Co-operative News - Education

Co-operatives can empower all women — International Women's Day statements

Emily Barker — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:31:05 +0000

Co-operatives can play a much larger role in supporting gender equality, said two leading women from the International Co-operative Alliance.

President of the ICA, Dame Pauline Green and ICA Gender Equality Chair María Eugenia Pérez Zea released statements for International Women’s Day urging the Co-operative Movement to help empower women worldwide.

Dame Pauline said: “Over the last four decades, the position of women has made some progress, however, it is still too little and too long in coming… Let us insist that today’s world demands equality for each individual whether man or woman.”

She described this as “the real co-operative message” and added it was time for the Co-operative Movement to work towards the economic, social and political emancipation of all women.

She added: “Co-operative businesses have done so much to help women onto the ladder of economic activity. With that comes community respect, political legitimacy and influence.”

Traditional approaches to governing society are simply no longer relevant, she explained. “Having more women in key decision-making places in political, economic and social decision-making at all levels in society is the way to move away from the sort of decision-making that has served us so poorly in recent years,” said Dame Pauline.

She added: “Building a better world is about allowing each person to flourish and fulfil their potential — nothing else will do.”

María Eugenia Pérez Zea, the Chair of the ICA Global Gender Committee, said the co-operative business model is an ideal platform to break down the barriers of inequality. She added it was "the preferential model to enable women to have access to a participatory democracy, to decision-making bodies, to markets and technology, and above all, to protect them from the injustice of the current dominant development model".

She explained it has become urgent to redefine the stereotypes of power and leadership about women to make sure they enjoy equal treatment in the decision-making processes.

She added that many studies have shown there is an essential link in obtaining equal rights for women and reducing poverty, improving health and education alleviating the climate change effects and making headways towards a more sustainable development.

“All these objectives are shared by the world co-operative movement, are interdependent and support gender equality and women’s empowerment.”

Ms Pérez Zea invited every co-operative in the world to give the highest priority in its policies to the equal recognition of rights and opportunities to women.

She added: “ICA recognises that the Gender Agenda has gained more relevance than ever before and it is our opportunity to seek even more equality for women — by showcasing that our leadership is the most effective model for socio-economic development.”

Historical book tells the tale of the co-operative movement's inspiration

Emily Barker — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:19:29 +0000

There are hundreds of historical documents surrounding the revolutionary work done by Robert Owen and his father-in-law David Dale at the New Lanark Mills in Scotland. However for the first time, the human story behind the mills has been told in the historical fiction book: ‘New Lanark - Spinning New Lives,’ which has gone on worldwide release.

Based in the 1780s, the book weaves the stories of the mill workers, plagued by terrible working and living conditions, with the tale of David Dale, the owner, who could not stand by and watch his workers live in such poverty.

David Dale revolutionised the mill by offering education, improved working conditions and better wages to his workers. This went onto inspire a young Robert Owen, known as the father of the modern day co-operative movement, who visited the mills and eventually took them over from Dale.

In a quote from Dale himself, used in the book, he said: “It gives me great pleasure to say, that by proper management and attention, much good instead of evil may be done at cotton mills.”

The book, written by C.A. Hope, tells the story of New Lanark through three main characters: Joe, frantic to save his family from ruin by working in the mills; Fiona, a young girl forced into child labour; and Anne Caroline Dale and her relationship with Owen.

Peppered with quotes from Dale and other important figures of the day, including poet Robert Burns, the story mixes reality with fiction.

The author C.A Hope explained: “Owen’s work touches all our lives, everyday, it has shaped our society. Yet it wasn’t until I started researching that I discovered just how charismatic Owen and Dale must have been as men: friends, husbands, fathers. This is a story of relationships. Taking nothing away from Owen’s achievements, I wanted to give Dale the credit he is due in this first book, Spinning New Lives.”

Dale’s fiercely religious beliefs are also brought to the forefront of the book, it was his Christian beliefs which fuelled his passion to change working conditions.

In a quote, he said: “As mortals on the brink of eternity we are called to hear and believe the Gospel of Christ. Now is the accepted time of our salvation.”

The book depicts the fear of the mill workers when the mill was sold to Robert Owen; many worried about his lack of religion.

The story however has only just begun, in the next book ‘New Lanark – Living with a Visionary’, C.A. Hope continues with the story of Robert Owen, focusing on his journey to social reformer.

‘New Lanark – Spinning New Lives’ is being distributed worldwide and was launched at a candlelit reception in New Lanark. New Lanark is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• For further details, email Marluc Publishing.

Co-op teaches offenders to 'co-operate out of crime'

Emily Barker — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:53:37 +0000

A unique co-operative organisation in Manchester, UK is teaching offenders how to ‘co-operate out of crime’. Co-op News went to find out more.

Two years ago Bobby Unwin was serving a custodial sentence in Styal prison. Within one hour of being released she had been set up with a place to live by co-operative: Ex-Cell Solutions.

“If it wasn’t for Ex-Cell, I don’t think I would be here today, when I came out of jail, there wasn’t any support there;” she explained.

Ex-Cell took her on as an admin assistant, and after realising how well she was working with the offenders, offered her a place on the board of directors.

Bobby now works as the Finance manager for Ex-Cell. She explained that while in prison: “You could just so easily slip, because you’ve been around offenders, it’s just your lifestyle, it’s what you’re used to. If you haven't got that focus of work or something to do in the day, you are going to carry on the way you were.”

Ex-Cell works with offenders and ex-offenders and teaches them the benefits of working co-operatively, encouraging them to set up their own co-operative enterprises. They have helped set up an IT recycling organisation called Recycle IT and a cleaning co-op called Stardust Cleaners - all run by ex-offenders.

Ex Cell became a co-op in 2009 when the staff were facing redundancy. Dave Nicholson, one of the founders, explained: “ we felt that the co-op model was not only a good way of creating your own employment, but for offenders and ex-offenders it provides that additional mutual support for resettlement and rehabilitation.”

Offenders go on a ten-week training course and are taught the benefits of mutualism and self-employment. The project has been very successful. Ex-Cell also have a contract with Co-operative and Mutual Solutions Ltd and the Ministry of Justice to develop co-operative and mutual approaches to reducing reoffending.

Through their work – offenders and ex-offenders work together to offer support and mentoring.

Bobby explained: “We seem to be growing a family of ex-offenders, ready to help other ex-offenders. It works well – they feel welcomed, they volunteer to work with us, they want to work with us, and it’s not something they have to do.”

Ex-Cell works with around 30 people each year and currently has impressive reoffending rate of zero percent. The average reoffending rate in the UK is 26.8 percent.

Dave said: “It’s not a huge number we work with, but that’s one of the strengths because its small numbers and we can work very much on a one to one basis.”

Now their main focus is working with women at Styal with a co-op called WAGES: Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security. Women take the ten-week training course on self-employment and become part of the WAGES co-op.

Bobby explained: “We did a pilot last year for women and it really opened their eyes to working co-operatively, and what we’ve learnt is ex-offenders helping and supporting more ex-offenders seems to work really well.”

From the pilot, three women who were released are currently setting up their own businesses.

Bobby added: “It’s a brilliant programme, the difference in the women between the beginning and the end is huge. Their mind really does open. They’ve got hope that they can actually change something in their lives, whereas at first, they’re sat there with their arms crossed and they feel like they’re going nowhere.”

She recounted the story of Sharon, a drug user with over forty custodial sentences for shoplifting. Sharon had been in and out of jail for years and had always done the art classes.

“When she was on the programme she thought, I might make these greeting cards, I could make a business out of this;” Bobby said; “We’ve been working with her since June last year and this is the longest she’s been out of prison, for twenty years.”

Sharon now runs an art workshop for other ex-offenders and wants to do a course so she can be accredited.

Ormond Williams, another member of Ex-Cell, explained: “Sharon is motivated, she’s focused and we believe Ex-Cell had some part to play in that. She’s concentrating on her strengths, which is being creative and artistic, and not on her weaknesses.”

In Styal they are also working on creating a multi-stakeholder horticultural co-op, which will include prisoners and prison staff. The co-op will join veg co-op Manchester Veg People to give the women opportunities once they leave.

Ex-Cell are the only co-op in the UK to work this way. In a report Dave explains how the Co-op Movement: “pays little, if any, attention to what it could do in prisons, probation and in rehabilitation and reducing reoffending generally.” However, there are similar projects across the world.

The Co-op Bank also supports ex-offenders by being the only bank to provide them with bank accounts. However, Dave said though that work was good, it was different to Ex-Cell.

“What we’re doing is helping offenders to help themselves in a co-operative way;” he added.

Ex-Cell are continuing to grow. Ormond explained what is they key to their success: “We believe anyone can change, anyone…. This co-operating out of crime – that is key. We go on this journey together, Ex-Cell will hold your hand”.

Canadian Co-operative Awards open for nominations

Emily Barker — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:54:01 +0000

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) are asking co-operators to put forward their nominations for the annual Co-operative Awards before 31 March.

There are four categories: the Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award, the Global Co-operator Award, the Co-operative Governance Award and Pioneer Inductees in the Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame.

The Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award was set up in 2001, followed by the Global Co-operator Award in 2005 and the governance awards in 2008.

Donna Balkan, the Communications Manager for CCA, said: “We think it is very important to present awards as a way of honouring excellence within the Canadian co-operative movement. The individual award recipients are often unsung heroes: people who have made an enormous impact on Canadian co-operatives and Canadian society, but are not well-known outside the co-operative sector.

“For example, Ed Gebert, a longtime credit union leader from Saskatchewan who was the 2012 winner of the Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award, was largely responsible for bringing the first-ever Automated Teller Machine (bank machine) to Canada. And many of the winners of the Global Co-operator Award have been volunteers who have devoted countless hours to CCA's international development projects.”

She explained the governance award was created because of the “enormous importance CCA places on effective co-operative governance.”

The Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame was set up to celebrate the CCA’s 100th anniversary in 2009, the Pioneer Inductees are deceased individuals who were fundamental in shaping co-operation in Canada.

Donna added: “When we created the Hall of Fame, we felt this category was very important, because the stories of legendary co-operators like Alphonse Desjardins, founder of North America’s first financial services co-operative and Father Moses Coady, a leader of the Antigonish Movement, which spearheaded the development of co-operatives in the Atlantic provinces during the Great Depression, are not often found in high school or university history books, and we wanted these people to be recognised.”

Co-operators do not need to be a direct member of CCA to nominate someone for an award. After the nominations close, the award winners are chosen by separate selection committees for each award, which usually consist of members of CCA board.

These are not the only awards given to Canadian co-ops, Canada’s French-language national co-op association, the Conseil canadien de la cooperation et de la mutualité (CCCM), has its own awards programme, and Credit Union Central of Canada also give out awards each year.

To find out more and to apply for individual categories, visit the Awards website here.

New book charts Robert Owen's revolutionary history

Emily Barker — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:44:54 +0000

THE story of the Scottish Cotton Mill village, New Lanark, ran by social pioneer Robert Owen has been told in a new book out next year.

The book is a fictional reworking of the tale of Robert Owen, whose work went on to inspire the Rochdale Pioneers, and his father-in-law, David Dale, as they revolutionised working practises in the New Lanark cotton mills.

‘New Lanark – Spinning New Lives’, by C.A. Hope, will be launched in New Lanark on 28 February 2013, and will be available through bookshops and the internet from March 1.

The story will use real historical events to map the journey of Robert Owen, and how the mill he bought from his father-in-law helped to change the lives of workers throughout the world.

“Dozens of factual books and learned papers have been written about New Lanark and Owen/Owenism, but I wanted to lay out the unfolding, personal journey of the villagers and mill owners in a narrative that would be accessible to everyone. These people did not know they were making history, they were just going about their work and everyday life;” said author, C.A. Hope.

David Dale was considered an enlightened employer for his time, however it was under the influence of Owen that new social and educational reforms were implemented.

C.A. Hope works with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, while working in the village of New Lanark she found herself being asked about Owen by passing visitors.

“On encountering, for the thousandth time, a visitor gazing at the mills and wondering what it must have been like to live there in its hey-day – I decided to find out properly and tell them;” she remarked.

She explained that during the 1780s, when the book is set, many influential figures including Robert Burns, Thomas Muir and Thomas Hardy were standing up for people’s rights.

“What a background! What a story to be told – so I wrote the book! Hopefully it will be both an entertaining and enlightening read;” she added.

She hopes the fictional telling of the story will go some way to answering questions such as ‘what sort of man was David Dale’ and ‘why did Owen buy New Lanark Mills?’

The book is being published by Marluc, 400pp and a sequel called New Lanark – Living with a Visionary will continue the story.

What's next for Stories.coop?

Emily Barker — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:38:04 +0000

Stories.coop started on the 22 December with the story of an African Football co-operative. It now has over 380 stories of co-operation in celebration of the International Year of Co-operatives (IYC). This innovative campaign aims to use these co-operative stories to inspire people across the world.

The idea behind Stories.coop was to tell a story of co-operation everydayto mark the IYC. It is a joint project by Eurisce and the ICA.

Ilana Bodini, from Eurisce has worked on Stories.coop from the beginning. She explained: ”We really wanted to do what the IYC was setting out to do – to raise awareness about co-ops: about who they are, and what they do. We really wanted this to reach both the Movement and the general public.”

Ilana added they wanted to make it an open project, so co-operatives were encouraged to add their own stories. However, she said one of the biggest problems they faced was that co-ops often do not have the time to stop and promote themselves. “We’ve been chasing co-ops all year!” she added.

The website has been a huge success, it has attracted visitors from all corners of the globe, has featured 383 so far and had over 100,000 visits in the last year.

With the IYC coming to an end, Stories.coop is looking to the future. Ilana explained: “We’re asking people now, what do they want Stories.coop to be? Some of our partners have already asked us, can we use these stories in training? Can we link to the website? It’s an open database that we hope people will use."

At the Co-operatives United conference in Manchester, ICMIF used the stories about finance for people to read out in mock news broadcasts and other organisations have used them as part of training exercises.

The website will remain up and running, but it will not be posting a co-op everyday – however, co-ops can still submit their stories.

Ilana’s previous work was not with co-operatives, so the project was a learning curve for her as well. When asked, she could not pick one favourite story; instead she said she loves the “togetherness” of all the co-ops.

She added: “When I started putting these stories on there, at a certain point I looked at the results, when you saw them tiled out one by one and I thought - my goodness, these stories all put together are so beautiful!”

100 stories from Stories.coop were used as part of a special book for the International Year of Co-operatives called: ‘Building a Better World’.

What would you like to do with Stories.coop now the IYC is coming to an end?

Bread Co-operative needs help raising £8,000

Emily Barker — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:47:24 +0000

A group of bakers from Leeds are asking for donations to raise £8,000 by 19 December so they can set up a new co-operative.

The Leeds Bread Co-operative will deliver fresh bread made with ethically sourced local ingredients to local residents. People are being asked to donate to Peoplefund.it and the £8,000 will go towards a new bread oven.

Ian Fitzpatrick, one of the founders of the co-op explained: “We had all worked in bakeries before and realised that good bread was badly needed in Leeds. We wanted to set up our bakery in Leeds to produce great quality 'real bread', slow fermented and sourdough breads using organic flours, at affordable prices.”

The bakery will also help to support the local community, offering training and bread making classes. Ian added: “We want to create a bakery that cares about people.”

In the future they hope they can set up a ‘food hub’ and offer space to local groups and businesses who want access to a kitchen for their own products or events, and there are plans for a community café as well.

Ian added that it is important to support local businesses, over the big retailers. “Buying bread from us will be a vote for the local economy, for slow food, for food made within a community of people who care about how the food system affects everyone around us as well as our environment,” he expla

People can pledge as little or as much as they want to the bakery and will get a special gift in return from a specially designed loaf of bread to a day long baking master class.

When up and running the bread will be dropped off at community spaces near to people’s homes such as Oblong and All Hallows Church, a church in Chapel Allerton, Lilac, a housing co-op in Chapeltown and other areas.

The two other members who make up the co-op are Simon Garrod (Zig), and Phil Dacey.

To donate money please go to: http://www.peoplefund.it/leeds-bread-coop/

What kind of co-ops would you like to see setting up in your local area? Tell us in the comments below.

Members Matter Most - International Credit Union Day

Emily Barker — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:49:24 +0000

International Credit Union Day 2012, on 18 October, is truly a time to celebrate – as credit unions (CUs) have increased their annual new-member base at the fastest rate in over a decade.

Figures from Credit Union National Association (CUNA) explained how nearly 2.2 million people joined credit unions in the US. In the UK, according to the All Parliamentary Party Group on CUs, there are over one million people using CUs, with 12,000 junior savers.

With so many people joining CUs, it seems only fitting that the theme this year is ‘Members Matter Most’.

"Members are the heart of the credit union system. This year's theme speaks perfectly to the sentiment all staff carry through on every day," said Bill Cheney, CUNA president and CEO. "Further, it differentiates credit unions from other financial institutions as member-owned financial cooperatives. At credit unions, members matter most."

CUs have received a boost this year due to 2012 being named the International Year of Co-operatives and also the publicity surrounding Bank Transfer Day in the US, a movement encouraging people to move their money to credit unions or community banks on 5 November.

CUNA are also aksing CUs to share their own celebrations by logging on here.

Jennifer Bernhardt, Communications Manager at the World Council of Credit Unions said: “Credit unions have been given an international stage to showcase what they have always done: meet the needs of their members first and foremost.”

Kristen Christian, the founder of Bank Transfer Day, explained: “The democratic structure and people serving people mission that financial co-operatives put into practice every day fosters economic sustainability and strong local communities. One day simply isn't enough to thank these fine folks for all of their hard work!”

She added that for ICU Day: “I'll be paying a visit to Coast Hills Federal Credit Union to thank them for their continued efforts year round to serve the community that made me the woman I am today.”

CUs across the world will be celebrating the day and expressing what makes this business unique.

“CU Day is a great opportunity each year for credit unions to raise their members’ awareness about the values and philosophy that distinguish credit unions from other financial institutions,” said Mark Wolff, from CUNA. “We are not only in our communities, we are of our communities. And member service, not profit-making, is paramount.”

Young & Free, a project encouraging young people to use CUs in the US and Canada have released a special video for the occasion.

In the UK, CU leaders and members of the APPG on CUs attended a special celebration in Westminster on Wednesday for the ICU Day.

Damian Hinds MP, Chair of APPG on CUs said in his speech: “Credit unions are a movement, and are certainly on the move. Too many of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in society find themselves in a seemingly never-ending trap of debt, from which it is difficult to break out.

"Credit Unions can play a truly vital role – and in future a much bigger one – in offering an alternative, bringing responsible lending, encouraging saving and basically supporting families. This is a very exciting time for credit unions and a real inflexion point. No truly exciting ride is every a totally smooth one.

"The growth potential is enormous, and this World Credit Unions Day gives us a timely reminder of the full scale of that potential.”

CUNA have created a special website so people can find the CU that suits them: http://www.asmarterchoice.org/

Across the world there are 51,000 Credit Unions with 196,000,000 Members over 100 Countries.

ICU Day happens on 3 October of every year – it began in 1948.

If you want to know more about International Credit Union Day then go to: http://www.woccu.org/events/icuday/

What is the best part about being a member of a credit union?

Tell us on our Facebook page or in the comments below.

The Power of We: Co-operatives in the UK

Emily Barker — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:21:04 +0000

Co-operatives aren’t run for the shareholders at the top, the CEO’s peering down from their lofty tower. Co-ops are run for you and me – they run on the Power of We.

‘The power of we’ is the theme for this year’s blog action day and co-operatives show how powerful we can be.

This year the co-operative economy outperformed the UK economy for the fourth year in a row, with a growth of 1.5% in 2011 that was twice the rate of the UK economy.

It was here in the UK that the co-operative movement began.

In 1844, 28 men saw the poverty and sickness around them, and wanted to change things. They wanted fair food, at fair prices.

They created the seven co-operative principles that co-ops still adhere to the world over – a set of principles that is the fuel behind the power of WE. Co-operatives are people working together, for the gain of everyone, not the gain of one.

Now the co-operative movement has spread across the world. Here in its home, the UK, even in an economic crisis, it is outperforming the economy, creating better jobs and a better life for its members.

In 2011 the co-operative movement in the UK had 13.5 million members part of nearly 6,000 co-operatives – but why are they so successful?

Co-operatives help their local communities.

The Lincolnshire Co-operative is more than just a shop; it is an institution that has helped the community around it to grow. Instead of hoarding profits, the co-operative pays out community dividends each year – helping to kickstart projects from choirs to sports clubs.

As Ursula Lidbetter, the Chief Executive of the Lincolnshire Co-operative, said: “Our specialism is community.”

The co-op, which has existed since 1861, has over 200 outlets and more than 205,000 members and in 2010/11, the dividend pay-out to members was £4.8m.

In northern England in Manchester, community owned football team FC United are using the big game, to make a big difference.

Phil Frampton, member of FC United said: “We are different in the sense that our football co-op is committed to changing the world for young people in Manchester, its also to show how football can reach the parts which other co-ops can’t reach. Young people who are inspired by football, it can inspire them to change their lives and get involved in co-operation.”

Co-operatives help to save the planet.

88% of co-operative enterprises seek to minimise their environmental impact. In the UK economy as a whole, 44% of small businesses say they have taken no action whatsoever.

Community wind farms such as Westmill and Baywind are providing clean green energy for their members. Westmill has almost 2,500 members and is the first project of its’ kind in southern England.

“Instead of all the profits from local projects leaving the area, they are retained in the community and that can be spent locally. Many community energy projects try to involve local companies and individuals wherever possible, which feeds back into the local economy as well,” explained Philip Wolfe, one of the pioneers of the UK renewable energy industry, also one of the five directors of Westmill.

In Oxford, organic veg growers, Cultivate proved so popular they raised £80,000 in under three months to provide locally sourced food in their veg van across the region.

Co-operatives are big business.

The UK biggest co-operative: the Co-operative Group is also Europe’s largest retail co-operative. Owned by its members, in 2011 it returned £62m profits back to its members and has pledged that by 2013, 90% of primary commodities it sources from the developing world will be Fairtrade.

Co-operatives are run on the power of WE from as small as three members to as many as thousands – a movement that began in the UK in 1844, continues to strive forward in the modern day.

Ed Mayo, the Secretary-General of Co-operatives UK said: “Co-operatives are part of a solution. They provide alternatives to austerity by offering a model of business in which ownership and control is shared. The growth of the co-operative sector helps introduce more diversity and wider ownership into the economy.”

Imagine 2012: toward a pluralistic economy

Lyne Gagnon — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 15:35:00 +0000

The Imagine 2012 International Conference on Co-operative Economics got underway at the Quebec City Convention Centre before a captive audience of participants from around the globe who are involved in the cooperative movement.

At the opening of this major event— the first of its kind— spokespersons from the three organizations co-hosting the event in turn addressed the participants. First, Dr. J. Colin Dodds, President and Vice Chancellor of Saint Mary's University, noted that “St. Mary's is one of the few institutions in the world that offers cooperative management courses.”

Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, expanded on Dr. Dodds's remarks and launched the discussion on the role of cooperatives in the global economy by asking: “What can we do to change perceptions? Why is cooperation more likely to be studied in university sociology courses than business management courses?” She closed by saying that “our challenge is not to dictate or assume we have all the answers, but to lead by example.”

Lastly, Dame Pauline Green, the first woman elected President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), added that “many people disregard the fact that cooperatives are part of the global economy. Our organization would like individuals who own cooperatives to be recognized and to become key players in this economy. By diversifying the global economy we are ensuring a sustainable global economy!”

Stefano Zamagni (our picture), Vice-Director of the Bologna Centre in Italy, the last speaker on the first evening of the three-day conference, put forward possible solutions in his address entitled: “Why did cooperatives disappear from economic thought?” He believes that “globalization has allowed the cooperative movement to gain ground, but key global economic players are, in fact, preventing the movement from flourishing. To allow the cooperative movement to assume its rightful place in the economy, we first need to change not only the economic infrastructure, but also the legislative and institutional framework, and avoid having a dialogue of the deaf. To do this, the global economy must become a more pluralistic economy where all players have an equally important role to play. Those who are only interested in the present do not have the success of cooperatives at heart.”

Everything is in place for a successful Conference that will generate discussion to help build a better world.