Congratulations from the Euro Coop’s President on International Cooperative Day
On 5 July, we will join more than a billion people around the world in celebrating a special day: International Day of Cooperatives. On behalf of European consumer cooperatives, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to you all.
This year, this day marks the special highlight of the International Year of Cooperatives. The theme for this year’s day is: “Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a better world”. This slogan ties in with the theme of the International Year of Cooperatives: “Cooperatives build a better world.”
It is about the contribution that cooperatives can make to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – ambitious goals, but ones that are extremely important for better coexistence and the future of humanity.
The more cooperation and the promotion of the common good are at the forefront of the transformation of the economy towards greater sustainability and social compatibility, the more successful this transformation will be. Cooperatives are predestined for this. They stand for solidarity, focus their activities on the benefit of their members and are aware of their responsibility to the community. With this way of working, cooperatives are particularly well suited to respond to the most pressing challenges of our time.
The consumer cooperative model is a good example of this. We put local people and their needs first. Of course, the primary focus is on supplying good, affordable food and consumer goods for everyday needs. But consumer cooperatives have always been more than just supermarkets. Many consumer cooperatives, including your movement in Ukraine, are active in the education sector to improve the living conditions of their members.
The power of community is great: what individuals cannot achieve alone, they can achieve together.
Good framework conditions are necessary for cooperatives to develop their strength. These should not only be financial, but also include promotion and modern laws that support cooperatives. The Year of Cooperatives calls for dialogue with governments around the world to improve these framework conditions and help cooperatives to work even more effectively to make the world a better place. I am convinced that your country’s path into the European Union will, among many other things, help to ensure that cooperatives have a good framework for their work.
I wish your cooperatives, your members, employees and their families all the best in these difficult times!
