CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 Spring Newsletter 2020 Table of Contents President’s Report 2 CASC/ACÉC COVID-19 Conference/Membership Update 4 Research Profile 7 13 2020 CASC/ACÉC Scholarship Winners ​ 17 Profiling CASC Scholarship Winners ​ 23 Update from the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives ​ 26 Update from St Mary’s International Centre for Co-operative Management ​ 28 Des Nouvelles de l’IRECUS/ Update from IRECUS ​ 29 Each for All: The Co-operative Connection Update ​ Upcoming Conferences / Calls for Papers 30 45 Worth Reading This Spring ​ Membership Form 48 50 Board Member Contact Information ​ 1 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 President’s Report 2020 gathering at the Congress in London when it became clear to everyone that in-person meetings Judith Harris would not be feasible. CASC reluctantly cancelled the conference and the Federation considered on-line options but eventually cancelled Congress for 2020 and committed to refunding all registrations. ANSER, our traditional partner for the meetings, and other associations, are continuing independently with virtual conferences. Thanks go to our Conference planning team—Simon, Derya, Esther, Fiona, Isobel, and Marcelo—for their work. There is much research and collaborative activity to report despite the restrictions on face-to-face meetings. CASC is supporting ACE and CMC in their new initiative—the Co-operation Virtual Institutes (CVI)—which will offer a number of free Those who study co-operatives and community webinars beginning in May to provide co-operators development are aware that it’s in times of loss and with opportunities for training and exchange. disruption that the value and power of people coming together becomes clear. At times like this, In December a special issue of the Review of ​ its important to sit back and see what is International Co-operation, edited by Sara, Isobel, ​ revealed—it's a time of clarity. Judith, Fiona, and Derya, included peer-reviewed, original research papers addressing the theme, Co-op researchers and practitioners are reporting on “Co-operative Strength in Diversity: Voices, the response of the co-op sector to the COVID-19 Governance, and Engagement.” A special issue of pandemic. In a recent column in The Conversation, the International Journal of Co-operative ​ ​ Marcelo Vieta and Fiona Duguid called attention to Accounting and Management published in February ​ co-ops that have led the way in implementing safety and edited by Darryl, Derya, Isobel, and Judith policies for employees and credit unions that featured articles on the topic of Cooperative quickly took action on loan deferments and other Research and Education programs at Cape Breton, provisions to support their members. CASC has St. Mary’s, IRECUS, University of Winnipeg, and initiated a social media strategy on Twitter to Saskatchewan’s Centre for the Study of promote the response of co-ops. We have proposed Co-operatives. Marcelo Vieta was featured on Each the hashtag #CoopsvsCovid to facilitate the sharing 4 All radio station and interviewed by board of stories that demonstrate the co-op difference. member Vesta on March 31. The CASC conference team led by Simon Berge The Board would like to express its appreciation to (University of Winnipeg), had already invested Fiona Duguid for capably leading the association plenty of meeting and organizational time into the for the past four years. Fiona brought wonderful energy to meetings and ensured that everyone was well informed and well connected to the co-op sector in Canada and internationally. Thanks Fiona! 2 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 Vesta Sahatciu takes on the position of Vice President from outgoing Derya Tarhan—thanks Derya—and Isobel Findlay will continue as Secretary-Treasurer with the support of Esther Awotwe. Recently, we checked back in the history of CASC. The Association has been in existence since 1982, hosting the inaugural conference at the Learneds at the University of Guelph in 1984. Based on its strong membership base, we look forward to continuing to promote the study of co-operatives and collaboration between researchers and practitioners. All the best to you and your colleagues and particularly to families and communities in Nova Scotia. 3 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 CASC/ACÉC COVID-19 Conference/Membership Update Isobel M. Findlay busy engaging Canada’s co-operative sector (and beyond) in activities including a coordinated social media strategy to promote the response of co-ops to the on-going crisis induced by the COVID-19 virus. The purpose of the strategy is to illustrate the “co-op difference” by highlighting the concerns and innovations reflected in the responses by co-ops to the various impacts of the crisis on their members and the broader community. Join in on the Twitter trend! If you have stories of how you're collaborating with other co-ops, or how your co-op community is responding to crisis during In light of the ongoing health crisis and decision to the pandemic, in ways large or small, share your cancel the CASC conference with Congress 2020 in story on Twitter using #CoopsVSCovid and ​ ​ London, ON, the CASC board has made these #CoopSolution. ​ decisions: See an example in action here! ● CASC Memberships for 2019-2020 will be Virtual Meeting Places extended for one year Check out the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co- operatives' (CCSC) Co-operatives in a Time of ● All those already registered for Congress ​ Crisis online conversation series featuring CCSC 2020 should have received refunds including ​ CASC membership/registration fee fellows and personnel and sector leaders exploring ● The CASC AGM will be re-scheduled to the the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian fall 2020 co-operatives, large and small, and how co-ops, in turn, are making use of their co-operative structure Once it becomes clear how and when we might to better serve their members during this time. meet, you will receive notice of the AGM one Watch the first series featuring credit union leaders month in advance. All members in good standing here: are eligible to participate and vote. https://www.usaskstudies.coop/public-talks/co-oper atives-in-a-time-of-crisis-conversation-series.php#R Social Media Strategy egulatoryandPolicyPerspectives Although much has been cancelled or delayed in recent weeks, as you will see in the President’s Report and elsewhere in the Newsletter profiles and updates, CASC and its members have remained 4 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 And connect virtually with the upcoming Co-operation The Journal of Co-operative Studies is a ​ ​ ​ Virtual Institutes (CVI)—a collaboration with ACE peer-reviewed international journal published by the and CMC (both of whom also cancelled their UK Society for Co-operative Studies in congresses) that will offer free webinars to provide collaboration with CASC and the Irish Society for ​ co-operators with opportunities for training and Co-operative Studies. You can access its most ​ ​ exchange. ACE webinars (75 mins. each) from June recent issue here: 15-24 will address these topics: https://ukscs.coop/journals/journal-of-co-operative- studies-vol-51-no-2-no-153-autumn/ 1)The challenges posed by the current health and economic crisis for co-operatives. Watch for a forthcoming special issue of the 2) How the co-operative sector better position the Journal of Co-operative Studies on Co-operative ​ ​ co-op business model and values as an effective Higher Education, edited by Claude-André model for sustainable recovery of local, national, Guillotte, CASC board member; professor, School and global economies. of Management, University of Sherbrooke; and director, IRECUS. Online registration opens in May. Watch for notices on the CASC, ACE, and CMC websites and social In partnership with the ICA, CASC board members media. are preparing a call for papers for a special issue of the Review of International Co-operation on our ​ ​ Journal special issues and other publications 2020 Congress theme Bridging Divides: ​ If reading is your thing, then check out the ​ Promoting Economic, Social, and Cultural Conversation article by Marcelo Vieta and Fiona Duguid Democracy. Those who submitted abstracts this ​ ​ on Canada’s co-operatives: Helping communities during year and others, please consider responding to the and after the coronavirus: upcoming call. https://theconversation.com/canadas-co-operatives-helpi ng-communities-during-and-after-the-coronavirus-13547 7 Ian MacPherson Legacy Fund Preparing for future in-person gatherings, consider O donating to the fund, established by a partnership of ​ther CASC initiatives include the December 2019 special issue of the Review of International CASC, CMC, and the Co-operative Development ​ Co-operation and the February 2020 special issue Foundation of Canada (CDF), to help build Ian ​ of the International Journal of Co-operative MacPherson’s legacy by providing support to ​ ​ Accounting and Management. students and young scholars in post-secondary ​ Click on the links below to access: education participating in co-operative research events and sector gatherings. https://ccr.ica.coop/en/media/library/review-international -cooperation-2019 You will be benefitting the development of co-operative studies, and the co-operative https://smu.ca/webfiles/IJCAMVol3No1_update.pdf movement at large. To donate, click here: https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=20 32&AID=1983 5 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 2019 recipients of MacPherson Legacy funding: ● ​Leanne Unruh (York University) ● ​Lisa Michajluk (University of Toronto) ● Esther Awotwe (University of Saskatchewan) ● Josh Noble (University of Saskatchewan) ● Vesta Sahatciu (Vancouver Co-op Radio) 6 CASC/ACÉC Spring Newsletter 2020 Research Profile in Winnipeg, MB. Dr. Beth Weaver is a principal investigator with Co-producing Desistance, an international social economy network. I recently gave a presentation to academics and practitioners involved in the research. Since 2015 I have been teaching incarcerated men and women about co-operatives—a demonstration of the power of community values of reciprocity, mutuality, sufficiency and pooling of resources.