• This
year´s celebration marks the 100th edition of the International Day of
Cooperatives since its first recorded celebration and the 28th since its
recognition by the United Nations, as well as a decade since the International
Year of Cooperatives in 2012.
• Under the
slogan "Cooperatives build a better world", recovered from the slogan
of 2012, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) aims to give visibility
to 3 million Cooperatives and 1,000 million cooperative members around the
world.
• In Spain,
this Social Economy business model represents about 23,907 cooperatives,
present in all economic sectors, which generate more than 1,150,000 direct and
indirect jobs and has more than 10 million linked members.
• The
president of CEPES, Juan Antonio Pedreño, points out that "the cooperative
business model, implemented worldwide, contributes not only to reducing
inequalities, but also to generating quality and stable employment, being at
the moment a tractor model of social innovation and economic progress, which
responds to the challenges of today´s society"
Madrid,
July 1, 2021.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the
Social Economy (CEPES) joins, once again, the International Day of
Cooperatives, which is celebrated this Saturday, July 2, in order to make
visible the 3 million cooperatives around the world.
Under the
slogan "Cooperatives build a better world", the International
Cooperative Alliance (ICA) wanted to commemorate the decade of the
International Year of Cooperatives of 2012, the year in which this day had the
same motto. This year, in addition, it is the 100th edition of the
International Day of Cooperatives since its first recorded celebration and the
28th since its recognition by the United Nations.
The
objective of this World Day is to give visibility to the 3 million cooperatives
and the 1,000 million members in the world (12% of the world´s population). In
Spain, Spanish cooperativism represents about 23,907 cooperatives, present in
all economic sectors and generating more than 1,150,000 direct and indirect
jobs and has more than 10 million linked members.
The
different member partners of CEPES that represent the cooperative model of our
country have launched various visibility actions around this day, supporting
the motto of this year´s ICA. Thus, AndalucíaESCoop, COCETA, CONCOVAL, CONCOVI,
COOPERATIVAS AGRO-ALIMENTARIAS DE ESPAÑA, COOPCAT, COVIRAN, GRUPO CLADE, GRUPO
COOPERATIVO CAJAMAR, FECOMA, FUNDACION ESPRIU, HISPACOOP, MONDRAGON, REAS,
UECOE, UNACOMAR, join the celebration, many of them holding their assemblies
within the framework of this day.
All of them
agree in highlighting the commitment of Spanish cooperativism with the
principles and values of social economy, which allows building a more
"fair, sustainable and people-centered" economy.
The
president of CEPES, Juan Antonio Pedreño, points out that "the cooperative
business model, implemented worldwide, contributes not only to reducing
inequalities, but also to generating quality and stable employment, being at
the moment a tractor model of social innovation and economic progress that
responds to the challenges of today´s society".
Cooperatives
are present in various areas such as agriculture, livestock and food, health,
education, industry, housing, commerce, consumption, social services, tourism,
financial intermediation, energy or transport, with companies of all sizes,
from large business groups, to SMEs and microenterprises, many of them leaders
in their sector of activity.
SPAIN,
CENTRE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVISM
The
commemoration of this day comes a few days after Spain, specifically the city
of Seville, became the center of international cooperativism. And, from June 19
to 22, 600 people from a hundred countries participated in a macro-meeting
organized by COCETA (Spanish Confederation of Associated Work Cooperatives) and
FAECTA (Andalusian Federation of Associated Work Cooperatives).
The event
was supported by the General Directorate of Autonomous Work, the Social Economy
and the RRSS of the Companies of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, and
during the days of the meeting different activities, meetings, forums,
workshops and work tables were held, in which all attendees shared their point
of view under the slogan ´Cooperatives:
the time is now.´
Some data
were extracted from this meeting such as that, according to the ICA, if it were
a single country, the global cooperative economy would be the fifth economic
force in the world, just behind Germany.
INTERNATIONAL
DAY
Cooperatives
around the world have been celebrating Cooperative Day since 1923, but it
wasn´t until 1995, the year of the ICA´s centenary, that the United Nations
General Assembly officially proclaimed it as the International Day of
Cooperatives and established its annual celebration on the first Saturday in
July.
Since 1995,
the ICA and the United Nations have established the theme for the celebration
of the #CoopsDay through the Committee
for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC).
This year´s celebration marks the 100th edition of the International Day of
Cooperatives since its first recorded celebration and the 28th since its
recognition by the United Nations, as well as a decade since the International
Year of Cooperatives in 2012.
More
information here.
