In Kenya, working hand in hand with the ILO to create cooperatives and jobs
November 22nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Cooperatives provide some 100 million jobs around the world. Many of these jobs provide for basic human needs, such as the dairy farms of Kenya. Today, some 13,000 cooperatives in Kenya have some 9 million members. As the United Nations launches its International Year of Cooperatives, Anne Holmes reports on how cooperatives are thriving, and the role of the ILO in their growth.
“This one I made it last year. This is one way of challenging the climate,” he says as he lifts the covering to reveal the silage made of sorghum, Sudani grass and molasses.
“The animals they love it,” he says as he pulls handfuls of the sweet-smelling compost into a bucket. “We have told some farmers…and I hope this time we are going to make a big one, which can last about 3, 4 years.”
A former schoolteacher, Mr. Ndhuli turned to dairy farming as a way to supplement his income when he retired. He joined the Masii Farmers Co-operative Society, a small outfit with only 548 members, and before long, became chairman of the board.
Although the semi-arid region has been affected by drought this year, the co-operatives in the region sensitized farmers to innovative techniques such as silage, hay bulking and rainwater harvesting. Previous droughts, such as the one in 2007 saw a massive decimation of the cattle population. This year, the animals have survived, but milk production will only crest when the rains come in December.
Just 25 kilometres down the road is Wamunyu Farmers Co-Operative Society. Registered in 1976 as a cotton farmers association, the industry collapsed as a result of competition from abroad, and the members turned to dairy farming as an alternative.
At the time, “there were only six dairy farmers and they were producing very little milk, so little, that all the milk would be consumed in the local markets,” manager Joshua Wambua says. The demand exceeded supply, in turn inspiring more farmers to take up the practice, and today the co-operative boasts 2,023 members.
As the industry grew, the farmers encountered cooling and transport problems, and observed counter-productive business practices in the market. In the true spirit of the co-operative movement, Wamunyu Farmers approached their major competitor, Masii Farmers, with the idea of joining hands to work toward common objectives. Realizing that they were undercutting each other, they set uniform prices. In their discussions, they discovered a common problem: lack of proper cooling facilities, and together they submitted a project proposal to the ILO.
Read more at: http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/press-and-media-centre/insight/WCMS_166401/lang–en/index.htm
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Co-operative League IYC Theme Song Contest
November 22nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
As part of the celebrations to mark the historic UN designated International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2012, 28 talented artists performed in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Co-operative League IYC Theme Song Contest which took place on Saturday, 29th October, 2011 at the Russell’s Cinema in Kingstown. Songs were developed around the promotional tagline “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”, and the audience of cooperators and supporters on hand for the event swayed, bounced and cheered in rapt delight as they witnessed renditions in musical genres that included jazz, soul, rap, calypso, shango and gospel. At the end of deliberations by the panel of expert judges the front-runners who emerged were:
1st place: Shaunelle Mc Kenzie whose song was titled “Building Cooperation” and rendered in an enthralling and energetic fusion of Caribbean vibes;
2nd place: Stacey Little who took the stage in impromptu costume and mesmerized the audience with her rendition of “Cooperatives Build a Better World” in a melodious blend of modern folk-calypso;
3rd place: Alphaeus Duncan „the Observer‟ who sang “Join a Cooperative” and teased patrons with his soulful, traditional kaiso, ex-tempo style rendition;
4th place: Kenneth „Vibrating Scakes‟ Alleyne who proved that age was absolutely no obstacle, rendering his lyrically rich traditional calypso number “Stand Tall” with classic mastery; and
5th place: Adrian Wright who embedded the minds of Generation-Y with a history of the achievements of cooperatives through a scintillating rap number titled “The Cooperative Legacy”.
Final adjudication to decide on the song that will bear the honor of “IYC 2012 Theme Song” will be done by a selection panel comprising a cross-section of representatives of the SVG Cooperative Sector.
The IYC 2012 Song Contest was hosted by the SVG Cooperative League on behalf of the National IYC Planning Committee. The standard of the entries was so high that the organizers announced their intention to create avenues throughout the Cooperative Year to feature all of the songs, making everybody a winner of this maiden competition.
For more information, please visit: http://social.un.org/coopsyear/documents/news/svgleague.pdf
For more information on SVG IYC activities, please visit: http://social.un.org/coopsyear/documents/news/svgleague-activities.pdf
RABOBANK STEPS FORWARD AS FIRST MAJOR IYC DONOR
November 22nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
31 October 2011, United Nations, New York – Rabobank Group has come forward as the first donor to the International Year of Cooperatives and the work of the United Nations on Cooperatives in Social Development. In an effort to ensure the success of the upcoming International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), Rabobank has earmarked US$200,000 to help finance the communication campaign and other activities focused on promoting and supporting the role of cooperatives in social development.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Rabobank is one of the 30 largest financial institutions in the world. It is a cooperative, governed by its members, and providing a wide range of financial services. “We are a cooperative enterprise,” said Piet Moerland, chairman of the Executive Board of Rabobank Nederland, “and not only have we seen how this model of enterprise has worked to provide sustained growth in the Netherlands, but we also use our development expertise, through Rabo Development
and Rabobank Foundation, to successfully support households and businesses in other parts of the world.”
Within the United Nations, the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is coordinating the activities of the year in collaboration with its partners in the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement for Cooperatives. “I think I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that I am heartened by this contribution,” said Daniela Bas, Director of the Division. “The International Year of Cooperatives is no small matter for us. Cooperative enterprises provide a ready answer to many of the social development issues we seek to address on a daily basis, including social inclusion and the reduction of social and economic vulnerabilities.”
For more information on contributing to the year, please visit the IYC website at
social.un.org/coopsyear, or contact the IYC Secretariat at coopsyear@un.org.
Leveraging Cooperatives, says Deputy Secretary-General launching International Year, produces not only better business, but advances Sustainable Development
November 5th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks at the launch of the International Year of Cooperatives, 31 October, in New York:
Today, we launch the International Year of Cooperatives. We do this as the world witnesses growing discontent over the ongoing effects of the financial and economic crises.
Increasingly, we see demands for a change in the ways we live and work. Increasingly, we see the need for choices and values that are sustainable, responsible, and inclusive.
In confronting these challenges, we can draw strength from the cooperative spirit. The cooperative movement balances both economic viability and social responsibility. They make enormous contributions not only to their members, but to their communities and societies. They help to reduce poverty and create jobs. They promote food security and inclusive finance. They empower youth, women, older persons, people with disabilities and indigenous peoples. Hence, they serve as a significant social safety net.
The International Year of Cooperatives is an opportunity to raise public awareness about cooperatives, to promote their formation, and to encourage Governments to establish policies conducive to their growth. Just as important, it is a chance to underscore the importance of cooperative values.
One of these is sustainability. Cooperatives focus on the long-term. Through their use of local labour and capital, as well as their respect for the environment, cooperatives strengthen local economies while creating a sustainable future.
A second cooperative value is solidarity. Cooperatives typically enjoy a strong community connection, and hold themselves accountable to more than solely their members or clients. For cooperatives, the well-being of the broader community is as crucial as the well-being of its members.
Third, inclusiveness. As self-help organizations, cooperatives are inherently people-centred. They not only meet material needs, but also the human need to participate proactively in improving one’s life. Moreover, with democratic decision-making processes and a focus on cultivating member skills and capacities, cooperatives offer a model for harnessing the energies and passions of all.
The International Year of Cooperatives coincides with the observance of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All and with the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, next June. Let us make the most of this confluence of events.
Cooperatives present us with values and structures that are ideally suited for addressing the challenges we face. We must leverage these advantages to produce not only better businesses, but to advance the broader imperative of sustainable development. In that way, we can live up to the Year’s theme: “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”.
United Nations launches 2012 International Year of Cooperatives
November 5th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Launch of the International Year of Cooperatives
Cooperatives — member-driven business enterprises that put people front and centre — offered a viable and vibrant alternative economic model, General Assembly delegates said this afternoon, as the United Nations launched the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives.
Opening the special plenary session, Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al‑Nasser, said that enterprises organized around cooperative principles — self‑help, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity — reduced poverty, created jobs and promoted social integration, and did so with a firm belief in the ethical values of openness, honesty, social responsibility and caring for others. Cooperatives offered a member‑owned model of economic organization that reconciled the logic of a market economy with imperatives of social inclusion and ownership, particularly relevant in the aftermath of the global economic and financial crisis.
In the same vein, Deputy Secretary‑General Asha‑Rose Migiro said that there were increasing demands for change in the ways we live and work — for choices and values that were sustainable, responsible and inclusive. In confronting those challenges, strength could be drawn from the cooperative spirit, which balanced economic viability with social responsibility. The International Year of Cooperatives provided an opportunity to raise public awareness of cooperatives, to promote their formation and encourage governments to establish policies conducive to their growth. It was also an opportunity to underscore the importance of cooperative values, including sustainability, solidarity and inclusiveness.
Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that it was important to remember that mutual dependence was an increasing feature of modern life, but added: “We must do more than simply talk about our interdependence”. It was not “anti‑wealth” to say that “wealth must do more than serve the wealthy”; it was not anti‑competition to say that, without cooperation, competition might not lift us up, but pull us down. The nearly 1 billion people driving the worldwide cooperative movement had proved that the human principle of cooperation could make for a better economy.
Similarly, Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Cooperative Alliance, said that those enterprises contributed directly to improving the standards of living of half the world’s population. Indeed, cooperatives had “lifted millions out of poverty with dignity”, and had proven that such enterprises could compete effectively — and even thrive — in the marketplace with other forms of business. Nearly 1 billion people owned shares in cooperatives worldwide. The top 300 cooperatives around the world were worth an estimated $1.6 trillion, she said, and they operated in some of the most competitive industries in the world. However, there was a need to raise awareness of the significance of cooperatives.
“More people in decision‑making positions […] should know about the size, scale and scope” of the cooperative business model, and should acknowledge it in public policy and regulation. Cooperatives were “values‑led” businesses, and should be given equal promotion alongside the stockholder model. Further, cooperatives were “people‑led”, and led in particular by young people, similar to those presently seeking a voice in North Africa, on Wall Street and across the world. She hoped that, after the International Year ended on 31 October 2012, a pivot would be seen from a successful year to a successful decade of international cooperative growth.
The Assembly kicked of its events to mark the launch of the International Year in the morning with an opening session and an informal round table discussion on “Cooperative enterprises build a better world: Contributions to sustainable development.”
In his remarks, Sha Zukang, Under‑Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary‑General of Rio+20, the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, stressed the United Nations aimed to strengthen integration and balance among the social, economic and environmental pillar of development. “Cooperatives are one such way to achieve this goal,” he said.
For his part, Jean‑Francis R. Zinsou, of Benin, Vice‑President of the General Assembly, said that the aim of promoting cooperatives was not to replace corporations. Their goal was profit, but they did not always share the prosperity. In that context, it was important to note that the International Year was being launched amid social protest over the excessive concentration of resources for the benefit of the minority. He also made closing remarks at the afternoon plenary.
Launch of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives
September 16th, 2011 § 3 Comments
31 October 2011 marks the official launch of the International Year of Cooperatives.
The year will be ushered in by two days of activities in and around the United Nations headquarters in New York, beginning with two roundtable discussions on 31 October, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. These consecutive roundtables will enable interactive discussion among Member States, cooperatives and non-governmental organizations on the themes “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World: Cooperatives Contributions to Sustainable Development”, and “How to Strengthen Cooperatives.”
The official opening ceremony for the year will take place at 3:00 PM on 31 October in a plenary session of the General Assembly.
Cooperative enterprises and organizations and NGOs in ECOSOC status are invited to participate in the events of the Launch. In order to participate, a process of pre-screening must be completed. For more information on how cooperatives and NGOs can participate in the Launch of the International Year of Cooperatives at United Nations Headquarters in New York, please visit http://social.un.org/coopsyear/ngosparticipation.shtml .
More information on the Launch of the International Year of Cooperatives is available http://social.un.org/coopsyear/launch.shtml.
The Logo of the International Year of Cooperatives is Here!
May 24th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
As part of the preparations for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) in 2012, the IYC Secretariat has just released the official logo of the year.
Designed by the DPI Graphic Design Unit, in collaboration with the Division for Social Policy and Development, the logo is based on the slogan of the year, “Cooperative enterprises build a better world,” and features seven gender-neutral figures, who are working together to lift a large cube. The figures represent the participation of people, which is at the core of the cooperative model, and there are seven of them to represent the seven principles of the cooperative movement, viz. voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training, and information, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. The logo underscores that these seven principles work together to allow cooperative members to achieve the goals and aspirations that they would not have been able to attain through their individual efforts.
The logo is available for use in the six official languages of the United Nations, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. All United Nations offices and programmes are encouraged to use logo in there promotional and commemorative activities for the IYC. For more information on logo use, please visit the IYC website at social.un.org/coopsyear, or contact the IYC Secretariat at coopsyear@un.org.
About the International Year of Cooperatives:
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 64/136, declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives, in recognition of the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, especially with regard to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The objectives of the year are to: expand public awareness of the role of cooperatives, particularly in relation to the fulfillment of internationally agreed development goals, such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); encourage the growth of cooperatives worldwide; and establish a policy and legal environment conducive to the strength and stability of the cooperative movement.
For more information please contact:
Welcome!
May 22nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Welcome to the Official United Nations Blog of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). Here you will find exchange of information on the year, as well as suggestions on how to get involved and participate. This Blog is Private. It is by invitation only.
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/136 encourages all member States, the United Nations and all relevant stakeholders to take advantage of the IYC to promote cooperatives and raise awareness of their contribution to social and economic development and promote the formation and growth of cooperatives. The resolution A/RES/64/136 – Proclamation of 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives is available in all UN six official languages: English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/65/184 Invites all Member States to consider taking action towards establishing national mechanisms, such as national committees, to prepare for, observe and
follow up on the International Year of Cooperatives, in particular for the purpose of planning, stimulating and harmonizing the activities of the governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations concerned with the preparations for and observance of the Year.
English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语
Goals of the International Year of Cooperatives
- Increase public awareness about cooperatives and their contributions to socio-economic development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
- Promote the formation and growth of cooperatives
- Encourage Governments to establish policies, laws and regulations conducive to the formation, growth and stability of cooperatives
