The Isle of Man, specifically the Manx parliament building, was the setting for one of the final presentations by Co-operative Society representatives at the conclusion of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives.
Former director-general of the International Co-operative Alliance Iain Macdonald addressed an audience in the Barrool Suite of the Legislative Buildings that included members of the House of Keys and Legislative Council, local councillors, commissioners and other policy makers, in a move to raise awareness of the co-operative business model that aimed ‘to build a better world.’
With his experience of the global co-operative movement Mr Macdonald was at pains to point out that co-operatives were ‘not just about food stores; they’re so much bigger than that,’ he said. Some 274 member organisations in 98 countries were providing 100 million jobs, in all a representative body of around one billion members and within the top 300 co-operative organisations in the world total turnover, including the banking and insurance sector, was $1,975.6 billion.
The official end to the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives had been celebrated in Manchester in October with a trade fair where 50 countries had been represented, trading, said Mr Macdonald, ‘in everything from coffee to carpets and demonstrating the sheer size and scale of the movement.
‘We believe co-operatives are a better business model, culturally, ethically, socially and economically,’ he explained, adding that the core values and principles had been established in the early 1800s by socialism pioneer Robert Owen and ‘the Rochdale pioneers who set the philosophical tone’ that contributed to the movement’s continued success.
‘Democracy is the essence of co-operatives. It’s the people who count, not the money. Co-operatives offer a means to help people help themselves out of poverty.’
Employing a democratic risk-averse business model meant co-operatives were more resilient to financial crisis Mr Macdonald said, concluding: ‘Given the state of the world today, doesn’t the co-operative message ring true?’
Mr Macdonald was followed by chairman of the Manx Co-operative Society and director of the Co-operative Group Eric Calderwood who referred to the organisation’s democratic structure and said its risk-averse approach had meant the group’s banking business had remained ‘sustainable’ throughout the banking crisis.
He went to explain that in the Isle of Man, where it operated 10 stores, the Manx Co-operative Society was looking at ways of ‘developing the offering’ and creating added value for its 17,500-strong membership. And in his closing remarks he urged the policy makers in the audience ‘to involve co-operation in your thinking.’
Photo - Former director-general of the International Co-operative Alliance Iain Macdonald. Picture Andrew Barton
