Cooperatives – people-centred businesses serving international development

On 31^st October, Cooperatives Europe, in partnership with ICA Africa, organised the workshop “Growing Cooperatives Globally – Cooperative contributions to international development”. The meeting focused on the role of cooperatives in development processes and is included among the actions prepared and carried out by the Cooperatives Europe Development Platform (CEDP) within the ‘Cooperatives in Development’ project, supported by the EU Commission.

With the growing involvement of the private sector in development processes, this meeting was an opportunity to cast light on the great assets offered by cooperatives in international development. The workshop was a great occasion to recall the impact of cooperatives in international development, in particular with regards to the empowerment of women and the creation of efficient cooperative networks.

The meeting highlighted the importance of cooperatives as people-centred businesses; as they are value-based businesses, cooperatives take into account social concerns, and locally rooted approaches benefiting the wider community.

Klaus Niederländer, Director of Cooperatives Europe, said: “Networks are about partnerships, about people. Cooperative networks are much stronger because they are people-driven. This is the main reason we are here today, to highlight the importance of working together bringing our regions closer in order to grow cooperative networks, and while doing so, contribute to cooperative development”.

You can find the photos of the event in our Flickr account.