DOCSLIB.ORG

Cash and Compassion

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cash and Compassion Cash and Compassion THE ROLE OF THE SOMALI DIASPORA IN RELIEF, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE-BUILDING Report Authors: Laura Hammond (Team Leader), Mustafa Awad, Ali Ibrahim Dagane, Peter Hansen, Cindy Horst, Ken Menkhaus, Lynette Obare United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States. Copyright © 2011 UNDP. All rights reserved Cash and Compassion: The Role of the Somali Diaspora in Relief, Development and Peace-building December 2011 Volume I Contents THE ROLE OF THE SOMALI DIASPORA IN ............................................................................................... 1 RELIEF, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE-BUILDING ..................................................................................... 1 Cash and Compassion: ........................................................................................................................... 3 The Role of the Somali Diaspora in ........................................................................................................ 3 Relief, Development and Peace-building .............................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. i Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Objectives/Rationale .......................................................................................................................... 2 Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................................................... 2 Mapping the Senders ......................................................................................................................... 4 Means of Transfers ............................................................................................................................. 7 Mapping the Recipients ..................................................................................................................... 8 Principles of Engagement between the International Community and the Diaspora .................... 9 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 9 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 12 1.1 Rationale ..................................................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Objectives and Scope of the Study ............................................................................................ 13 1.3 Structure of the Report ............................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Review of research and experience of diaspora engagement .................................................. 14 1.5 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................. 16 1.6 Concepts used in this report ...................................................................................................... 20 2. Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 25 2.1 Quantitative Survey in Somalia/Somaliland .............................................................................. 25 2.1.1 Localities covered ........................................................................................................... 26 2.2 Research conducted in the Diaspora ........................................................................................ 26 2.3 Other research tools ................................................................................................................... 27 2.4 Context of the Study .................................................................................................................. 27 3. Mapping the diaspora .................................................................................................................... 30 3.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 30 3.2 United Kingdom ........................................................................................................................ 32 3.3 Norway ....................................................................................................................................... 33 1 3.4 United States .............................................................................................................................. 34 3.5 Canada ....................................................................................................................................... 35 3.6 United Arab Emirates (Dubai).................................................................................................... 36 3.7 Kenya .......................................................................................................................................... 37 4. Mapping the Senders ............................................................................................................... 38 4.1 Individual households .......................................................................................................... 38 4.2 Local NGOs based in the diaspora ............................................................................................ 39 4.3 Clan-based and Home Town Associations ............................................................................... 41 4.4 Professional Associations .......................................................................................................... 42 4.5 Transnational Associations ........................................................................................................ 43 4.6 Mosques ..................................................................................................................................... 43 4.7 Private Investors and Shareholders in Private Companies ....................................................... 43 4.8 Board of Trustees members ...................................................................................................... 46 4.9 Women’s groups ........................................................................................................................ 46 4.10 Youth (or ‘Second Generation’) Groups .................................................................................. 46 5. Means of Transfers ................................................................................................................... 49 5.1 Collective Fundraising ............................................................................................................... 49 5.2 Innovation Borrowed from Diaspora Countries ....................................................................... 50 5.3 The Hawala System ................................................................................................................... 51 5.3.1 Regulation of the Remittance Sector ............................................................................. 53 5.3.2 Transfer of Charitable Contributions .............................................................................. 53 5.4 In-kind Support .......................................................................................................................... 54 5.4.1 Technical Support ........................................................................................................... 55 Box 4. QUESTS/MIDA’s Support to Civil Service ...................................................................... 56 6. Mapping the Recipients ........................................................................................................... 58 6.1 Remittances to Individual families ....................................................................................... 58 6.1.1 Putting Remittances in Perspective ................................................................................ 59 6.1.2 Impact of the Global Economic Crisis ............................................................................ 61 6.1.3 Pressure on the Senders of Remittances ........................................................................ 62 6.1.4 What do people use remittances for? ............................................................................ 63 6.2 Local NGOs .................................................................................................................................. 65 6.2.1 Somaliland .....................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Somalis in Europe
    INTERACT – RESearcHING THIRD COUNTRY NatiONALS’ INTEGratiON AS A THREE-WAY PROCESS - IMMIGrantS, COUNTRIES OF EMIGratiON AND COUNTRIES OF IMMIGratiON AS ActORS OF INTEGratiON Somalis in Europe Monica Fagioli-Ndlovu INTERACT Research Report 2015/12 CEDEM INTERACT Researching Third Country Nationals’ Integration as a Three-way Process - Immigrants, Countries of Emigration and Countries of Immigration as Actors of Integration Research Report Country Report INTERACT RR 2015/12 Somalis in Europe Monica Fagioli-Ndlovu PhD candidate in Anthropology, The New School, New York This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Any additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copies or electronically, requires the consent of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. Requests should be addressed to [email protected] If cited or quoted, reference should be made as follows: Monica Fagioli-Ndlovu, Somalis in Europe, INTERACT RR 2015/12, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI): European University Institute, 2015. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the official position of the European Commission or of the European University Institute. © 2015, European University Institute ISBN: 978-92-9084-292-7 doi:10.2870/99413 Catalogue Number: QM-04-15-339-EN-N European University Institute Badia Fiesolana I – 50014 San Domenico di Fiesole (FI) Italy http://www.eui.eu/RSCAS/Publications/ http://interact-project.eu/publications/ http://cadmus.eui.eu INTERACT - Researching Third Country Nationals’ Integration as a Three-way Process - Immigrants, Countries of Emigration and Countries of Immigration as Actors of Integration In 2013 (Jan.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Reported Health and Associated Factors Among the Immigrant Populations in Norway
    Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01266-3 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Self-reported health and associated factors among the immigrant populations in Norway Ahmed A. Madar1 & Bjørn Heine Strand1,2 & Haakon E. Meyer1,2 Received: 23 September 2019 /Accepted: 26 March 2020 # The Author(s) 2020 Abstract Aim The immigrant population continues to increase in Norway, and Somali immigrants and their descendants are presently the largest non-Western group. We have limited knowledge about the health status in this population. The aim of this study was to assess self-perceived health status among Somalis in Norway. Method We used data from a study assessing risk factors for lifestyle diseases among Somali immigrants in Oslo, which was conducted between December 2015 and October 2016, among men and women aged 20–73 who were living in the Sagene borough in Oslo. Results The study population included 221 participants (112 females and 110 males). Overall, 78% of the participants (70% of females and 86% males) rated their health status as good or very good. Women had poorer self-reported health (p = 0.003) than men. Being unemployed and having diabetes, stress, and sleeping problems were associated with poor self-reported health, but time lived in Norway, education level, Norwegian language proficiency, and high BMI were not significantly associated. Around 2/3 of the participants reported being physically inactive, while around half reported walking or moving more than 30 min per day. Self-reported chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension were 5% and 9% respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER JANAZAH: an Investigation Into Violence, Homicide and Somali-Canadian Youth in Ontario
    ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER JANAZAH: An Investigation into Violence, Homicide and Somali-Canadian Youth in Ontario April 25th, 2018 Dedicated to the memory of: Ali Mohamud Ali Son, brother and friend. Contents Preface . 2 About Youth LEAPS . 3 Acknowledgements . 3 Executive Summary . 4 Introduction: The Somali Youth Research Initiative . 6 Methodology: Collecting and Analyzing Data on Somali Youth Homicides . 8 Demographic Data Collection . 9 Literature Review . 9 Focus Group Discussions . 9 Survey . 10 JANAZAH: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER The Homicide Data Base . 11 Limitations . 12 Demographic Profile: Legacy of Precarity . 14 Literature Review: Mapping Out Youth Violence . 17 Key Findings . 20 Toronto Homicide Victims . 20 Homicide Victim Profile . 23 Personal belonging and Connection to violence . 26 in Ontario Youth Homicide and Somali-Canadian Violence, into An Investigation Call to Action: Sharpening the Focus . 30 Recommendations . 32 References . 34 Tables . 36 Table 1 . Homicide Incidence Rate (annual)-Toronto . 36 Table 2 . Disproportionality index-Somali Homicides in Toronto . 37 Table 3 . Homicide Database N=40 (Toronto) . 37 Table 4: Perception of safety post-violent crime . 38 Table 5: Perceptions and Experiences of Violence Among Somali youth in Ontario . 39 Table 6: Somali community leadership impact on violence prevention . 40 Table 7: Institutional impact on homicide reduction (ranked) . 40 Table 8: Stakeholder responsibility in reducing youth violence (ranked) . 40 Table 9: Prioritizing youth community engagement (ranked) . 41 Table 10: Community level of responsibility around violence prevention and reduction . 41 Table 11 . Socio-demographic characteristics of participants citing ‘homicides’ in experiences of violence . 42 Preface Phone rings. Liban: Hey, what’s up? How are you? Friend: Not much .
    [Show full text]
  • TCC Trains Somali Research Network Members in Data Analysis and Presentation
    26 September 2016 PRESS RELEASE TCC Trains Somali Research Network Members in Data Analysis and Presentation Training Centre in Communication (TCC) trained Somali Research Education Network (SomaliREN) members in Data Analysis and Presentation in Mogadishu, Somalia. The training ran from 27-29 September, where participants learned the following ; The theory and practice of presenting data in graphical form, The basic principles of economy, clarity, and integrity, Old types of graphs to avoid, new graph types: dot plot, scatterplot matrix, conditional plot, How to design effective graphs, How to use R Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation, How to use SPSS Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation and How to use STATA Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation. 26 participants from Amoud University ,Benadir University ,University of Burao, Puntland State University, East Africa University, SIMAD University, Mogadishu University ,University of Hargeisa, Gollis University, City University, Heritage Institute, Nugaal University, Kismayo University and Galkayo University, took part in the training. The Consortium of Training Institutions Training Centre in Communication The Training Centre in Communication (TCC) is a self-sustainable Trust created through private public partnership and has its headquarters at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. It is the first Centre in Africa that builds capacity in Science Communication for research institutes and universities, through training and guidance in implementation of communication strategy. TCC has successfully managed to build capacity in Science Communication in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa since 2004, before it was registered as a Trust and created a partnership with University of Nairobi in 2007. More information about Training Center in Communication can be accessed at www.tcc-africa.org.
    [Show full text]
  • FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING the Global North and South
    Copyright © The authors, 2020 Cover by Nille Leander and Sara Johnsdotter ISBN 978-91-7877-123-3 (print) ISBN 978-91-7877-124-0 (pdf) DOI 10.24834/isbn.9789178771240 Published by the Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies, Malmö University Printed at Holmbergs, Malmö 2020 FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING The Global North and South Edited by Sara Johnsdotter The publication can be accessed at mau.diva-portal.org (PDF) Contents Sara Johnsdotter & R. Elise B. Johansen Introduction 7 Ellen Gruenbaum Tensions and Movements: Female Genital Cutting in the Global North and South, Then and Now 23 Lisen Dellenborg The Significance of Engagement — Challenges for Ethnographers and Healthcare Givers in Understanding Human Vulnerability 59 Emmaleena Käkelä Rethinking Female Genital Cutting: From Culturalist to Structuralist Framework for Challenging Violence Against Women 79 Maria Väkiparta Young Men Against FGM/C in Somaliland: Discursively Negotiating Violence, Gender Norms, and Gender Order 103 Inger-Lise Lien Is the Ritual of Female Genital Mutilation an Event that Will Generate a Traumatic Stress Reaction for Cut Children? Cases from The Gambia, Eritrea and Somalia 131 Lisen Dellenborg & Maria Frederika Malmström Listening to the Real Agents of Change: Female Circumcision/Cutting, Female Genital Mutilation and Human Rights 159 R. Elise B. Johansen, in collaboration with Amira Jama Mohammed Ibrahim, Naeema Saeed Sheekh Mohammed, Khadra Yasien Ahmed, Abdirizak Mohamud, Ibrahim Sheick Mohammed Ahmed, & Omar Nur Gaal Methodological Reflections on the Engagement
    [Show full text]
  • Somaliland – Interest-Free but Not Yet Shari’Ah-Compliant Economy/ R.Bekkin // New Horizon
    Bekkin R. Somaliland – Interest-free but not yet Shari’ah-compliant economy/ R.Bekkin // New Horizon. – 2007 (1428). – No. 166. – October-December (Shawwal-Dhu al-Hijjah). – P. 46-49. Somaliland - Interest free but not yet Shari’ah-compliant economy R. Bekkin Having survived a civil war and living in international isolation, Somaliland, a de facto independent state in the territory of Somalia, is gradually developing its financial sector. The banking services are interest-free in this entirely Muslim republic. But does it mean they are Shari’ah-compliant? Renat Bekkin, PhD in Law, senior researcher at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, reports. In 1991, the unified country of Somalia de facto ceased to exist. The civil war, which had broken out three years earlier, had led to the break up of the state into three separate areas: Somaliland, Puntland and Somalia. At the time one could hardly call the former British colony and then province of Somalia – Somaliland – a country. It was virtually a bare territory with its infrastructure completely destroyed by the war. The world community did not rush to recognise the new state and hardly anyone would have predicted that the country would survive. But 16 years on, Somaliland continues to exist as a state despite international political isolation and weak central government. The main source of welfare for Somaliland's citizens is not international aid, but money sent by their relatives from abroad. Because of the underdevelopment of the financial sector, money transfer operators have practically taken on the role of banks.
    [Show full text]
  • Electronic Communication and an Oral Culture: the Dynamics of Somali Websites and Mailing Lists
    ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND AN ORAL CULTURE: THE DYNAMICS OF SOMALI WEBSITES AND MAILING LISTS BY ABDISALAM M. ISSA-SALWE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CENTRE FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND TECHNOLOGY THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY SUPERVISORS: DR. ANTHONY OLDEN, THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY EMERITUS PROFESSOR I M LEWIS, LSE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON EXAMINERS: PROFESSOR CHRISTINE MCCOURT, THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY DR. MARTIN ORWIN, SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON NOVEMBER 2006 TO MY WIFE HAWO, MY CHILDREN MOHAMED-NASIR, MOHAMUD, ALI, HAFSA-YALAH, HAMDA, SHARMARKE AND YUSUF-HANAD ACKNOWLEDGMENT Foremost, I would like to thank to the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) who helped in funding my studies. I would like to thank my thesis advisors, Dr. Tony Olden (Thames Valley University) and Emeritus Professor I M Lewis (London School of Economics) for their continuous encouragement, optimism and confidence in me to make it possible to write this dissertation. Both Dr. Olden and Emeritus Professor Lewis put an enormous amount of time and effort into supervision. Likewise, this study has been enhanced through the incisive comments of Dr Stephen Roberts (Thames Valley University). I also appreciate the advice of Dr Mohamed D. Afrax and Abdullahi Salah Osman who read and commented on the manuscript of this dissertation. I am also thankful to Ahmed Mohamud H Jama (Nero) who allowed me to have useful material relevant to my research; Dr. Ebyan Salah who solicited female correspondents to reply to the research questionnaires. I am also grateful to Said Mohamed Ali (Korsiyagaab) and Ismail Said Aw-Muse (PuntlandState.com) who gave me permission to use their websites statistics.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of the Higher Education Sector in Somalia South-Central, Somaliland, and Puntland Regions
    The State of the Higher Education Sector in Somalia South-Central, Somaliland, and Puntland Regions June 2013 Published in 2013 by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies Amira Hotel Road, KM5 Junction, Mogadishu, Somalia The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non- profit policy research and analysis institute based in Mogadishu, Somalia. As Somalia’s first think tank, it aims to inform and influence public policy through empirically based, evidence-informed analytical research, and to promote a culture of learning and research. Cover: Students at the University of Somalia Photograph by Omar Faruk Rights: Copyright © The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies Cover image © Omar Faruk Text published under Creative Commons Licence Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative www.creativecommons.org/licences/by/nc-nd/3.0. Available for free download at www.heritageinstitute.org Table of Contents Chapter 1: Executive summary 1 1.1 Findings 2 Chapter 2: Methodology 3 2.1 Survey of HEIs 3 2.2 Site selection and sampling 4 2.3 Research questions, data collection tools, and analysis 4 2.4 Data limitation 4 Chapter 3: Background of the education sector in Somalia 5 3.1 Pre-colonial and colonial education 5 3.2 Post-independence education 5 3.3 Education post-1991 6 Chapter 4: Current state of the higher education sector 8 4.1 Growth patterns 8 4.2 Number of students 8 4.3 Number of lecturers 9 4.4 Qualification of lecturers 9 4.5 Faculty numbers and types 10 4.6 Distribution
    [Show full text]
  • Transnational Crimes Among Somali-Americans: Convergences of Radicalization and Trafficking
    The author(s) shown below used Federal funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice to prepare the following resource: Document Title: Transnational Crimes among Somali- Americans: Convergences of Radicalization and Trafficking Author(s): Stevan Weine, Edna Erez, Chloe Polutnik Document Number: 252135 Date Received: May 2019 Award Number: 2013-ZA-BX-0008 This resource has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. This resource is being made publically available through the Office of Justice Programs’ National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Transnational Crimes among Somali-Americans: Convergences of Radicalization and Trafficking Stevan Weine, Edna Erez, and Chloe Polutnik 1 This resource was prepared by the author(s) using Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. This project was supported by Award No. 2013-ZA-BX-0008, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. 2 This resource was prepared by the author(s) using Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Migration and Health
    Chamila T. Attanapola Chamila T. Chamila T. Attanapola Migration and Health Migration and Health ISBN 978-82-7570-348-2 (trykk) A literature review of the health ISBN 978-82-7570-349-9 (web) of immigrant populations in Norway Dragvoll allé 38 B 7491 Trondheim Norge Rapport 2013 Tel: 73 59 63 00 Web: www.samforsk.no Rapport 2013 Mangfold og inkludering Migration and Health A literature review of the health of immigrant populations in Norway Chamila T. Attanapola Globalization Research Programme Faculty of Humanities Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) PREFACE The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of research on the health of immigrants in Norway and to identify future research areas. As the theme of health is a broad field of research, it was challenging to identify which health aspects to include in this literature review. I have therefore focused mainly on the psychosomatic health aspects and excluded periodontal health, sexuality and health, and accidents. Further, ‘health’ is a complex concept in itself. What encompasses in this concept varies according to the discipline in which the research is conducted. Disciplines such as medicine, social anthropology, psychology, sociology, and social work have generated a vast amount of literature on issues related to the health of immigrants. Hence, I have included gender‐based violence, disability, and care for the elderly, as these factors are associated with health and well‐ being of individuals, in addition to the five most‐often researched health issues presented in existing literature (mental health problems, lifestyle and diet‐related health problems, infectious diseases, reproductive health problems, and access to and use of health care services).
    [Show full text]
  • Somali Children and Youth's Experiences in Educational Spaces in North America: Reconstructing Identities and Negotiating the Past in the Present
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Scholarship@Western Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 12-5-2012 12:00 AM Somali Children and Youth's Experiences in Educational Spaces in North America: Reconstructing Identities and Negotiating the Past in the Present Melissa Stachel The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Randa Farah The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Anthropology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Melissa Stachel 2012 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Stachel, Melissa, "Somali Children and Youth's Experiences in Educational Spaces in North America: Reconstructing Identities and Negotiating the Past in the Present" (2012). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 983. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/983 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOMALI CHILDREN AND YOUTH’S EXPERIENCES IN EDUCATIONAL SPACES IN NORTH AMERICA: RECONSTRUCTING IDENTITIES AND NEGOTIATING THE PAST IN THE PRESENT (Spine title: Somali Children and Youth’s Experiences in North America) (Thesis format: Monograph) by Melissa Stachel Graduate Program in Anthropology Collaborative Program in Migration and Ethnic Relations A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Melissa Stachel 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO SCHOOL OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION Supervisor Examiners ______________________________ ______________________________ Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Locating the Contributions of the African Diaspora in the Canadian Co-Operative Sector
    International Journal of CO-OPERATIVE ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT, 2020 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 DOI: 10.36830/IJCAM.202014 Locating the Contributions of the African Diaspora in the Canadian Co-operative Sector Caroline Shenaz Hossein, Associate Professor of Business & Society, York University, Canada Abstract: Despite Canada’s legacy of co-operativism, Eurocentrism dominates thinking in the Canadian co- op movement. This has resulted in the exclusion of racialized Canadians. Building on Jessica Gordon Nembhard’s (2014) exposure of the historical fact of African Americans’ alienation from their own cooperativism as well as the mainstream coop movement, I argue that Canadian co-operative studies are limited in their scope and fail to include the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC). I also argue that the discourses of the Anglo and Francophone experiences dominate the literature, with mainly white people narrating the Indigenous experience. Finally, I hold that the definition of co-operatives that we use in Canada should include informal as well as formal co-operatives. Guyanese economist C.Y. Thomas’ (1974) work has influenced how Canadians engage in co-operative community economies. However, the preoccupation with formally registered co-operatives excludes many BIPOC Canadians. By only recounting stories about how Black people have failed to make co-operatives “successful” financially, the Canadian Movement has missed many stories of informal co-operatives that have been effective in what they set out to do. Expanding what we mean by co-operatives for the Canadian context will better capture the impact of co-operatives among BIPOC Canadians. Caroline Shenaz Hossein is Associate Professor of Business & Society in the Department of Social Science at York University in Toronto, Canada.
    [Show full text]