International Day of Cooperatives 2011 – Youth
July 5th, 2011 by Olivia Legan
In 1992, General Assembly determined that the first Saturday of July 1995 would be the Internation Day of Cooperatives (IDC). This year, that Saturday falls on July 2. According to the Department of Economic & Social Affairs, a cooperative, or a co-op, is “autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.” Co-ops have the potential to strengthen the ties of a community & bridge the gap between production & distribution of products. This gap enables distributors to raise the price of products when selling them back to the people who made the raw goods. If co-ops close this gap, then the community saves money. They are vital, especially in today’s conglomerate-dominated culture. Co-ops can also act as sources of income & independence for women who otherwise would have to depend on a husband or father.
The theme of IDC this year is “Youth, the future of cooperative enterprise.” The ICA (International Co-operative Alliance) hopes that young people will be made more aware of the advantages of co-ops. Cooperatives can act as templates for young people to begin their own businesses.
Cooperatives are also often based on ethical and democratic values. For examples of co-cops based on Unitarian Universalist values, take a look at the Lucy Stone Cooperative, a Unitarian Universalist housing co-op, HERE, or the UU of Phoenix Early Education Cooperative, HERE.
For more information about the International Day of Cooperatives, click HERE.
