When: July 5
What: Many people think of small community farms and markets when they hear “co-op,” but co-ops also exist in finance, housing and a variety of other areas that produce more than 2 million jobs in the United States. Learn more and support cooperatives on July 5, the International Day of Cooperatives, celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July.
Background: The International Co-operative Alliance established this day in 1923, and it was added to the United Nations calendar in 1992. The event aims to increase awareness, highlight goals and objectives of the U.N. and the international cooperative movement, and strengthen partnerships between cooperative movement and governments.
Story Pitch: This year’s theme centers on how cooperatives are sustainable, so a range of employment and conservation groups can pitch around it. Groups focused on regional economies can partner with co-ops to increase awareness among populations about the benefits of co-ops and to lobby local governments for support. Governments that already strongly support co-ops will want to highlight how this has benefited communities and provide information about establishing cooperative businesses models. Financial and economic consultants can focus on how banking associations, credit unions and other financial co-ops both help people become financially independent and stable, and also serve as a way to invest in developing nations.
Story Hook: In Colombia, cooperatives account for more than 3 percent of jobs, and in New Zealand and Uruguay, cooperatives generate 3 percent of each nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). What are other ways that co-ops significantly impact economies? Keep the following in mind when making your pitch:
- What are cooperative business models that most people may not be familiar with?
- How are cooperatives established?
- What roles do cooperatives play in developing nations?
- How do cooperatives contribute to sustainability?
Tips: Provide contact information for people who run cooperatives, as well as governments and organizations that work closely with them.
Resources:
Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives
copac(at)copac.coop
www.copac.coop
International Co-operative Alliance
ica(at)ica.coop
http://ica.coop
National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International
(202) 638-6222
www.ncba.coop
U.N. International Day of Cooperatives
(212) 697-3315
www.un.org/en/events/cooperativesday
