Australia’s co-operative coin presented to Dame Pauline Green

The
 Australian 
co‐operative 
sector 
received
 global
 recognition
 on the closing day of Cancun proceedings 
for 
its 
work
 in
 promoting 
UN 
International 
Year
 of
 Co‐operatives,
 during
 the
 presentation
 of
 a
 national
 commemorative
 $1
 coin
 to
 the
 global
 head
 of
 the
 co‐operative 
movement, 
Dame 
Pauline 
Green.


Dame
 Pauline,
 President
 of
 the
 International
 Co‐operative
 Alliance
 (ICA),
 received
 the
 golden
 coin
 from
 Colin
 Heavyside,
 chairman
 of
 Capricorn
 Society,
 the
 ICA’s
 first
 member
 in
 Australia
 and
 the
 founding
 supporter
 of Australia’s
 international
 year
 campaign,
 at
 an
 official
 ceremony
 at
 the
 ICA’s
 General
 Assembly
 and
 conference
 in
 Cancun,
 Mexico.



The
 coin
 was
 produced
 by
 The
 Royal
 Australian
 Mint
 in
 partnership
 with
 the
 Australian
 International
 Year
 of
 Co-operatives 
secretariat. 
Its
 building
 blocks 
design
 represents
 the
 role
 that
 co‐operatives
 play 
in
 sustaining
populations
 which
 might
 otherwise
 struggle
 in
 a
 fast‐paced
 global
 economy.


Australia
 is
 the
 only 
nation 
to
 have
 produced
 a
 national
 commemorative 
coin
 celebrating 
International
 Year 
of
 Co-operatives 
2012. 
It 
has
 also 
produced 
a
 commemorative
 stamp.


In
 2012
 Australia
 has
 a
 comprehensive
 plan
 to
 promote
 public
 recognition
 of
 the
 co‐operative
 business
 model, including
 symposiums,
 conferences
 and
 research.
 A
 commemorative
 yearbook
 with
 50
 co‐operative
 stories,
 a commemorative
 stamp
 sheet
 and
 a
 pre
 paid
 envelope
 are
 other
 highlights.
 The
 Year
 will
 also
 see
 introduction
 of
 new,
 strengthening 
national
 co‐operatives 
legislation
 paving 
the
 way
 for
 an 
improved
 regulatory 
framework
 for 
co‐operatives.



Mr 
Heavyside 
said 
the 
Cancun 
coin
 presentation
 gave
 Australian
 co‐operatives
 the
 opportunity
 to
 return
 the
honour
 paid 
to 
them
 in 
March 
2010, 
when
 Dame
 Pauline
 delivered 
the 
inaugural
 address
 for 
new
 mutual
 businesses 
body,
 Social 
Business
 Australia 
(SBA),
 at
 Australian
 Parliament
 House.



“The 
2012 
coin 
is 
a 
welcome 
outcome 
of
  the 
activities 
of
 SBA
 since
 its
 launch,”
said
 Mr Heavyside.


“The 
co‐op
 movement 
is 
represented 
in 
force 
here 
in
 Cancun 
for 
the
 world’s 
launch
 of
 the 
International 
Year 
of
 Co‐operatives, 
and
 the 
beginnings 
of 
a 
global 
renaissance, 
advanced
 by 
proponents
 within
 the
 mutual 
movement, 
is
set
 to 
be 
irrepressible 
and 
effective. 
2012 
will 
likely 
mark 
the 
beginning
 of
 a
 new
 age
 where
 the 
deployment 
of
capital 
is
 not 
only 
for 
the 
purposes
 of
 making
 a
 profit 
but
 also
 to 
help 
add
 value 
to 
people's 
lives 
in 
a 
dignified
manner, 
where
 value 
will 
be 
measured
 in
 good
 social 
outcomes 
and
 not
 only
 by
 the
 dollars 
earned,”
said
 Mr
 Heavyside.