On November 15 -In the framework of the ICA General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico- the constituent Assembly of CICOPA-Americas was held and its Rules were approved. Thus, the sectoral organization, which has as one of its objectives to "support the development of initiatives that foster the creation of worker cooperatives in the Americas" was finally constituted.
The International Organisation of Industrial, Artisanal and Service Producers’ Co-operatives of ACI-Americas, is the sectoral organisation of CICOPA for the American region of the International Co-operative Alliance and its abbreviation will be CICOPA-Americas. It is an advisory, non-legally binding body of the ICA-Americas Board, which has been constituted to increase enterprise competitiveness of all of its members.
As it was established in its Rules "it is a non-profit sectoral organization and its objectives are the institutional, economic, social, cultural, educational and scientific representation of worker cooperatives."
CICOPA-Americas will work independently of any government or political party; respecting the values and principles of the ICA.
The Rules of this sectoral organisation are based on CICOPA’s Regulation Framework as well as ICA-Americas sectoral organisations Rules and Regulations.
Any worker cooperative of the countries in the American continent can be member as long as it is directly related to the sector. It can be either individual cooperatives or integration bodies.
CICOPA-Americas is expected to formally gather every two years but there could be extraordinary meetings at any time. The activities will be developed in coordination with ICA-Americas and its Regional Office.
It should be pointed out that CICOPA-Americas member organizations will be able to organize themselves at sub-regional level: North America, Central America and the Caribbean, the Andean Countries and MERCOSUR.
The following delegates took part in the CICOPA Constitutive Assembly
Confederación de Actividades Diversas (Mexico): Víctor Manuel González.
Ascoop (Colombia): Carlos Acero Sánchez.
Conpacoop (Paraguay): Emilio Lugo Valenzuela.
Canadian Worker Co-op Federation: Alain Bridau y Hezel Corcoran.
Federacion de Cooperativas de Producción (Uruguay): Jorge Alvariño.
Fecootra (Argentina): José H. Orbaiceta.
Organizacion de Cooperativas (Brasil), worker cooperatives: Geraldo Magela.
UNISOL ( Brasil): Arildo Mota Lopez.
US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Rebecca Kemble
Javier Salaverría, President of CICOPA and Bruno Roelants, Executive Secretary of CICOPA, were also present in the Assembly, as well as Manuel Mariño, Regional Director of ICA-Americas. There were also representatives from Mexico, Italy, Argentina and Costa Rica.
CICOPA-Americas Board was unanimous elected:
President: UNISOL BRASIL: Arildo Mota
Vice-president: USWFC United States: Rebecca Kemble
Secretary: Víctor Manuel González
Treasurer: Ascoop de Colombia: Carlos Acero Sánchez
Conpacoop (Paraguay): Emilio Lugo
Canadian Worker Co-op Federation: Hezel Corcoran
FCPU Uruguay: Jorge Alvariño
Also, some ideas were put forward regarding the Work Plan for 2012. Some of the ideas presented were:
to work on international and national events to be held;
a communications strategy;
to increase in membership of CICOPA-Americas;
to support the present situation of worker co-ops in the US and Colombia; and support the Indignants movement;
to influence governments to strengthen development policies for worker cooperatives;
