2020 International Day of Cooperatives

Extract and copy right - https://www.ica.coop/en/2020-international-day-cooperatives

This year, the theme of the International Day of Cooperatives 2020 is COOPERATIVES FOR CLIMATE ACTION. We are inviting the global cooperative community to continue pushing for actions that will address climate change. This critical situation is putting lives and livelihoods at risk, disrupting vital ecosystems for people and the planet.

On 4 July 2020, join us as we raise awareness on the importance of addressing climate change. No country is immune from it, greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than it was in 1990, and global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act.

The 2020 International Cooperatives Day theme was chosen to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate Action. This event will focus on the contribution of cooperatives to combating climate change, one of the most severe challenges facing our planet during the 21^st century. Climate change severely impacts people’s livelihoods around the world, especially the most disadvantaged groups such as small-scale farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, who have to cope with extreme natural disasters and degradation of natural resources.

2020 Interactive Map: A Journey to Action

This year we are developing an interactive map that will demonstrate the cooperative movement’s journey to battle climate change. Working together once again with DotCoop, we hope to have a true representation of worldwide cooperative contribution to combating climate change, and in turn helping reduce the impact it has had on people’s livelihoods around the world. For cooperatives who wish to participate and also take action, this map can also serve as an inspirational starting point toward improving our environment and reduce the effects of global warming.

To do that, we need your help. Tell us what you have done to take action against climate change, what you are currently involved in, or what you would like to do. Did your cooperative launch a recent campaign to plant trees in your community? How about developing a community solar project? Did you help a community school create a recycling project?

Don’t forget to also include any events that are happening in the virtual digital space like fundraisers, talks, and awareness events. Let us know. We would love to include them all in this year’s 2020 Interactive Map.

To be included this year, please send an email to tom@identity.coop and provide the following information:

2020 Cooperatives Communications Guide 

To help cooperatives worldwide take this opportunity to show leadership in taking action to battle climate change and share their cooperative values in combating this global issue, Cooperative’s Communications Guide will soon be available in English, Spanish and French. Meanwhile, we encourage you to promote #CoopsDay and #Coops4ClimateAction widely on all your social media channels.

About the International Day of Cooperatives

The United Nations International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July. The aim of this celebration is to increase awareness on cooperatives, highlight the complementary goals and objectives of the United Nations and the international cooperative movement, underscore the contributions of the movement to the resolution of the major problems addressed by the United Nations, and strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors.

In 1992, following a concerted lobbying effort by the cooperative members of the ICA and Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) members, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first Saturday of July 1995 to be International Day of Cooperatives, marking the centenary of the establishment of the Alliance, by resolution 47/90 of 16 December 1992.

Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations have been setting the theme for the celebration of the International Day through COPAC, a multi-stakeholder partnership of global public and private institutions, the ICA being a founding member, that champions and supports people-centred and self-sustaining cooperative enterprises as leaders in sustainable development

 

 

Extract and copy right - https://www.ica.coop/en/2020-international-day-cooperatives

Get To Know The Billionaire Cooperatives In The Philippines

Get To Know The Billionaire Cooperatives In The Philippines

By William Bordeos

Posted on October 18, 2016

Extract and copy right - https://pilipinaspopcorn.com/get-to-know-the-billionaire-cooperatives-in-the-philippines/

operatives in the Philippines

A century and a year after the first law supporting cooperatives – the Act of 2508 – was signed in February 5, 1915, cooperatives in the Philippines have produced about 35 billionaire cooperatives, five of which are cooperative banks. These cooperative banks are what we call secondary cooperatives since its members are not natural persons but cooperatives as well. Primary cooperatives have natural persons as members.

This October, we are celebrating the Cooperative month by virtue of Presidential Proclamation NO. 493, Series of 2004. This year’s theme is “Cooperatives: the Catalyst of Change through Poverty Eradication and Social Transformation.”

The Top Billionaire Cooperatives In The Philippines

Interestingly enough, the top two slots in the list of billionaire cooperatives in the Philippines are those catering to the military. The Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) has about 8.3 billion total assets. ACDI Multipurpose (ACDI MPC)Cooperative, on the other hand, has about 12.29 total asset base, according to the Cooperative Development Authority’s website.

Members are those in active service, retirees, those in the reserved force and the regular civilian employees. Besides loan services, PAFCPIC has their own grocery, canteen, water refilling station and even commercial space rental. ACDI MPC has its own aviation school in Poro Point, San Fernando La Union. They also have an agri business, leasing of resort condominiums and even a lab coop, which caters to youngsters aged 7-17 years old. As of August 2015, ACDU AMP has more than 80 branches and extension offices and about 17 mobile operations.

Billionaire Cooperatives Across The Philippines

Based on the  list provided by CDA-CAR, there are 12 billionaire cooperative from NCR and 4 from Batangas, Palawan and Laguna.  Region 7’s Cebu and Negros Oriental has four as well while Davao has 3: Tagum Cooperative [1.21 billion], Sta. Ana MPC [1.15 billion] and King Cooperative [1.03 billion]. Leyte and MIsamis Oriental has two each. Cagayan de Oro’s First Community Cooperative (FICCO) was able to make it to the third slot with about 4.79 billion total assets.

Baguio City’s BBCCC, or Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative made it to top 20, with 1.48 billion total assets while Cagayan de Oro’s Oro Integrated Cooperative [OIC] has the lowest total assets of 1.02 billion.

Here are the top ten billionaire cooperatives in the Philippines as of March 2016:

1  Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC)

2  ACDI Savings and Credit Cooperative

3  First Community Cooperative

4  Cooperative Rural Bank of Bulacan

5  Cebu CFI Community Cooperative

6  PLDT Employee’s Credit Cooperative Inc.

7  Novaliches Development Cooperative (NOVADECI)

8  Pangasinan III Electric Cooperative (PANELCO III)

9  DSE (BSP) Credit Cooperative

10 Metro South Cooperative Bank

For a complete list of all the registered cooperatives in the Philippines, click here. Find one and be part of the cooperative movement now.

Extract and copy right - https://pilipinaspopcorn.com/get-to-know-the-billionaire-cooperatives-in-the-philippines/

New ranking of the world’s 300 largest co-operatives confirms the strength and good health of the movement 

Extract and copy right - http://canada.coop/en/news/new-ranking-world-300-largest-co-operatives-confirms-strength-and-good-health-movement

Kuala Lumpur, 16 November 2017 – The International Co-operative Alliance and Euricse, the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises, published today its sixth annual World Co-operative Monitor in the framework of the Global cooperative Conference in Malaysia. The publication reports on the world’s largest co-operative and mutual organisations, providing a ranking of the Top 300 and sectorial analysis based on 2015 financial data. The 2017 World Co-operative Monitor collected data for 2,379 organisations from 8 sectors of activity, 1,436 of which had a turnover of more than USD100m. The Top 300 co-operatives and mutuals report a total turnover of 2.16 billion USD.

The world’s top 300 co-operatives operate in different sectors: insurance (41%), agriculture (30%), wholesale and retail trade (19%), banking and financial services (6%), industry and utilities (1%), health, education and social care (1%) and other services (1%).

Monique F. Leroux, President, International Co-operative Alliance: 

“When we speak to socio-economic leaders around the world, we have to be able to present facts and figures. We generate a considerable amount of economic activity, always with an eye to community development. It is important to valorize our gains and growth”. 

This year, the French banking group Crédit Agricole remains at the top of the top 300, followed by Kaiser Permanente and State Farm, two insurance businesses based in the USA.

Gianluca Salvatori, CEO of Euricse, said:

“In addition to the rankings based on US Dollar, we have added this year rankings using the International Dollar as calculated by the World Bank. It gives us an idea of the purchasing power parity of the co-operative, helping to understand the relative size and removing possible distortions caused by currency conversion rates.”

New this year is the trend analysis on the top co-operatives and mutuals by sector of activity. The analysis shows the performance of the largest co-operatives and mutuals from 2011 to 2015 showing the strength and stability of the co-operative movement throughout the crisis when many shareholder business were suffering losses.

Another addition to this year’s report is the analysis of the capital structure of not only the Top 300 but also a sample of smaller co-operatives and mutuals, allowing for comparison of different types of co-operative business. The results of this research show that large co-operatives and mutuals do not have specific problems raising capital related to the co-operative business model, though smaller co-operatives do have some challenges mostly related to obtaining internal capital and long-term debt.

“The financial statement data of the Top 300 reveals a situation that does not support the traditional theory of co-operative capital”, concludes the report. “Rather, the analysis shows a sector with good capitalization, in financial equilibrium and with sufficient profitability to support growth.” In their recommendations, the authors of the report add: “Given these results, for the large co-operatives a possible and important policy would be to stimulate, using the new internally generated capital resources as well, investments in research and development, i.e. in innovation.”

Read the World Co-operative Monitor here 

Extract and copy right - http://canada.coop/en/news/new-ranking-world-300-largest-co-operatives-confirms-strength-and-good-health-movement

Sri Lanka co-operative bankers visit Germany

By Dilmini Dissanayake IN Germany 

http://www.ft.lk/2014/12/08/sri-lanka-co-operative-bankers-visit-germany/

The Sri Lankan Consulate in Frankfurt recently facilitated a visit of Sri Lanka cooperative bankers to the Academy of German Co-operatives (ADG) in Montabour, Germany. The ADG is a training institution set up to train coop banks in Germany and also provides information and services to co-operative banking networks worldwide. A five member team headed by Damitha Narangoda, CEO of the Co-operative Insurance Company Limited, participated in this three day workshop held in Montabour.

This visit was a result of the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Frankfurt, Pradip Jayewardene’s initiatives. “The workshop and the visit of this delegation were initiated by me as I have first hand knowledge of the rural banking network in Sri Lanka and have seen the great need for access to financing by rural entrepreneurs and farmers. Germany is the birthplace of co-operate banking with banks like Volks and Raifeisen Banks, and has one of the largest and most developed cooperative banking system in the world. These provide a strong financial base for German industry and Agriculture,” said Jayewardene, who had conducted the initial discussions with the ADG officials in Germany to develop a program suitable to both parties. “The main purpose of this meeting is to develop an MOU and proposal for transfer of technology and best practices,” he also said.

Background of German co-operative banking
The German co-operative banking system was started in 1850 to assist bulk buying of raw materials by craftsmen and farmers. They however developed while keeping true to corporative principle of serving their members
‘The coorporatives’ purpose is the advancement of the economic situation of their members by means of a commonly practiced business’.
There were several important steps which made them grow:
1) The formation of a central bank for the cooperatives.
2) New rules and best practices applied to all.
3) Merger of many small coop banks to form one larger bank.
4) Offering many other products such as insurance, housing loans etc.
Today, they are one of the strongest banking networks in Germany which has a balance sheet of 750 billion euros, with 1,079 banks to their credit and a 160,000 strong workforce. They also boast of 17.8 million members and a 30 million customer base. Every fourth person in Germany is a corporative member and every third person is a customer of a co-op bank.

Background of Sri Lankan co-operative banking
The co-operative concept was first introduced in Sri Lanka in 1906 by the British, based on the Raifeisen model in Germany. The first co-op bank was established in Jaffna, in 1929 for agricultural and trade purposes. In 1957 all the cooperatives were made into Multipurpose Coop Societies (MPCS) and most of the coop banks became the People’s Bank. The other portion of Cooperative Banks evolved into Co-operative Rural Banks (CRB) with 2200 branches a workforce of 7,000 and a customer base of eight million.
Though the CRBs are the principle micro finance network in the country, they have not progressed or developed like the German cooperative banks.

Problem areas in our CRBs
The German Co-operative Banks being such heavy weights in the German economy there is much to be gained by our participants, hence, three major areas in the CRBs that needs improvement were identified by both sides and the workshop was designed to address these issues:
1) Weak secondary and tertiary organisations, which do not efficiently service primary level institutions/members (auditing, accounting, quality of consultancy, competition between institutions on different levels).
2) Insufficient professionally structured training institution(s) and systems.
3) Implementation of an integrated IT system (hard- and software).
When asked about the format of the workshop, Narangoda said, “A German specialist in management education conducted an introductory session on the ADG modular system employed to train the German Co-op bankers based on 10 modules for management training. This covers marketing, risk management auditing etc. These are conducted in both practical situations and also academic in partnership with a German university.”
“We also discussed ideas on developing a specialised training course for CRB’s to be conducted in Sri Lanka as a train the trainers course,” said Narangoda.
In the area of introducing an efficient IT system to the CRBs, Narangoda was of the opinion that, the German system has a core banking system which deals with regulatory and risk management and the German bank IT systems are not adaptable to Sri Lanka. However, it was proposed that a similar concept could be used by CRB’s with the help of an already developed core banking system(s) that is running in Sri Lanka and then customising it to their requirement.
“This idea is viable and cost effective and can be forwarded to potential partners/service providers in Sri Lanka, who could offer it to us, rather than developing our own,” said Narangoda.
Further, discussions were held on developing an MOU with the ADG as the facilitator. Their idea is, to develop a proposal which could be the basis for the necessary changes within the CRBs. Hence, it was decided to include, IT, Risk Management, Governance and Auditing as the major components. In addition they also discussed how financing can be organised for this project.
Three options were considered:
1) Funding by Donor agencies (ADB/GIZ/WB)
2) Funding by sister networks of CRB’s (Unions etc.)
3) Syndicated financing (part by CRB and balance from others)
Narangoda and Jayewardene were both positive that the ADG will work with the Sri Lanka CRB’s to see how they could also be developed and grown.
“The Sri Lanka delegation realises that they need this help and support. They are very appreciative that we have arranged this workshop. The next step will be to finalise the draft MOU, the ADG will work on it. After the signing of the MOU, donors and possible partners have to be found. I have agreed to help in talking to some donor agencies,” said Jayewarde.
The Consul General didn’t forget to mention that, President, Rajapakse also started his political career as chairman of the Beliatta MPCS (Multi purpose Co-orporative Society). “Now you know how close he is to the grassroots of Sri Lanka!” said Jayewardene.