Launching the International Year of Co-operatives

Co-operatives across the UK came together to launch the International Year of Cooperatives. Thousands of retail co-operative staff celebrated the launch of the International Year on January 12th. They wore hats of many nations — from a Moroccan fez to an American cowboy hat — to mark the occasion, and pieced together a giant global jigsaw to celebrate the global successes of co-operation. Customers at 50 Co-operative Group stores, including food, bank and pharmacy branches, ...

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has praised his country's co-operative movement for its contribution to Canada's "socio-economic strength". In a written message that was read out during the live webcast of the January 12 Canadian launch of the International Year of Co-operatives, Prime Minister Harper said: "The existence of co‐operatives across all sectors of the economy speaks to the influence and relevance of the co‐operative movement. Over ...