The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) under the auspices of the Government of Rwanda and the ICA-EU Partnership on Cooperatives in Development (#Coops4Dev) will be organizing its global conference on 'Cooperatives for Development' in Kigali, Rwanda from October 14-17. Rwanda, quite like the global cooperative movement, symbolizes resilience, and has for the past few decades worked successfully towards reconstructing its economic and social fabric, and on ethnic reconciliation; thus serving as an ideal location for a conference focusing on sustainable development. Participants from 90 countries are expected to attend the conference to learn, share, advocate, and showcase cooperatives’ contributions to the SDGs.

This unique event will see the global cooperative movement coming together with a specific focus on not just cooperative development, but – more significantly – to the development of their surrounding communities and the world at large. The Keynote Address will be delivered by Dr. Vandana Shiva, who is a globally renowned authority on ecological and social issues. Dr. Shiva will be talking about how “cooperatives help to achieve a more solidarity-based and participatory society?”

The conference will be structured around plenary sessions, sectoral and thematic seminars, and discussion panels among other activities. It will be open to cooperators worldwide, but also to other civil society actors, development agencies, policy makers, institutional partners, government representatives, researchers, and all those who are concerned about development. Education, the role of women in society, the eradication of hunger and poverty, the right to housing, adequate health care, the protection of the biodiversity and the environment, new digital technologies, youth development awareness, etc. - among others - will be discussed and deliberated at the Conference.

For more information regarding the Conference visit www.kigali2019.coop