cooperatives alongside the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) were Bethex Federal Credit Union, Union Settlement Federal Credit Union and Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union.

UNFCU’s booth was run by volunteers from the 30-strong Green Team, which is made up staff members who regularly contribute ideas to improve energy and eco-efficiencies to realize substantial reductions.

Pamela Agnone, senior vice president of Retail Services at UNFCU and Green Team Executive Sponsor said: “It was great to have our volunteers come out and represent UNFCU at this event to discuss our greening initiatives, as well as to support the Federation in this UN-declared International Year of Cooperatives. There was just so much positive energy filling the exhibit hall with each organization working to do their part for their communities and the environment.”

One of the nation’s premier sustainability events, the NYC Green Festival hosted more than one hundred renowned authors, leaders and educators, including Russell Simmons and Amy Goodman; how-to-workshops; cutting-edge films, fun activities for children, vegetarian cuisine; and live music.

With over 25,000 visitors attending, the event provided an opportunity for cooperatives to discuss their business model, particularly how members can use an array of financial cooperative services, such as at UNFCU eStatements, online forms with secure eSign features for consumer lending, just to name a few ways to limit their carbon footprint.

“We were pleased to have run into UNFCU onsite,” said Pragati Pascale, Chief, Development Section, UN Department of Public Information, who along with colleagues, interacted with a multitude of visitors at a United Nations Rio+20 “The Future We Want” booth.

“The work that credit unions are doing was definitely of interest,” said Federation Program Associate Elizabeth Friedrich, who coordinated the credit union volunteer outreach at the event. “We spoke with literally hundreds of attendees about the benefits of banking local through credit unions and handed out nearly all of the informational materials we brought with us.”

By showcasing their economic benefit and going green, these cooperatives’ first-time appearance at the festival inspired many to take action themselves.

Since 1947, UNFCU has been dedicated to serving the financial needs of the United Nations community worldwide, with members located in over 205 countries and territories. With a comprehensive array of products and services, the credit union has branches in New York and representative offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Nairobi, Kenya; and Rome, Italy.

Forestry and cooperative issues: Discussion workshop October 7–8

Lyne Gagnon — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:14:00 +0000

A discussion workshop focusing on forestry and cooperative issues will be held October 7–8 as part of the schedule of complementary events leading up to the 2012 Summit.

Objective

The workshop's main objective is to assemble leaders and representatives of forestry cooperatives from around the world in order to build a solid network and promote a better understanding of the industry, which is a nerve centre of the economy.

Discussion topics

The workshop will be participatory: everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to introduce their forestry cooperative and explain how it works and the issues it is facing.

Participants will also discuss four central themes:

- How has the forestry cooperative network changed over time?
- What are the forestry industry's main challenges today?
- What are the cooperative model's main challenges?
- How can cooperatives benefit from doing business with other cooperatives around the world?

Contact

To find out more or to register for the workshop, contact Jocelyn Lessard, Managing Director of the Fédération québécoise des coopératives forestières, by email at j.lessard@fqcf.coop.

Co-operatives receive unanimous support from Valencia

Emily Barker — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:08:15 +0000

To mark the UN declaration of 2012 as International Year of Co-operatives, the Valencian Parliament read out a statement in support of co-operative institutional measures to boost growth.

In Valencia there are nearly 3,000 active co-operatives, employing over 78,000 people and they generate an economic volume of 18,000 billion euros.

On 9 May the Valencian Parliament has released a statement of support for the UN’s IYC, after it was unanimously accepted by all parliamentary groups.

The president of the Parliament and the Board of Spokespersons received a delegation that represented the Valencian co-operatives, led by the Regents of the Confederation of the Co-operatives of Valencia, which showed their willingness to collaborate with the Confederacy and take part in promotional activities.

The institutional statement was to promote the participation of the Valencian co-operatives, through their Confederation, by reflecting on social and economic issues.

It allowed the parliament to be a platform to help improve and expand the tools and resources available to the public in order to promote co-operatives and publicize this way of working to entrepreneurs.

As stated by the President of Confederación de Cooperativas, Emili Villaescusa: "The unanimous decision reflects the support of the Valencian people of a business model deeply rooted and widespread in this area, which includes one in three people in this region.

“It also represents a boost to a unique way of looking at economics, the prevailing attitude of ongoing collaboration, respect and trust in others, as well as pluralism, tolerance and sustainability."

Emili Villaescusa added: "We understand this statement as an acknowledgment of public authorities that co-operatives are an example for equitable wealth creation and employment generation for stable, quality, and we trust that it is a step towards helping increase awareness of the need to promote the co-operative movement."

Since its establishment in 1989, Confederación de Cooperativas is the biggest organisation representing co-operatives in Valencia, and brings together all sectoral federations. During 2012, its challenge is to create conditions which allow people to promote and spread the values of the co-operative, so that it influences the Valencian society and economy, boosting the real economy.

CIRIEC Spain conference marks the International Year of Co-operatives

AnthonyMurray — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:43:49 +0000

A two-day conference marking the International Year of Co-operatives will bring together academics, politicians and professionals from across Spain.

Delegates will exchange ideas on issues such as government intervention in economic matters, regional plans, public enterprises, cooperatives, mutual societies and other forms of social economy.

The XIV Conference of Researchers in Social and Cooperative Economy will be held this year in San Sebastian and Oñati, Spain, between 20 and 22 June. The event is organised by International Centre of Research and Information on the Public and Cooperative Economy (CIRIEC) Spain, with the support of three Basque universities: the University of the Basque Country, the University of Deusto and the University of Mondragon.

The topic of the conference is ‘Challenges and proposals of the social economy in a changing world’. The list of communication proposals is now available (PDF).

"The philosophy of CIRIEC is to gather within the same association industry experts and academic sector representatives to conduct joint research to increase the visibility and awareness of the sector itself," said Jose Juan Cabezuelo, head press CIRIEC-Spain.

The deadline for communication proposals was April 30 and the number of communication proposals received is close to 200. The conference will be structured into seven general workshops and 14 topical workshops.

'The record of participation confirms the growing interest from academcs in the activities of the cooperative and social economy, which is also great news," said Jose Juan Cabezuelo.

General workshops will focus on issues such as accounting reforms skilled communications and new financial instruments in the cooperative legislation, cooperatives and systemic crisis, cooperative values and cooperatives, social economy and other forms of enterprise. Topics selected for the thematic workshops also include the challenges of agri-food cooperatives in the current context of economic change.

There will be prizes for participants. Two awards will go to the best two theses on social economic issues published within the past five years. Another two awards will be given for the best papers presented at the symposium by young researchers under the age of 35.

The XIV Conference of Researchers is run with the help of Basque associations representing the social economic sector and under the sponsorship of the Basque Government.

Among those invited at the conference fugure names such as Fatima Banez, the Minister for Employment and Social Security of the Government of Spain, Patxi Lopez, the Basque Government lehendakari, Juan Antonio Pedreño, president of CEPES, the Spanish Confederation of Social Economy Enterprises, and the presidents of the three Basque universities: University of the Basque Country, University of Deusto and University of Mondragon.

CIRIEC-Spain is an international non-governmental scientific organization and was formed in 1986. It is a full member of CIRIEC International, created in 1947 with headquarters at the University of Liege in Belgium. CIRIEC-International currently has divisions in 16 countries: Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and Venezuela. The Spanish headquarters CIRIEC-Spain is at the University of Valencia.

The conference of researchers CIRIEC-Spain established itself as a forum for debate in the social economy sector. The last conference took place in Zaragoza in October 2011 and gathered more than 160 participants.

Anca Voinea

AnthonyMurray — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:28:35 +0000

Co-operatve News journalist.

Organisation:

Co-operative News

Insurance baron Lohiya joins Iffco-Tokio

Ajay Jha — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:50:10 +0000

Cooperative giant Iffco’s venture Iffco-Tokio General Insurance has appointed Yogesh Lohiya as managing director and chief executive.

Lohiya, who succeeds S Narayanan, will assume the post on Wednesday. Prior to joining Iffco-Tokio, Lohiya was chairman and managing director of General Insurance Corporation of India.

Iffco-Tokio General Insurance is a joint venture between Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (Iffco) and its associates holding 74 per cent stakes and the largest Japanese insurer Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire, holding 26 per cent stakes.

Iffco-Tokio recently announced huge investment in its operation. The venture has been doing good business and happens to be the only player supported by a cooperative in the insurance sector in the country.

Equal Exchange At the Presidential Palace – Lima, Peru

Rodney North — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:16:09 +0000

Yesterday you read how Jessie Myszka represented Equal Exchange on a visit with other co-op leaders to the White House to discuss the role of co-operatives in our economy and how our government can better support them.

Today, we bring you on another Equal Exchange visit; this time to Peru’s “White House”, or the Presidential Palace as it is called in Peru.

Well, we didn’t actually make the trip ourselves; rather, our chocolate bars did.

How did this happen? Santiago Paz, Co-President of Cepicafe, and good friend to many of us here at Equal Exchange, was invited by Peru’s Vice President, Marisol Espinoza, to lunch at the Presidential Palace.

Cepicafe, a small farmer coffee co-operative located in Piura, Peru is one of Equal Exchange’s long-term partners. Along with other Fair Trade co-operatives in northern Peru, Cepicafe helped launch Ms. Espinoza’s political career. A prominent journalist, with roots in the mountains of Piura, Marisol often wrote about the challenges facing small farmers, learning much from her relationships with the co-ops. Eventually, she was encouraged by the co-ops to run for Congressional office. To the surprise and delight of many, Marisol ran on an anti-mining and pro-small farmer platform – and won! Her election illustrates one of the most important achievements of Fair Trade – the ability to influence regional politics.

In 2005, Ollanta Humala ran for President and invited Marisol to join his ticket. She consulted with Cepicafe and other co-ops in the region and with their support, accepted his invitation.

Celebration in Piura after the 2006 Presidential elections.

Today, Marisol is Vice President and continues to use her position to support progressive economic and social policies affecting rural communities throughout Peru.

And so, last week when Santiago was invited to dine at the Presidential Palace, what did he decide to bring Marisol as a gift of appreciation?

Why, Equal Exchange chocolate bars of course!