Co-op News November 2022

Co-op gatherings look for options
as a global crisis deepens
CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND
CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP
MOVEMENT SINCE 1871
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editorial@thenews.coop
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Rebecca Harvey I rebecca@thenews.coop
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
Anca Voinea I anca@thenews.coop
DIGITAL EDITOR
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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Alice Toomer-McAlpine
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DESIGN
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Elaine Dean (chair); David Paterson
(vice-chair); Sofygil Crew; Tim Hartley;
Phil Hartwell; Gillian Lonergan; Nick
Milton; Beverley Perkins; Shaz
Rahman; Lesley Reznicek
Secretary: Richard Bickle
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It's been conference season for the co-op movement, keeping us busy this
month at Co-op News and ensuring that this edition is packed with event
reports. There's a common thread that runs through these gatherings:
response to crisis. With the world looking set to miss its 1.SC climate target
by some distance, no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and the economic
chaos it has unleashed, and living costs running out of control, there was
much to focus minds. Even at the Labour and Co-op Party conferences,
where speakers managed to have some fun at the expense of the doomed
Liz Truss premiership, the main focus was on the challenges to be faced if
the next election goes their way (p33-37).
The co-op movement has long trumpeted its ability to deal with challenges
around equality, sustainability and climate, if only it is given the chance,
and various sector events expanded on this theme. In the US, NCBA
CLUSA's Impact conference looked at local and international development
(p30-32); in Manchester, Ways Forward argued for a more radical stance -
although some argued that there are areas, such as utilities provision,
where the state is better suited than co-ops to lead the way (p38-39).
Mondiacult, a Unesco side conference, explored how co-ops can mobilise
the creative sector to protect local identities from neoliberal forces
(p26-27); the Global Innovation Summit looked at how co-ops can
respond to climate change (p28-29) and, taking things right down to the
specifics of one sector in one country, the UK Confederation of Co-op
Housing (CCH) conference asked how the UN's sustainable development
goals can be embedded into our homes (p40-41).
CCH CEO Blase Lambert also stressed the importance of inter co-op learning.
Clearly there is a lot of knowledge and experience co-ops can share. With
that in mind, the Co-op Councils Innovation Network headed to the Basque
Country (Spain) to visit the Mondragon Corporation, a federation of worker
co-ops which has formed the cornerstone of a resilient and innovative local
economy. Council representatives were keen to find examples to replicate
at home - and learned that Mondragon was born from a regional crisis
every bit as daunting as those facing the world today (p42-43).
There's also a look at Scotmid Co-op's colleague growth programme (p46-
47), news of much-needed co-op legislation in progress in the UK (p12),
and, to round things off on a lighter note, our Christmas gift guide (p44-45).
MILES HADFIELD - DIGITAL EDITOR
Co-operative News is printed using vegetable oil-based inks
on 80% recycled paper (with 60% from post-consumer waste)
with the remaining 20% produced from FSC or PEFC certified
sources. It is made in a totally chlorine free process.
NOVEMBER 2022 I 3

THIS ISSUE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
The Co-op Party Conference (p33-35);
I Ilia Gorokhovskyi, chair of Coop Ukraine,
speaking at the Coop Impact conference
(p30-32); Part 1 of the Co-op Christmas Gift
Guide (p44-45); Scotmid colleague growth
programme (p46-47); US celebrates
Fairtrade Month and Co-op Month with
three new murals (p18)
COVER: Rio Vista Windmills, California
Conferences - including the Global
Innovation Co-op Summit in Paris -
discussed how co-operatives are tackling
the climate and energy crises
(Photo: Getty/Ajith Kumar)
Read more: p28-29
23-24 CITIZEN NETWORK
A global co-op has launched to connect
people around the world and aid common
problem-solving
25-43 CONFERENCE ROUND-UPS
Round ups of co-op events as conference
season gets under way
25-27 MONDIACULT 2022 SIDE EVENT
How can co-ops advance the SDGs
through culture and the creative sector?
28-29 GLOBAL INNOVATION SUMMIT
Tackling climate change through
co-operative innovation
30-32 NCBA CLUSA COOP IMPACT
CONFERENCE
The role of co-ops in international
development
33-35 CO-OP PARTY CONFERENCE
Drawing up plans for a nation in crisis -
and a renewed commitment to the
co-operative economy
36-37 LABOUR AND CONSERVATIVE
CONFERENCES
Co-operatives UK's Rose Marley on the
political party conference circuit
38-39 CO-OP WAYS FORWARD
Exploring community-led responses to
the climate crisis
40-41 CONFEDERATION OF CO-OPERATIVE
HOUSING CONFERENCE
The sector meets to discuss its approach
to the UN SDGs
42-43 MONDRAGON STUDY TRIP
Co-op councils head to the Basque
Region for lessons in economic revival
44-45 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: PART 1
Ethical giving on a budget this festive
season
46-47 SCOTMID COLLEAGUE GROWTH
PROGRAMME
The Scottish retailer commits to
growing from within
REGULARS
5-13 UK news
14-21 Global news
22 Letters
48-49
50
Book reviews
Events
4 I NOVEMBER 2022

CREDIT UNIONS
Leeds Credit Union partners with east London council on cost-of-living support
Leeds Credit Union (LCU) is working with
east London's Barking and Dagenham
Council to offer savings accounts and
affordable loans.
It is hoped the joint project, Barking
and Dagenham Money (BD Money), will
help residents become more financially
secure, keep more money in their pockets
and access appropriate services to meet
their financial needs and ambitions.
The council commissioned a report in
2020 which found that every year, at least
6,000 households in the borough were
taking out more than 20,000 subprime
loans, worth over £9.4m - and paying
back £7.3m in interest and fees.
"Times are really tough and we're
doing all we can to support residents,"
said deputy leader Saima Ashraf, who
serves as cabinet member for community
engagement. "The launch of BD Money
couldn't have come at a better time and
brings a more affordable options for our
residents when it comes to borrowing.
"We want to ensure every option is
available in terms of the support residents
can access - including safe borrowing
options instead of high-cost lenders.
"We look forward to working with Leeds
Credit Union to provide a trusted service
to our residents when it comes to savings
accounts, loans and much more."
One of the country's largest credit
unions, LCU carried out a survey earlier
• Council leader Darren Rodwell and Leeds CEO Paul Kaye
this year that revealed 49o/o of respondents
saw their financial situation worsening.
However, 96% of its members said they
would 'definitely recommend' the credit
union to help alleviate these stresses.
CEO Paul Kaye said: "Leeds Credit Union
is excited to be working with Barking and
Dagenham Council on this initiative to
offer our great range of savings and loans
to support the residents of the borough.
We already offer our services to over
35,000 members, helping them access
savings accounts to assist with budgeting
plus a variety of loans.
"This could be anything from a small,
short-term need of £500 to larger longterm
requirements of up to £25,000 for
anything from a car repair through to
debt consolidation and family loans. As
a mutual organisation we offer fair and
ethical products for the benefit of all our
members."
In terms of its common bond, the credit
union got agreement for a rule change
from its members at its AGM, adding
Barking and Dagenham, and secured
regulatory approval.
Through the partnership, BD Money
will offer a variety of savings accounts,
including regular saver, Christmas club,
young saver and membership accounts,
as well as access to various responsible
and affordable loan facilities. LCU prides
itself on providing members with the most
appropriate services based on their own
individual circumstances.
For more information on BD Money
affordable loan and savings products,
plus a range of money support tools and
guidance visit bdmoney.org.uk
MEDIA
The Canary news website switches to a workers' co-op structure
Online news outlet the Canary has become
a worker-owned co-operative.
Following a row between staff and
the Canary's previous directors, a new
business - the Canary Workers' Co-op -
was set up in August by employees. Staff
say although the co-op is legally required
to have directors, all 15 of its worker
members now take decisions collectively
through open meetings and transparent
processes, using the decentralised
governance model of sociocracy.
Changes so far include a horizontal
leadership and flat pay structure, fully
paid sick leave, and mental health days
written into workers' contracts.
Members say the new structure is
already more aligned with its purported
values and editorial line, which aims to
"amplify marginalised communities that
seek radical social justice", and had seen
it working with activist organisations such
as Netpol, CAGE, and Disabled People
Against Cuts.
Canary member Maryam Jameela told
Co-op News: "We reviewed the kind of
content we wanted to cover and the team
was in agreement that we'd like to focus
our energies on reporting on grassroots
politics, and activists who wouldn't be
given a platform in mainstream media.
Of course, we already did do this kind of
reporting, but now we're building towards
doing so in a more concerted way."
Beyond its new co-op structure, the
Canary team say they want the way they
operate in practice "to mirror a deeper
radicalism and militancy", and that the
way they operate as a co-op will be an
"unfolding process".
They have committed to providing
education and training for its members, as
well as to working with other co-ops and
wider communities to achieve its aims.
The next step, said Jameela, is "to reach
out to other co-ops and build community
and solidarity with them ... We want to be
in community with fellow activists."
8 I NOVEMBER 2022

WORKER CO-OPS
Queer co-op venue calls
on community to save it
from closure
Bonjour, a worker-owned queer club and
community space in Glasgow, is calling
for support to save it from closure.
In an online statement, Bonjour said
that since it opened its doors in 2021, it
has "weathered various storms", with the
rising cost of energy being the latest.
"Recently, these financial factors have
hit us hard. We have struggled to absorb
the costs of backdated rent payments
resulting from the pandemic, unforeseen
closures related to plumbing issues on
Saltmarket and the high cost of security
staffing - something which is essential to
our venue in order to keep our community
members safe."
Due to these pressures, Bonjour, which
prioritises underrepresented groups in
the LBGTQ+ community, such as people of
colour, trans and nonbinary people, and
queer women, will now only be open for
events, and has increased drinks prices.
"The co-op board is assessing all
options to save the business," it added.
"We're facing the reality that we may have
to close. We have no intention of giving up
without a fight and we're reaching out to
ask for help."
As well as holding fundraising events,
Bonjour has launched a membership
scheme to raise funds, in returns for
benefits including access to exclusive
digital content, a quarterly zine and riso
prints.
Bonjour is also encouraging supporters
to get in touch with their MSPs and MPs.
"We want [MSPs and MPs] to
understand how much Bonjour means to
the community and ask that Scotland does
more to support co-operative community
driven businesses like ours," said Bonjour.
To support Bonjour visit ko-ji.com/
bonjourglasgow
October Books makes a call for more member investors
October Books, an independent bookshop
which is now a community benefit society
in Southampton, is running a £175,000
share offer to secure its long-term future
and expand its services. Alongside the
share offer, it is converting £171,346 of
existing loans tock to shares. bit.ly/3fena6u
Central England shoppers save 100,000 meals from waste
A partnership Central England Co-op and
food saving app Too Good To Go has now
saved over 100,000 meals from going
to waste. The scheme, run by a number
of retail co-ops, allows customers and
members to purchase bags of discounted
food which would otherwise go to waste.
It is in operation across all the retail
society's 260 food stores.
Organiclea community farm hosts pre-school visits
North London worker co-op OrganicLea,
which grows food on a 12-acre at Chingford
in the Lea Valley, is holding winter
Forest Time sessions for pe-schoolers,
with woodland activities. Sessions take
place Friday and Tuesday mornings
9.45am - 11.45am, offering a naturebased
exploration based in free play &
community-building, using crafts,
stories, songs and games. bit.ly/3/bTfM9
Southern launches rehab scheme for retail offenders
Southern Co-op has launched a
partnership with Portsmouth Council, the
police and charity the Society of St James,
which will use positive intervention
to tackle retail crime. It will appoint a
"navigator" to work with local services
to identify prolific offenders, and offer
treatment and support to break free from
a cycle of offending.
Radstock Co-op gives £25k to food causes from bag levy
Somerset retail society Rads tock Co-op has
distributed £25,000 to local food causes
from the Sp carrier bag levy. Organisations
receiving support include schools, food
pantries and community gardens. CEO
Don Morris said: "The aim is to empower
and educate the local community to
become self-reliant while ensuring they
have access to essential food supplies."
NOVEMBER 2022 I 13

- EUROPE
Rescoop says EU
must do more for vulnerable
groups in its climate plan
The European federation of renewable
energy co-ops (Rescoop) is suggesting
a range of changes to the European
Commission's 'fit for 55' package, which
aims for 55o/o cut in greenhouse emissions
by 2030.
Currently under debate in the European
Parliament and Council, the package
includes a new social climate fund (SCF)
to help vulnerable households, microbusinesses
and transport users meet the
costs of the green energy transition.
But in its recent position paper Rescoop
says the Commission has "reduced the fund
to a predominantly reactive instrument,
aimed at mitigating the distributional
impact of the Emission Trading System to
buildings and Transport (ETS 2)".
Rescoop argues that while the fund
has "significant potential to serve as a
cornerstone of a just energy transition,
ensuring vulnerable social groups are
addressed", several changes are needed
to realise this potential. It suggests: a
more substantial and impactful scope
and size for the SCF, delinking the ETS
2 as a prerequisite for the creation of an
SCF; targeted support for low-income
and vulnerable households and their
empowerment; and acknowledgment and
support for the role renewable and citizen
energy communities can play in achieving
the objectives of this regulation.
Rescoop also calls on the EU and
national governments to provide support
through grants, procurement, incentives
for vulnerable consumer groups, and
dedicated measures to support schemes
for renewable energy communities that
want to focus on energy poverty as a
priority.
The full position paper is available on
Rescoop's website at bit.ly/3CLjjpo
Electric co-ops call for domestic boost
Rural electric co-ops in the USA are asking
the Department of Energy to use funding
received via the Inflation Reduction Act
to address the shortage of distribution
transformers. According to the National
Rural Electric Association (Nreca) and
American Public Power Association, the
shortage "poses an unacceptable risk to
the electric reliability".
Dure Consumer Co-op joins march for climate justice
Republic of Korea's Dure Consumer
Cooperative Union took part in a Climate
Justice March in Seoul last month, under
the slogan "Climate disaster, we can't live
like this". The march, one of a number of
demonstrations around the world, gathered
an estimated 35,000 citizens and over 400
civic groups in Seoul on 24 September.
Fonterra says new framework will aid sustainability goals
Dairy co-op Fonterra has released
Sustainable Finance Framework, which
aims to align its funding strategy with its
sustainability ambitions.
The New Zealand co-op has been working
with Joint Sustainability Co-ordinators
HSBC and Westpac NZ to develop the
framework, which has been independently
verified to confirm alignment with globally
agreed sustainable finance principles.
Woccu 2021 report reveals credit union priorities
2021
WORLD (OUN(ll Of
CREDIT UNIONS
STATISTICA!JL
REPORT
The World Council of Credit Unions
(Woccu) has published its Statistical
Report for 2021, providing data on the
global credit union movement.
Through a global member survey, Woccu
found that 81 o/o of respondent credit union
associations ranked digitisation at or near
the top of their priorities.
Agri co-ops to set up bank to access affordable loans
The Uganda Cooperative Alliance has
announced plans for a new co-operative
bank to give agricultural co-ops access to
loans, in a plan backed by the government.
An earlier co-operative bank, set up in
1964, was seized by the Central Bank of
Uganda in 1999, which cited inadequate
capitalisation and insolvency as the
reasons for closing the bank.
NOVEMBER 2022 I 21

"We cannot wait for the system to be the solution.
World problems are severe and worsening, yet we
still look to governments for the answers instead
of making the change [as citizens].
"We must help each other to act now. We do
not need permission to act from national
politicians or global authorities. We must create
the changes we need and use these changes to
help bring about the deeper systemic reforms the
world urgently needs."
The CEO of the new co-operative is Markus
Va.ha.la. "I believe this is what the world needs at
the moment: a network of people and trust, which
is values-based, and works on the street level," he
says. "To support this momentum, we needed a
new platform to bring together the people excluded
in life and communities."
He describes how the co-op will be providing
training, education and support, and how
technology will be a key part of this: "We see the
real potential of technology serving people, to
bring inclusion to people in society."
Also involved in the project is professor Iiro
Jussila of Skillmotor Finland, founding editor
of the Journal of Co-operative Organisation and
Management (JCOM / Elsevier) and founding
member and a member of the Supervisory Board of
Citizen Network Osk, who helped create the rules
surrounding what the co-op is, how it acts and how
it can scale.
"It is often said that co-ops are a tool for societal
and systemic change through reaching markets
and democracy," he says, "but if you consider
change that is sustainable in terms of economy and
society, the interaction happens between the co-op
and citizens. It is also a mechanism to combine and
accumulate capital - human, technological, and
economic capital - to create impact. In our case,
global impact.
He sees real change happening through the
neighbourhood democracy movements. "Everyone
is somewhere!" he says. "And if we make citizenship
real, we make neighbourhood democracy real.
The key to co-operation is about changing things
''
This era is made for co-ops
and people empowerment
but somehow it seems like
co-ops are being massively
misused. They are an
invisible giant We want to
help make them visible"
for the better [ ... ] We will be organising meetings
around core challenges looking at how to create a
world where everyone matters - firstly by people
recognising other people around as people too, and
seeing how we can help them."
One of the challenges to this, he says, is collective
global burnout. "Often the most interesting things
are being done by people who are lonely - they are
often working in areas and sectors and projects
that are high risk, with little validation. They feel
vulnerable, people are tired."
The co-operative aims to provide a level of
networking and peer support to these people, and
has a goal to reach millions of people in the next
few years.
"We want to be a powerful force for progressive
change around the world," says Jussila. "This era
is made for co-ops and people empowerment, but
somehow it seems like co-ops are being massively
misused, and also underuse their main business
advantage. They are an invisible giant. We want
to help make them visible."
Find out more about the co-operative at citizennetwork.org/
about/ Membership is currently only
open to organisations, with individual
membership launching in a few months' time.
24 I NOVEMBER 2022

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tCI REVIEW
Ideas for a new world: Winners of the Social
and Solidarity Economy Book Prize
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sun l'ECONOMIE SICIAII
ET SOIIDAlftE 2022
w, .... ,,..,.111,
Un "notre monde"
est possible (An "our
world" is possible)
by Sebastien Chaillou­
Gillette, Stephane
Pfeiffer,
LesPetitMatins
....__ ..___
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Etre radical - Dialogue
entre deux generations
pour transformer
l'economie (Be radical
- Dialogue between
two generations
to transform the
economy)
by Bastien Sibille and
Hugues Sibille,
LesPetitMatins
The winners of the Social and Solidarity Economy
(SSE) Book Prize were announced at the Paris Expo
Porte de Versailles last month.
In its ninth year, the prize, for French writers,
had two categories, reflection and testimonials.
Both winners came from the Monde en transitions
collection published by Les petits matins.
The prize for reflection went to Un "notre monde"
est possible (An "our world" is possible) by Sebastien
Chaillou-Gillette (pictured) and Stephane Pfeiffer.
Testimonials was won by Etre radical - Dialogue
entre deux generations pour transformer /'economie
(Be radical - Dialogue between two generations
to transform the economy) by Bastien Sibille and
Hugues Sibille.
The awards were presented by Roger Belot,
president of the prize jury, and Patrick Gobert,
president of Tait citoyen, a club of members of
staff representative bodies known as social and
economic committees.
"The books elected this year question the future
of our world and the role that the SSE will play in
it," said Belot. "The authors do not doubt it and
show their commitment. An "our world" is possible
offers concrete actions to invite each citizen to
become an actor in the economy. In response,
Bastien and Hugues Sibille discuss their past
and current experiences. The jury found its own
questions there."
Gobert added: "The jury wanted to emphasise
the value of the works selected for the diversity
of approaches to the SSE in the books of experts
and in the testimonials that are both committed
and clearly show the variety of backgrounds and
experiences. All have the values of the SSE in
common: working together, civic engagement,
personal accomplishment."
An "our world" is possible explores how citizens
can make their voices heard and influence decisions
through economic citizenship, by reclaiming
economic and social issues, rather than acting as
easily influenced consumers. It uses examples from
the social and solidarity economy in various fields
(education, work or corporate governance) to offers
concrete courses of action for both individual and
collectives on the premise that "the economy must
become everyone's business".
Be radical - Dialogue between two generations
to transform the economy is an intergenerational
dialogue between 42-year-old son, and his
70-year-old father, both of whom are leaders in
SSE enterprises. The book explores how the two
generations have sought to change the world while
revealing the two writers' views on the SSE. The
father shares his experience as someone who was
involved in promoting democracy in the workplace
while the son reveals his involvement in the
movement for the management of the commons.
The authors of both books are actively involved
in the sector: Sebastien Chaillou-Gillette is director
of the regional chamber of the ESS (Cress) Ile-de­
France and former president of the International
Cooperative Alliance's Youth Network; Stephane
Pfeiffer is second deputy mayor of Bordeaux where
he is leading on SSE initiatives; Hugues Sibille is
president of the Labo de l'ESS, an SSE think-tank,
former vice-president of Credit cooperative and
former interministerial delegate for the social
economy; and Bastien Sibille is president of the
Mobicoop as well as Licoornes, an alliance of coops
for ecological and solidarity transition.
The books can be pre-ordered at lespetitsmatins.fr
NOVEMBER 2022 [ 49

Do you have a co-operative
event - taking place in person,
online, or as a hybrid - to be
featured?
Tell us at: events@thenews.coop
Owning the Future
4-6 November (Rio de Janeiro)
Organised by the Platform Cooperativism
Consortium, the event will look at how
platform co-ops in the Global South can
scale to successfully compete with large
tech companies.
C-::> bit.ly/3QbdExl
Locality Convention
8-9 November 2022 (Sheffield)
Locality's annual convention brings
together people who believe in the power
of community to explore how best to
build thriving neighbourhoods and how
policymakers can support this.
C-::> locality.org.uk/events
Co-operative Women's Voices:
Tiziana O'Hara
15 November (11am-12 noon, online)
CWV is a series of monthly interviews
with women from the global co-op
movement. November's guest is Tiziana
O'Hara, from Northern lreland's
Cooperative Alternatives.
c-::> bit.Jy/3SiYcAY
Young people and the future of
co-operation in Europe
21 November (Cardiff)
Cwmpas and Cooperatives Europe will
welcome co-operators from across Europe
to explore the role of young people in the
co-operative movement.
c-::> bit.ly/3DM2c8/
Practitioners Forum
23 November (Manchester)
Organised by Co-operatives UK, the
Practitioners Forum is a professional
training and development opportunity,
featuring specialist forums.
c-::> bit.ly/3LCUHTz
ethical P.fOP.er t'::)
-. .
ethicalproperty.co uk
. . -
50 I NOVEMBER 2022