Co-op News (August 2019)
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
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GLOBAL UPDATES<br />
USA<br />
Give credit unions a role in international<br />
devel<strong>op</strong>ment, sector leaders tell Usaid funders<br />
Credit unions should be included when<br />
international devel<strong>op</strong>ment money is<br />
allocated, say sector leaders.<br />
The call came from the Credit Union<br />
National Association (Cuna) and World<br />
<strong>Co</strong>uncil of Credit Unions (Woccu) at a<br />
meeting with Mark Green, administrator<br />
of the US Agency for Devel<strong>op</strong>ment (Usaid).<br />
Among those present were Woccu<br />
president/chief executive Brian Branch,<br />
Cuna president/chief executive Jim Nussle<br />
and House Foreign Relations <strong>Co</strong>mmittee<br />
chair Ed Royce.<br />
Mr Branch said Woccu’s network<br />
reaches more than 260 million members<br />
in 117 countries. The organisation<br />
provides training and support to credit<br />
union members, he added, helping them<br />
to face challenges and make a difference<br />
in their local communities.<br />
After the meeting, Mr Nussle<br />
said: “Woccu has a long history of<br />
using the financial co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />
model to foster international devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />
and increase access to financial services.<br />
With continued engagement with<br />
Usaid and other policymakers, credit<br />
unions can do even more.”<br />
Mr Branch said: “This year, Woccu<br />
is successfully leveraging Usaid funds<br />
to allow more small farmers to secure<br />
loans and grow their yields in Africa and<br />
Eastern Eur<strong>op</strong>e.<br />
“In Haiti, we’re helping to finance<br />
affordable green-housing initiatives and<br />
boost financial literacy programmes.<br />
“None of that would be possible<br />
without the assistance and buy-in from<br />
p <strong>Co</strong>mmunity members in <strong>Co</strong>lombia at a Woccu training event<br />
‘Support co-<strong>op</strong>s’, NCBA-Clusa urges US presidential candidates<br />
our partner credit unions on the ground.<br />
Administrator Green seemed very <strong>op</strong>en to<br />
the idea that this type of model could be<br />
replicated across the world.”<br />
Over recent months, Cuna and Woccu<br />
have also asked Usaid to ensure a level<br />
playing field for smaller devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />
contractors, such as credit unions, when<br />
prioritising its procurement reforms.<br />
In April, Cuna and Woccu wrote to<br />
the House Appr<strong>op</strong>riations <strong>Co</strong>mmittee<br />
asking for increased funding for the<br />
<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Program,<br />
a Usaid-funded initiative that<br />
focuses on building the capacity<br />
of co-<strong>op</strong>eratives.<br />
The National <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Business<br />
Association (NCBA-Clusa) has launched<br />
a campaign to encourage US presidential<br />
candidates to back the sector.<br />
With the 2020 presidential election<br />
approaching, the apex body published<br />
an <strong>op</strong>en letter asking those running to<br />
recognise the co-<strong>op</strong>erative business model<br />
as a tool for the economic success and<br />
self-determination of their constituents.<br />
Arguing that “co-<strong>op</strong>s should be on<br />
the policy platform of every presidential<br />
candidate,” the letter says the co-<strong>op</strong><br />
model empowers pe<strong>op</strong>le to champion<br />
their own successes by working together.<br />
“And while the member-owners of<br />
co-<strong>op</strong>eratives are the drivers of this<br />
success, a policy framework that supports<br />
the robust devel<strong>op</strong>ment of co-<strong>op</strong>eratives<br />
is imperative.”<br />
The letter, signed by NCBA-Clusa<br />
president and CEO Doug O’Brien, suggests<br />
co-<strong>op</strong>s should be an essential part of<br />
the solution to growing challenges for<br />
workers in the gig economy. And they<br />
play important roles in sectors such as<br />
homecare, rural broadband, finance,<br />
energy, housing, food and childcare.<br />
It also calls on presidential candidates to<br />
engage the co-<strong>op</strong> community and discuss<br />
ways to incorporate policy solutions into<br />
their platforms.<br />
NCBA-Clusa says policy solutions<br />
should encourage co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />
businesses through increasing access to<br />
capital for start-ups, and for expansion<br />
and innovation. There is also need for<br />
technical assistance, interagency<br />
coordination at the federal and state<br />
levels, and increased investment in<br />
research and devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />
As part of the #<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>sFor2020 campaign,<br />
NCBA is encouraging co-<strong>op</strong>erators to write<br />
to their local newspapers, asking them to<br />
publish its <strong>op</strong>en letter. Those wishing to<br />
take part can use the sample letter and<br />
social media posts available on NCBA-<br />
Clusa’s website, ncbaclusa.co<strong>op</strong><br />
14 | AUGUST <strong>2019</strong>