Appeal for International Year of Co-operatives fund

Co-operatives are being asked to help fund a campaign for co-operation during the International Year of Co-operatives in 2012.

The International Co-operative Alliance has set a target of CHF 1.5 million (£1.06m/US$1.67m) to help achieve its goals during the year.

ICA President Dame Pauline Green addressed co-operators in an appeal video, in which she said: "2012, the International Year of Co-operatives is a fantastic opportunity for the co-operative movement worldwide. We know as co-operators that our movement is commercially successful, socially advantageous with a strong drive to build co-operative businesses across the world that support people.

"We want to make sure we drive the co-operative model of business into the collective consciousness of decision makers across the world. We want them to understand our reach, our scope, our drive into every corner of this world.

"The International Co-operative Alliance is asking you, our members, for support. We're asking that you enable us to run this global campaign next year. We've decided that our role is to be one of co-ordination, management of the campaign and the rest of it is down to you. But to do that central core function, to ensure the right media is in place, to ensure our website is state of the art and technologically functional in every way that we can make it; to ensure that we have a handful of core events around the world during this year, we need your support."

The fund has currently raised CHF 320,000, which is a third of the target set for this year.

• To find out more information about contributing to the fund visit the ICA's website: http://www.ica.coop/activities/iyc/get-involved.html