Yesterday, the second day of Imagine 2012, the International Conference on Co-operative Economics, leaders from the cooperative sphere spoke at 8 conferences, sharing ideas and tools with participants to help them build a better world based on a better global economy. In addition, internationally renowned proponents of a “new economy” explored the relationships of their specialties to a cohesive body of “cooperative economics” which could be utilized internationally.
One of the speakers, Dr. Neva Goodwin, Co-Director of the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University in the United States, shared her interest in the development of a “contextual economy” which, according to her, is more relevant than the dominant economic paradigm of the 21st Century, which has become outdated due to is inability to provide a sustainable economy.
Ms. Goodwin asked participants to question themselves about the critical issues confronting the world economy. She believes that it is important to move to an economic model that is fair, sustainable and satisfactory from a social and environmental viewpoint. The cooperative movement has to redefine the efficiency and growth of the traditional economic model.
Charles Gould, Director General of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in Switzerland, supports Ms. Goodwin’s ideas, stating that it is important to take action not only during the International Year of Cooperatives, but also throughout the decades to come. “Our organization has developed an action plan through 2020 that provides a new definition of growth to help cooperatives become the world’s most prosperous sector and the driving force behind the social and environmental economy,” adds Mr. Gould.
The Imagine 2012 conference continues today, October 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. See the complete program.
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