Co-ops and peace
Co-operative Institute for the Promotion of Peace and Social Cohesion proposed
Campaigns for economic alternatives should be linked to movements for peace. That’s the message coming from delegates at a world gathering of co-operatives meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) backed proposals to launch a Co-operative Institute for the Promotion of Peace and Social Cohesion. The decision came shortly after the UN International Year of Co-operatives began in November. The ICA emphasised the importance of co-operative principles in economics and peace-building. ‘Co-operatives can play an important role in war situations,’ explained Ian Macpherson, as he proposed the motion on behalf of the Canadian Co-operative Association. He said they could be involved in ‘mobilising consumer goods fairly, distributing them more equitably, avoiding hoarding, mobilising after conflicts and bridging differences’.
