The theme for the International Day of Cooperatives 2011 has been selected
Dame Pauline Green, keynote speaker at the CCA’s Institute of Cooperative Leadership
Klaus Niederländer appointed new Director of Cooperatives Europe
Positioning co-operatives as the important solution they represent
More about Institutional life
All the versions of this article: [English] [Español]
89th ICA International Co-operative Day (July 2)
This year's theme “Youth, the future of cooperative enterprise” is linked to the celebration of the United Nations International Year of Youth.
It encourages dialogue and understanding across generations and promotes the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and freedoms, and solidarity.
As ICA’s Director General, Charles Gould, said in his last message, youth –the next generation- is “critical to the future of co-operation”.
The International Day of Cooperatives addresses the need for all cooperative stakeholders to promote the participation of young people in the cooperative movement. Too often young people are not aware of the cooperative model of enterprise - they do not learn about cooperatives in school as cooperatives often do not figure in school curricula. Young people also may not realize that the products and services they use are provided by cooperatives.
Yet, cooperatives provide young people opportunities that address their practical and strategic needs.
They offer them a model of enterprise to create their own businesses.
They offer the opportunities to be employed with enteprises that address young people’s concerns for more democratic, responsible and ethical business operations.
Cooperatives provide opportunities to young people to gain professional employment experience, to further their education and provide capacity building, encourage participation in decision-making in cooperatives or form their own co-operatives.
Background information
UN International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated on the same day as the International Cooperative Day which has been celebrated by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) since 1923.
The aim of the International Day of Cooperatives declared by the United Nations in 1995 is to increase awareness on cooperatives, highlight the complementarily of the goals and objectives of the United Nations and the international co-operative movement and, underscore the contribution of the movement to the resolution of the major problems addressed by the United Nations. The International Day also aims to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors, including governments, at local, national and international levels.
Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations through the Committee fot the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) jointly set the theme for the celebration of the International Day. It underscores the contribution of the movement to resolving global issues addressed both the Co-operative Movement and the United Nations
