Co-operative Institute for the Promotion of Peace and Social Cohesion proposed

Co-ops and peace

Co-operative Institute for the Promotion of Peace and Social Cohesion proposed

by Symon Hill 16th December 2011

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’.


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