2012 International Year of Cooperatives: Rabobank Eerste Sponsor IYC 2012
Geschreven op 10-1-2012 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Int. Samenwerking
Nou, ik zal het maar eerlijk toegeven. Ik had de start van het 2012 International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) op 31 oktober 2011 helemaal gemist. U misschien ook wel. Blijft ook gek om het 2012 International Year of Cooperatives al in 2011 te beginnen. Waarom zo’n jaar niet gewoon op 1 januari 2012 kan beginnen is mij een raadsel, maar bij de United Nations zal men er wel een geweldig goede reden voor hebben. Hoe dan ook het jaar van de cooperaties is van start gegaan en het is onze eigen Rabobank die als eerste sponsor van het International Year of Cooperatives de boeken ingaat. Mooie bijdrage van Nederlandse bodem.
“Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. With the theme of “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”, the Year seeks to encourage the growth and establishment of cooperatives all over the world. It also encourages individuals, communities and governments to recognize the agency of cooperatives in helping to achieve internationally agreed upon development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, particularly their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. So what exactly are cooperatives? What differentiates them from other forms of business? What are the advantages of cooperatives for members and communities in general? Cooperatives are business enterprises owned and controlled by the very members that they serve. Their member-driven nature is one of the most clearly differentiating factors of cooperative enterprises. This fact means that decisions made in cooperatives are balanced by the pursuit of profit, and the needs and interests of members and their communities. Cooperatives take many forms and operate in all sectors of society. Most share a unique set of principles which keep them attuned with their member-driven characterization.
Rabobank Group has come forward as the first donor to the International Year of Cooperatives and the work of the United Nations on Cooperatives in Social Development. In an effort to ensure the success of the upcoming International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), Rabobank has earmarked US$200,000 to help finance the communication campaign and other activities focused on promoting and supporting the role of cooperatives in social development. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Rabobank is one of the 30 largest financial institutions in the world. It is a cooperative, governed by its members, and providing a wide range of financial services. “We are a cooperative enterprise,” said Piet Moerland, chairman of the Executive Board of Rabobank Nederland, “and not only have we seen how this model of enterprise has worked to provide sustained growth in the Netherlands, but we also use our development expertise, through Rabo Development and Rabobank Foundation, to successfully support households and businesses in other parts of the world.”Source: IYC
UN Millennium Development Goals Summit New York: We Can End Poverty in 2015 – Acht Millennium Doelen voor 2015: Een Gemengde Balans en Gemengde Gevoelens – Het Akkoord van Schokland Project 2015: Millennium Ontwikkelingsdoelen - Fantastiche Bijlage van De Standaard: Millenniumdoelen De Stand van Zaken – Millennium Doelstellingen – Time 2 Wake Up by MDG Spot 2015: Maak Een Eigen Filmpje – Het Akkoord van Schokland en Het Actieplan Duurzame Handel 2011-2015 – UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Don Cheadle among stars to lead fight against poverty
Erik van Erne zegt:
6 februari 2012 om 06:12 | Permalink
The 2012 International Year of Cooperatives will receive the stamp of approval many times over with the release, next week, of the Australia Post commemorate stamp.
Australia is the only country to have both stamps and a coin issued in celebration of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC 2012). The commemorative $1 gold coin was released by the Royal Australian Mint in November 2011.
The stamp will be launched at a special event at the Melbourne Town Hall on February 15th by the President of the International Co-operative Alliance, Dame Pauline Green, DBE, from the UK. Source: Pro Bono News