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The decision by the UN General Assembly to celebrate 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives is already being seized on in Canada, where plans are being drawn up to maximise the potential of the year.
Kathy Bardswick, CEO of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) member of The Co-operators and the previous ICMIF Chair, has pointed out the importance of the UN’s decision. "The International Year of Cooperatives is an opportunity for people everywhere to learn more about this diverse group of organisations that contribute so much to economies and communities in virtually every corner of the world," she says.
The Canadian Co-operative Association, which represents more than 2000 organisations, is developing a programme of International Year activities aimed at highlighting the social and economic contributions of cooperatives. Although coops and credit unions have more than seventeen million members in Canada, the CCA says that most people are unaware of the significant role they play.
"At a time when so many people around the world have a heightened interest in doing business with organisations whose values reflect their own, raising awareness of cooperatives and what they stand for is very important," Kathy Bardswick adds.
