The International Day of Cooperatives 2021 (#CoopsDay) was celebrated on 3 July 2021 with the theme “Rebuild better together”. ICA-AP along with the ICA-EU Partnership organised an online roundtable to bring together stakeholders in the region to facilitate discussion between cooperative organizations and development actors and share experiences in international cooperative development.
Mr. Li Chunsheng, President, ICA-AP in his opening address highlighted how a human-centred business model, sustained by the cooperative values of self-help and solidarity and the ethical values of social responsibility and concern for community, can reduce inequality, create shared prosperity, and respond to the immediate impacts of COVID-19.
Mr. Amano Haruyoshi, Head of International Relations at the Japanese Consumer’s Cooperative Union (JCCU) shared his views from his long track record in international cooperation. He showcased how JCCU is meeting the COVID-19 pandemic crisis with solidarity and resilience and offering communities a people-centred and environmentally just recovery.
Mr. Korbinian März, Project Coordinator at DGRV and IRU (International Raiffeisen Union) said that to rebuild better together, after the devastating impact of COVID-19 on lives and livelihoods, the Asia-Pacific region needs to strengthen collaboration between cooperative development organisations and raise visibility and knowledge about the role cooperatives play in international development. Ms. Nina Larrea, Regional Director, We Effect Asia, said that we need to encourage partnerships that are more aware of the specific skills and expertise of the partners. A joint front is required to enable external actors (policy and funding) to better understand the advantages of cooperative development as an important development approach.
Mr. Tarun Bhargava, General Manager (Cooperative Relations) at the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) and Chairperson of the International Cooperative Entrepreneurship Think Tank (ICETT) explained how many organisations have shifted their thematic and geographic priorities in light of the pandemic. Youth integration, gender mainstreaming, technology adoption and resource mobilisation were highlighted as some of the common themes for collaboration.
Mr. Balu Iyer, Regional Director (ICA-AP) delivering the closing remarks said that the roundtable provided a good platform for potential collaboration to promote common interests and priorities. He noted that partnerships will support ICA members’ growing capacity in the region to advocate for and work with multilateral actors and national governments to (a) secure conducive policies on the part of international organizations where the pertaining national government is a member, and (b) provide members at the national level with instruments to substantially improve the policy environment for the development of cooperatives. This will also help highlight and share good practices and tools within the cooperative development work.
The roundtable laid the foundation for a potential joint front to promote cooperatives in the Asia-Pacific region with international actors, including foundations, aid agencies, regional bodies etc. Invoking the 6th cooperative principle of Cooperation among Cooperatives, ICA-AP encourages members to forge a joint front with other coops to serve their members effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement.
