Connecting Cooperatives
On December 18, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The UN Resolution, “Cooperatives in Social Development,” recognizes the diversity of the cooperative movement around the world and the role of the cooperative business model in achieving economic viability while also contributing social and community benefits.
Our Dream
Preamble to UN Resolution
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"Recognizing that cooperatives, in their various forms, promote the fullest possible participation in the economic and social development of all people, including women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples, are becoming a major factor of economic and social development and contribute to the eradication of poverty,
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"Recognizing also the important contribution and potential of all forms of cooperatives to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women and the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), including their five-year reviews, the World Food Summit, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, the International Conference on Financing for Development, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the 2005 World Summit,
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"Noting with appreciation the potential role of cooperative development in the improvement of the social and economic conditions of the indigenous peoples and rural communities,"
Our Action
Perspective into Action
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Building the cooperative in networking infrasturcture. We believe in sharing information with each other - membership lists, measurements, opportunities - to give greater strength and resilience to all participating. Much of the information shared is also openly shared with the public as part of mutual marketing.
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Creating tools to most effectively use shared information. These include common directories, maps, and databases as well as membership engagement platforms, marketplaces, and tools to embed shared information around the internet. Tools are licensed as open source, available for cooperative partners to use and improve. Being a HUB to act as core to all linked cooperative.
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The shared tools created by the cooperative will make sharing, communicating, and empowering the movement easier, by working together and helping each other. Thus supporting the community in holistic ways both social and economic.
