Mr Iain MacDonald, Former Director-General, ICA and Former Councillor Strathclyde Regional Council Scotland at the International Co-operative Alliance Global Conference in Cape Town, November 2013.
5. Top 10 Co-operative and mutual
organizations in the World Co-operative
Monitor
1. Zenkyoren Japan
2. Zen-Noh Japan
3. Edeka Zentrale Germany
4. State Farm Group USA
5. Nippon Life Japan
6. ReWe Group Germany
7. ACDLEC - E.Leclerc France
8. Groupe Crédit Agricole France
9. Kaiser Permanente USA
10. Meiji Yasuda Life Japan
6. What is a Co-operative?
Definition
A co-operative is an autonomous
association of persons united voluntarily
to meet their common economic, social,
and cultural needs and aspirations
through a jointly-owned and
democratically-controlled enterprise.
8. Co-operative Facts
In Colombia, health co-operatives are the
country’s second largest employer
In Denmark, consumer co-operatives in 2007
held 36.4% of consumer retail market.
In Japan, the agricultural co-operatives report
outputs of USD 90 billion with 91% of all
Japanese farmers in membership.
The United Nations estimated in 1994 that the
livelihood of nearly 3 billion people, or half of
the world’s population, was made secure by
co-operative enterprise.
9. Co-operative Facts
236 million Indians are members of cooperatives.
In New Zealand, 22% of the gross
domestic product (GDP) is generated by
co-operative enterprise
In Norway out of a population of 4.8
million people, 2 million are members of
co-operatives.
Co-operatives in Kenya contribute more
than 50% to the country’s GDP
10. ..and all of them adhere to these
Values and Principles!
Co-operatives are based on the values
of self-help, self-responsibility,
democracy, equality, equity and
solidarity. In the tradition of their
founders, co-operative members believe
in the ethical values of honesty,
openness, social responsibility and
caring for others.
11. Principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Voluntary and Open Membership
Democratic Member Control,
Member Economic Participation
Autonomy and Independence
Education, Training and Information
Co-operation among Co-operatives
Concern for Community
30. There is but one mode by which man can
possess in perpetuity all the happiness
which his nature is capable of enjoying –
that is by the union and co-operation of all
for the benefit of each
Robert Owen
31. Dr. Iain MacDonald
International Cooperative Consultant
Former Director General, International
Cooperative Alliance
iain@macdonald.coop