Cooperatives, More Resilient to the Crisis

Work

Tog et h er November 2012 - Issue Nº 6

The global information magazine on cooperatives and worker-owned enterprises in industry, services and crafts

Cooperatives, more resilient to the crisis

CECOP - CICOPA Europe produces a documentary and a study showing why cooperatives are more resilient to the crisis

IN THIS ISSUE Andor: “the promotion of cooperatives could be one of the fundamental elements to find a way out of the crisis” (page 5) EDITORIAL 2

INTERCONTINENTAL 3 Extending opportunities New law for worker EUROPE 5 through cooperatives in cooperatives in SOUTH AMERICA 9 Uganda (page 12) Brazil (page 9) NORTH AMERICA 10

ASIA 11

AFRICA 12 Marseille welcomes an International conference of worker cooperatives on 16th November (page 3) 2 | EDITORIAL WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 Editorial Work Together The International Year of Issue Nº 6 - November 2012

Cooperatives and the road to “Work Together” is the magazine of the world (CICOPA) and European

Marseille (CECOP) Confederation of coopera-

By Bruno Roelants tives and worker-owned enterprises active in industry and services The UN-proclaimed International general situation of the economy, Year of Cooperatives (IYC) is a and require economic policies that CICOPA is a sectoral organisation of golden opportunity for all coopera- support long-term growth. In addi- the International Cooperative tives, and those in industry and ser- tion, since our cooperatives have Alliance (ICA). vices in particular, to be better rec- specific founding missions, such as Avenue Milcamps 105 - BE-1030 ognized for what they are: enter- creating sustainable jobs and eco- Brussels, Belgium prises controlled by the workers nomic activities for local communi- Contact: [email protected] themselves in order to satisfy their ties, or generating services of gen- www.cicopa.coop / www.cecop.coop own needs. eral interest, they need to be supported by specific policies and regu- At the same time, the IYC is taking lations that correspond to such key SECRETARY GENERAL place amidst an epoch of financial missions. The brand new and hard- Bruno Roelants dips and crises, with a global econ- fought worker cooperative law in omy which is becoming an increas- COORDINATION AND EDITION Brazil (see p 9) is a good example ingly unpredictable horse to ride. Daniel Bernal, Leire Luengo and of the type of regu- Amidst so much un- Olivier Biron lation needed, and GRAPHIC DESIGN certainty and destruc- “resilience has its will hopefully be a tion of wealth, coop- Jorge Cabrera for jcse limits (..) cooperative source of inspira- eratives have been tion for other TRANSLATIONS AND working patiently and enterprises are countries. PROOFREADING OF THE THREE with a long term en- LINGUISTIC VERSIONS terprise vision to gen- dependent upon the It is to discuss Guy Boucquiaux, Helen Robinson, erate and distribute general situation of these issues and Leire Luengo, Olivier Biron and provide concrete wealth. The internal Daniel Bernal the economy” cooperative re- system of democratic sponses to the PICTURES checks and balances challenges of globalization in an Self-production and copyright-free and regular capital accumulation are event that we organized in Marseille photographs from flickr.com a particularly timely source of inspi- on 16th November 2012 the “Global ration for economic entities at large Worker Cooperative Day” (see p 3), The editorial staff would like to thank all in the ongoing global instability and as the last international event under the members of CICOPA and CECOP rising indebtedness at all levels. The the IYC. Over one thousand of peo- CICOPA Europe for their contribution. documentary film “Together” pro- ple participated actively, both repre- duced by CECOP CICOPA-Europe, sentatives from the cooperative Edited in English, French and Spanish as well as our report “The Resil- movement and persons interested in ience of the Cooperative Picture of the cover: the latter, and that it will be a depar- Model” (see p. 6 - 7), provide evi- Workers of the Fonderie de l’Aisne (France) ture point for a substantial increase dence and emblematic case studies in the role of cooperatives in the of such resilience. globalized economy, both as direct However, resilience has its limits: economic actors involved in local like other businesses, cooperative development, and indirectly, as a enterprises are dependent upon the source of inspiration for others. WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 INTERCONTINENTAL | 3 I N T E R C O N T I N E N T A L International conference of worker and social cooperatives in Marseille Leire Luengo, CICOPA n the framework of the Inter- I national Year of Cooperatives and of the Congress of the French Worker Cooperatives (Scop), the main international event for worker cooperatives and social cooperatives took place in Marseille. Hundreds of people had actively participated at the Global Worker Cooperative Day on 16th Novem- ber, organized jointly by CICOPA and CG Scop.

A full day of exchanges and experi- Paul Singer, National Secretary of Solidarity Economy for the Ministry ences of the diversity of the models of Labor and Employment of Brazil at the conference and practices of worker cooperation transfer and transformation, network- of Brazil, Benoît Hamon, the French across the world took place, with de- ing and clustering. Representatives Deputy Minister for Social and Soli- bates and analyses on the urgent chal- such as Paul Singer, National Secre- darity Economy underlined the role of lenges stemming from today’s crises, tary of Solidarity Economy for the cooperatives to find a way out of the with tested solutions in enterprise Ministry of Labor and Employment crisis. ■ The UN highlights the role played by Forum of Leaders of the Social and Solidarity Economy (EMB-FIDESS) cooperativism in Rio+20 approved a resolution that calls for

Luciana Siri / Leire Luengo recognizing the "fundamental role of the organizations and enterprises of he final document of the Dame Pauline Green, President of the T the Social And Solidarity Economy, Rio+20 Summit on Sustain- International Cooperative Alliance whose principles of democratic man- able Development 2012, supported (ICA) stated that the reference to co- agement, personal growth, open by more than 190 governments, operativism in the final document is recognizing the role of cooperatives membership, fair distribution of sur- "to state in writing" a number of co- in contributing to social inclusion pluses, attachment to the collective incidences that have been agreed and poverty reduction (point 70 of ownership and independence towards within the sector. "Members and sup- the conclusions). The summit was governments, place the human being porters of the cooperative movement the largest in the history of the in the center of world concerns, to United Nations, gathering around have long known that cooperatives create a more equitable, more inter- 500 official events and 45,381 atten- help people to overcome poverty, dependent and more democratic soci- dees, including approximately promote gender equality, give back to ety and contribute to sustainable de- 12,000 delegates from 188 coun- the communities in which they are velopment, that is economically vi- tries, more than 4,000 journalists active and address ahead the attention and 10,000 NGO representatives. able, socially fair and environmen- of critical issues of sustainable devel- CICOPA Americas took part in the tally sound". ■ opment", Green declared. summit, represented by its Presi- dent, Arildo Mota Lopes, who is Within the framework of the Rio+20 The conclusions of the Rio+20 are also President of Central de Coop- Summit, the Association des rencon- available on the following link: erativas e Empreendimentos http://s.coop/wqyd. Solidários (UNISOL). tres du Mont-Blanc -International 4 | INTERCONTINENTAL WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012

CICOPA contributes to the Co-operatives Quebec International Summit United : global of Cooperatives 2012 appointment in

CICOPA Manchester

CICOPA ore than 2,600 participants M and personalities of the coop- Co-operatives United is an interna- erative movement from 85 countries tional festival of events and exhibitions took part in the International Sum- taking place in Manchester, UK, to mit of Cooperatives held from 8th mark the close of the United Nations to 11th October in Quebec, and or- International Year of Cooperatives ganized jointly by the Desjardins 2012 that will be held from 31st Octo- cooperative group, St Mary’s Uni- ber to 2nd November. versity and the International Coop- The documentary: “Together. How erative Alliance (ICA). Bruno Roe- cooperatives show resilience to the lants, Secretary General, repre- crisis”, produced by CECOP-CICOPA sented CICOPA together with Europe, will be screened on 1st No- Arildo Mota Lopez, Vice President vember followed by a debate. of CICOPA and President of CI- CICOPA Secretary General Bruno CICOPA and its members from differ- COPA-Americas, and Rebecca Roelants speech at the Quebec ents countries were also present at the Kemble, President of CICOPA- International Summit of Cooperatives exhibition area. Thousands of partici- North America. pants visited and participated in the (ILO) and EURICSE. He shared the The Summit analysed and proposed event. The International Cooperative results of the surveys conducted for solutions to the current problems Alliance (ICA), Co-operatives UK and caused by the crisis and strived to con- four years by CICOPA and CECOP- the Co-operative Group, are jointly solidate the influence of the coopera- CICOPA Europe on the resilience of organizing the events bringing to- tive movement in the socio-economic, cooperatives to the crisis, and pre- gether cooperatives from all around the political and global panoramas. There- sented a critical view to a study pre- world. ■ fore, the activities (round tables, con- sented on the same topic by McKinsey ferences and workshops, including from the point of view of conventional preparatory conferences) were focused businesses. A melody of on the economic, financial, social and Bruno Roelants also appeared in CI- environmental challenges coopera- COPA’s name at the pre-Summit aca- cooperation tives have to face. It included a spe- demic conference Imagine 2012 as cialized forum on worker coopera- around the world commentator to Claudia Sanchez tives, with concrete cases from Can- Bajo’s presentation “Is the Debt Trap Hazel Corcoran, CWCF ada, Brazil, Argentina, Italy and the Avoidable”. This presentation, like the CICOPA launches a musical project United States being presented. In ad- others at the Imagine 2012 confer- that calls anyone to participate with dition, a pre-event conference of ence, contributed to challenging the songs in any language that transmit worker cooperatives was organised on conventional vision of “growth”, from messages about cooperative work or 8th October by the “Réseau de la an economic (debt, instability of the cooperation. The songs selected will be coopération du travail” in Quebec, on system), social (inequality) and envi- available in a disc. The “world music the topic: “What are the main compo- ronmental (energy, climate etc) points project” seeks the promotion of the nents of an optimal governance model of view, suggesting that cooperatives international cooperative principles, for worker cooperatives?”. could strongly contribute to solving through the common language of mu- CICOPA Secretary General Bruno these critical global problems. These sic. This is another initiative of CI- Roelants participated in the plenary warnings were eventually relayed at COPA in the framework of the United round table “Cooperatives and mutu- the Summit itself and echoed by key- Nations International Year of Coopera- als, a distinctive and effective busi- note speakers such as Jacques Attali, tives. A CICOPA selection committee ness model – an alternative to the pre- Riccardo Petrella and Nouriel will choose the songs that will be part vailing business model”, together with Roubini. It was decided that the Que- of the disc. To submit a song, please representatives from McKinsey and bec Summit would turn into a regular send the intention to submit by Decem- PriceWaterhouseCoopers, as well as biannual event, with the next session ber 31st, 2012: Hazel Corcoran, ha- the International Labour Organisation in 2014. ■ [email protected]. ■ WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 EUROPE | 5 E U R O P E Laszlo Andor: “the promotion of cooperatives could be one of the fundamental elements to find a path out of the crisis”

Diana Dovgan, CECOP-CICOPA Europe aszlo Andor, the European L Commissioner for Employ- ment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, published an article dedicated ex- clusively to cooperatives in the Hungarian newspaper Népszava. In his text, the Commissioner calls for a clear support for cooperatives and states that "without their rec- ognition by the State and without support for cooperatives, increas- ing economic growth and job creation would be impossible. The promotion of cooperatives could be one of the fundamental elements to find a path out of the crisis". The Commissioner also mentioned Laszlo Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion the success of the MONDRAGON Cooperative Group and the European Eastern Europe and expresses the tives for People with Disabilities, co- Fair of Social Enterprises and Coop- hope that "misunderstandings and organised in March by CECOP - CI- eratives of Persons with Disabilities prejudices are disappearing, and that COPA Europe and the National Un- in Bulgaria. He says that cooperatives the concept and practice of the co- ion of Worker and Production Coop- have "advantages that can be seen operative movement, based on volun- eratives of Bulgaria. ■ more clearly during long economic tary and democratic decision-making, and financial crises". He emphasizes can be restarted". Read the original article appeared in the newspaper Népszava the established history of the coop- Andor opened the first European Fair (7-07-2012): http://s.coop/ql5c. erative movement in Central and of Social Enterprises and Coopera-

A step forward for the cooperative modernization in Montenegro CECOP-CICOPA Europe he conference ‘The Case for bilitation of the cooperative system already existing. CECOP took also T Gateway Cooperatives in supporting Rural Development in part in the project with the aim to pro- Montenegro and the Balkans’ held Montenegro” was launched in Sep- vide its expertise for an adequate legal in Podgorica this summer took tember 2011 and has been imple- framework for social cooperatives but stock of the achieved results of a mented by Cooperatives Europe and also to suggest initiatives in favor of one-year European project , in par- the Italian organization COSV with cooperative development in tourism ticular by developing a new modern the support of the Ministry of Agricul- and service sectors as well as craft cooperative law. Cooperative rep- ture and Rural Development and the cooperatives. resentatives from 8 Balkan coun- Union of Cooperatives of Montene- An agricultural law should be adopted tries as well as Turkey discussed the gro. The project encompasses the will soon by the Montenegrin authorities. key challenges and opportunities of and needs expressed by different A political will was expressed to pro- cooperatives in the Balkan region. Montenegrin institutions and bodies to ceed rapidly with the adoption of a The EU co-funded project “Intr- support the legislative process for the general law on cooperatives, followed oduction of social economy and reha- harmonisation of the cooperative laws by a law for social cooperatives. ■ 6 | EUROPE WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 Cooperatives: showing its resilience

Leire Luengo, CECOP-CICOPA Europe Full version of the documentary Together available on line and DVD

The full version of the documentary sibility and the management and put The film in depth Together is already available! You the strategies in place in the short can watch it on the website: and the long term; which give the From February to April 2012, CE- www.together-thedocumentary.coop. priority to the safeguarding of their COP and m30m, a Spanish film pro- This is a low definition file, you can jobs and continuous innovation. duction cooperative, filmed four dif- also purchase the DVD. The film Among these strategies we can name ferent cooperative stories: a mineral shows the resilience of cooperatives the temporary reduction of salaries, water factory in Poland founded to the crisis through testimonies of technological investment, adapta- more than 60 years ago staff of four European cooperative tions for the market, use of financial (Muszynianka), a French company in stories located in France, Poland, It- reserves, etc. crisis acquired by its workers and aly and Spain. The documentary is transformed into a worker coopera- available in English and French. Ital- The report bases itself on an analysis tive (Fonderie de l’Aisne), a consor- ian and Spanish versions of the docu- of quantitative data, however princi- tium of social cooperatives in Milan mentary will be available by the be- pally in France and in Spain (the providing labour inclusion to disad- ginning of November. countries where the statistics on vantaged people and social services The film is based on various studies worker cooperatives and social coop- to thousands of citizens, and an in- conducted by CECOP, but especially eratives are the most reliable) and dustrial cooperative group which is on the results of its study “The resil- indicate that in these countries these one of Spain’s main business groups ience of the cooperative model”, pre- enterprises have known a lower num- (MONDRAGON Corporation). sented recently. The research identi- ber of closures and of job losses than Through testimonies of the staff of fies the mechanisms which reinforce the average. This study equally pre- those enterprises who also own and the resilience. There are many rea- sents a few concrete examples illus- control them, the documentary shows sons to explain it. Firstly, the fact trating the strategies put in place by how they face the crisis in order to that worker-members, as co-owners cooperatives to allow them to react preserve jobs, local skills and eco- of their businesses, share the respon- more quickly and efficiently. nomic activities.

TECHNICAL DATA

Year: 2012 Country: Belgium/Spain Running time: 39 min. Audio format: English, French, Italian and Spanish Genre: Documentary - Producer: CECOP-CICOPA Europe Managing producer: Leire Luengo Production company: m30m Director: Ana Sánchez Scriptwriters: Bruno Roelants, Olivier Biron, Leire Luengo, Ana Sánchez Director of Photography: José Luis Fernández WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 EUROPE | 7 to the crisis that is straining Europe

CECOP presents a picture exhibition at the European Parliament

In the framework of the International All the pictures have been taken by resilience to the crisis”. The pictures Year of cooperatives, CECOP pre- the photographer Lydie Nesvadba show a business vision focused on sented the picture exhibition who captured a unique perspective people, the central approach shared “Through their eyes” at the European through the eyes of the workers of by all cooperatives. Parliament. The exhibition had the those cooperatives. The collection You can find more information about support of the member of European shows the activities in the four coop- the photographer here: http:// Parliament Marie-Christine Vergiat, eratives filmed in the documentary www.lydienesvadba.com. (GUE/NGL). “Together. How cooperatives show

Pictures by Lydie Nesvadba: Clockwise from top to left: Marie Claude Rondeau (Fonderie de l'Aisne), Emilia Krynicka (Muszynianka), Iván Gallego (CIDIA Automotive, MONDRAGON Corporation), Danobat (MONDRAGON Corporation), Coop. Soc. Simone de Beauvoir Onlus (Consorzio SIS) and Slim Ben Gouta (Fonderie de l'Aisne). 8 | EUROPE WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012

Hamon highlights A different the resilience of cooperatives to the crisis museum CECOP-CICOPA Europe Elsa Brander and Lykke Pedersen, Benoît Hamon, the French Deputy Min- Kooperationen ister for Social and Solidarity Economy, participated at the European Parlia- ment’s Social Economy Intergroup. In magine a museum where the I his speech he highlighted the coopera- most precious possession is tives resilience to the crisis “even when not a painting by Van Gogh or an they are present in highly competitive art installation by Ai Weiwei but a markets”; because, as he mentioned, 100-year-old packed lunch cooperatives are oriented toward long- wrapped in an old newspaper from term objectives and can rely on their 1886. Such a museum actually ex- own resources. But the crisis is not the ists. It is the Danish co-operative only aspect that can put enterprises at risk, as Hamon reported; between Workers’ Museum in Copenhagen, cooperative movement. The book 50.000 and 200.000 jobs are lost each situated in a building which is rec- will be published in November 2012 year in France due to the closure of ognised as the very first listed and it is intended to bring to light the “healthy” enterprises (family businesses Workers’ Assembly Hall in the very important fact that the coopera- without heirs etc). The minister has world. tive model of enterprise is still alive underlined that the transfer of those and kicking in Denmark. enterprises to its workers under the co- When you enter the museum, located operative form could not only save in the very heart of Copenhagen, you By publishing the book, the co- those jobs but also maintain them in the will soon discover that the Workers’ operative Workers’ Museum hopes long-term. The Minister plans to adapt Museum is far from a typical hushed to raise public awareness of the key the existing French law on worker co- and awe-inspiring museum with only role the Danish cooperatives play in operatives in order to facilitate worker’s buy outs. ■ a few other visitors. The museum has the structure and dynamism of soci-

a vibrant ambiance and is full of visi- ety and the labour market. Further it tors of all ages who come to learn hopes to generate attention to the More gender more about how life was when their cooperative model of enterprise equality in European

grandparents were young or even among politicians and make them worker cooperatives more importantly they come to learn realise that it is essential if you want “There is more gender equality in more about the 150 years of Danish sustainable businesses and successful worker cooperatives in France, Italy or and European workers’ history. economic solutions. Spain than in other kind of enterprises”. This conclusion can be made because of The museum does not tell the tradi- By the way, the packed lunch was the results of the enquiry done by 6 CE- tional story of land and glory or the actually found and handed over to COP – CICOPA Europe members from Spain, France and Italy, involved in the rise and fall of kings of the past. In- the Workers’ Museum in 1986 by a European Project “Active Women in stead it recreates the part of history group of historians who were reno- SMEs”. In those three countries the which other museums do not put on vating a glass cabinet which had be- organizations have summarized the display; the story of how the Danish longed to King Frederik IV in Rosen- opinion of 133 women. They have ar- workers lived and how they were borg Castle in Copenhagen. It had rived at a series of conclusions that per- organised. This is what makes the simply been left behind the cabinet mit one to say that the women in worker cooperatives have better quality work, museum so popular, especially by workers in 1886. The packed which influences their personal and among the young visitors. lunch is now on display at the Danish family life. The portrait of a woman co-operative Workers’ Museum working in this kind of enterprise is THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR where it is a symbol of the history of related to the service sector; she has a OF COOPERATIVES 2012 worker cooperation as it is old and university degree, is around 41 years old, is married and has two children. To mark the International Year of simple but in no way forgotten! ■ Practically all the women interviewed Cooperatives 2012, Henning Grelle, consider that in their cooperative, mem- a historian at the Danish co-operative bers receive equal salary for an equal More information at: workload, and that there are educational Workers’ Museum, is working on a http://www.arbejdermuseet.dk/. opportunities so they can reach to the book about the history of the Danish highest responsibilities positions. ■ WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 SOUTH AMERICA | 9 S O U T H A M E R I C A New law for worker cooperatives in Brazil Daniel Bernal, CICOPA he worker cooperatives in T Brazil have a new law that promises an optimistic panorama for the sector. The new legislation is the result of many years of work carried out by Brazilian worker cooperatives. The legal project was approved on 19th July by the Presi- dent, Dilma Rousseff, after being approved unanimously by the Bra- zilian Chamber of Deputies on 27th June. This law establishes a clear regulation on the operation and administrative procedures for worker cooperatives. It is also intended to overcome previous legal problems, such as the creation Chamber of Deputies of Brazil of pseudo cooperatives, as well as ensuring the rights of the cooperative (OCB) during the United Nations this new legal framework; and the workers. So that, it is good news for International Year of Cooperative drafting of the legal text has been the Brazilian worker cooperatives, 2012. based on the CICOPA World Decla- CICOPA and its members Central de It is the product of nine years of work ration on Worker Cooperatives. Cooperativas e Empreendimientos developed by the Brazilian worker Please click here to access the CI- Solidários (UNISOL) and Organiza- cooperative movement. CICOPA has COPA World Declaration on Worker ção das Cooperativas Brasileiras given its support for the creation of Cooperatives: http://s.coop/tda8. ■

Southern cooperatives in action Luciana Siri, CICOPA Mercosur he International Year of Co- pared an ambitious work plan, being March in Sao Paulo (Brazil); the in- T operatives finds the regional aware of the great opportunity to de- ternational metallurgic cooperatives movement of worker cooperatives clare more strongly its objectives and meeting in April in Buenos Aires working harder than ever, with an actions. Some of the planned activi- (Argentina); and the training pro- important process of decentraliza- ties imply the strengthening of several grammes that the metallurgic and the tion and regionalization such as the inter-cooperative initiatives at local, textile cooperative sectors of the re- creation of CICOPA Americas in national and regional level and in dif- gion carried out during the middle of November 2011 and the creation in ferent sectors such as agricultural the year in the Argentinian capital October of CICOPA Mercosur that business, recycling, textile industry, city. In turn, each organization has groups the cooperative organisa- production of agricultural equipment, planned several national activities tions from Brazil, Argentina, Uru- telecommunication industry, metal- such as the National Congress of guay and Paraguay. working, health and social services, UNISOL, a member of CICOPA in among others. Brazil, to be held on 7th and 9th No- The first anniversary of CICOPA vember, which will bring thousands Mercosur coincides with the Interna- CICOPA Mercosur is developing of cooperatives from the country, in tional Year of Cooperatives (IYC) some training and exchange pro- addition to the 50th Anniversary of and this is the reason why; because grammes, such as the construction the Federation of Production Coop- the member organisations have pre- cooperatives meeting celebrated in eratives of Uruguay in December. ■ 10 | NORTH AMERICA WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 N O R T H A M E R I C A Federal Government of Canada 400 people gathered in Boston for a cuts a program that provided Worker Cooperative support to cooperatives Conference CICOPA-North America Hazel Corcoran, CWCF The United States Federation of he Federal Government of United Nations International Year of T Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) gath- Canada has recently decided Cooperatives, Canadian Worker Co- ered nearly 400 attendees from the to discontinue the funding for of operative Federation reports that the worker cooperative sector and external the Cooperative Development Ini- government is terminating “an inex- groups interested in the cooperative tiative, which is a program that pensive program that benefits hun- movement. Numerous sessions and has provided financial support for dreds of communities across the workshops were held to share partici- new and emerging cooperatives country. More than 9,000 coopera- pants’ experiences and they explored possibilities for cooperatives, worker since 2003. Furthermore, the Ru- tives throughout Canada will be fur- ownership and workplace democracy ral and Cooperatives Secretariat, ther harmed by deep cuts to the Ru- over three days. During those activities, the government office that admin- ral and Cooperatives Secretariat, an several international speakers from istrates programs related to coop- organisation that liaises between the CICOPA members participated, such as eratives, will be significantly re- sector and the government”. in the session “Lessons for Growth duced in size, from 94 to 15 civil For more information, please read from around the World”, where Bruno Roelants (CICOPA Secretary General) servants. the statement issued by the Canadian and Hiroshi Shimamura (Japanese Un- Despite that fact that 2012 in the Cooperative Association here. ■ ion of Worker Cooperatives) took the floor discussing elements of successful cooperative movement-building. José Hazel Corcoran receives the award Orbaiceta (President of the Federation of the Second Degree of the Order of the of Worker Cooperatives of the Argen- tinean Republic, FECOOTRA) also Canadian Cooperativism and Mutualism participated via Skype video confer- CICOPA ence speaking about the principled approach to growing the Argentinian azel Corcoran received the worker cooperative movement. H award of the Second Degree As CICOPA-North America is the of the Order of the Canadian Co- newly launched branch of CICOPA, operativism and Mutualism Merit, which now includes 2 of the 3 worker the highest honor in the franco- cooperative federations in Quebec, the phone cooperative world in Can- CWCF, USFWC and the Mexican Con- ada. She is the first person from federation of Cooperative of Diverse the worker cooperative movement Activities (CNC); leaders from CI- to receive this award. COPA-North America held a discus- sion: “Building a Cooperative Based in Calgary since 1992, Hazel "Ecosystem" in North America”. There is a point of reference in the coopera- was a remarkable presence of Spanish- tive world in Alberta and across Can- speaking cooperators who are based in ada. Actively involved in the coop- the United States. This fact underlined co-op movement, because we help to erative sector for twenty years, she is the possibility to form a committee of build an economy based on hope and the Executive Director of the Cana- the USFWC of Spanish-speaking love. We will never fully find our worker cooperatives and also a plan dian Worker Co-operative Federation strength unless we are united as a from CICOPA North America to (CWCF) which is a member of CI- movement, across space, different strengthen the relations between His- COPA. sectors and generations", said Hazel panic cooperatives in Canada, United "The world today is looking for the Corcoran in her speech. ■ States and Latin America. ■ WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 ASIA | 11 ASIA New law on cooperatives in South Korea will take effect in December Hyungsik Eum, KASEE

new law on cooperatives in A South Korea will be in effective from 1st December. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance is in charge of the new legislation and a special team for cooperatives is being created in the ministry in order to prepare the different legal documents and policies for promot- ing cooperatives. This team will be transformed into the “Department of Cooperatives” once the law be effective.

Although there is no explicit mention Parliament of South Korea of worker cooperatives, the decree - port from CICOPA members played people’s new needs. In order to that will be published in October will an important role in introducing this change this situation, the framework define them indirectly by allowing concept of worker cooperatives. law on cooperatives was initiated by worker members to become board “Social cooperative” which are ‘Solidarity for Framework law on members according to the specific clearly defined in the law, also will be cooperatives’ composed of coopera- composition of the membership struc- able to have board members repre- tive movement organisations and ture. While in the law it is forbidden senting worker members thanks to the various citizens’ associations in 2011. that workers have seats in the board same clause of the decree. of the cooperative, the draft of this KASEE, Korean member of CICOPA decree defines several exceptions. CONTEXT is working with other concerned or- Among the exceptions, if two thirds In South Korea, because of sectorally ganizations to create new federal or- of cooperative members are workers, fragmented legislation on coopera- ganization of worker cooperatives and and if non-member workers are less tives, there were few opportunities for social cooperatives by the new law. It than one third of all workers, coop- newly emerging cooperatives such as also organizes training programmes eratives can have board members worker cooperative, social coopera- and information sessions for affiliated composed of worker members. The tive and mutual aid organisations enterprises in order to help transform- CICOPA World Declaration and sup- which have appeared in response to ing them into cooperatives. ■

Building a Community Hub in the Quake-hit Area in Japan Yoshiko Yamada, JWCU

lthough media rarely covers the ryone” to rebuild the quake-hit area. ing a community hall, a farmer’s mar- A current situation in Japan, there The project will consist of a business ket and a park. In order to cover the are over 340.000 people still living as hub including a job training site, a estimated cost of 1 billion yen (over evacuees. A member of JWCU, the welfare service agency, a reforestation 10 billion euros), the members will Japan Workers’ Cooperative Union, center and a training camp for sports not only use disaster-related subsidies located in Miyagi Prefecture, one of teams; a renewable energy hub that but also raise their own funds, calling the regions heavily touched by the will concentrate itself in the produc- for cooperation and financial contri- quake, is now working hard to de- tion of bio-diesel fuel and wind-power butions from supporters within the velop a project called “Forest for Eve- energy, and a community hub includ- community and across the country. ■ 12 | AFRICA WORK TOGETHER - ISSUE N° 6 - NOVEMBER 2012 A F R I C A Extending horizons and opportunities

through worker cooperatives in Uganda

Daniel Bernal, CICOPA

s many youths in Uganda face domestic consumption and export. bricks. Brick-making has become an A the unemployment crisis, the The two youths who attended the even bigger income source than the youths in Bwongera, in the South course decided to train other youths original project of digging ponds. In West of the country, have a differ- who had been engaged in the con- addition, the fact that they are a coop- ent story to tell. They have man- struction of ponds without any formal erative has made it easier for the local aged to create jobs for themselves. skills. The youths continued to oper- authorities to reach them with gov- They have formed a worker coop- ate as individuals and were hired by ernment programmes such as youth erative to construct fish ponds for the farmers on a casual-labour basis. Entrepreneurship funds. farmers. They have also identified other re- So, the whole range of opportunities The group consists of 40 members lated activities that have increased has opened up for the youth groups that started in August 2009, when their income: one is brick-making. It because of them working together. two of them were part of a coopera- came to the attention of the group This is creating tremendous opportu- tive group that was sponsored to at- that the clay soil, which was being tend a course in fish farming, in view removed during the pond construc- nities for self-employment and the of a growing importance for fish for tion was very good for making generation of income. ■

institutional design through which to Worker Cooperatives and Food democratise the production of food, provide healthy and affordable food Sovereignty in South Africa to households and communities, and Andrew Bennie, COPAC job creation. This is the approach that is in the s is the case across the world, lem of hunger. This involves an ap- A early stages of being put into practice hunger is a persistent prob- proach that seeks to connect the in the poor township of Ivory Park, lem for many poor, especially ur- idea and practice of food sover- where a local food sovereignty strat- ban, households in South Africa. eignty with the development of food egy has been developed, involving However, the Cooperative and Pol- producing worker cooperatives. existing small farming cooperatives, icy Alternative Centre (COPAC) is The principles of the worker coopera- bakeries, and the process of establish- working with a few cooperatives tives, defined by democratic manage- ing new food producing worker coop- and communities in some townships ment and worker control, as well as eratives, to farm and produce nutri- around Johannesburg to actively its orientation to community benefit, tious and affordable food in sustain- work towards solutions to the prob- can potentially provide an important able and democratic ways. ■

TOGETHER: the new documentary produced by CECOP- CICOPA Europe on the resilience of the cooperative model

The film is available to watch on line and the DVD can be purchased here: http://www.together-thedocumentary.coop