On Saturday 3 July 2021, the International Day of Cooperatives (#CoopsDay) will be celebrated. The theme this year is “Rebuild better together”. Cooperatives around the world will showcase how they are meeting the COVID-19 pandemic crisis with solidarity and resilience and offering communities a people-centred and environmentally just recovery. More than one billion cooperators worldwide continue to prove that no one needs to face a crisis like the pandemic on their own, says the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
“In the last year, we have witnessed how the cooperative model has been working towards the well-being of people and respect for the planet, underscoring what the cooperative movement stands for. We will indeed rebuild better together, and I’m confident that we will see many stories of how the cooperative movement can help communities become stronger in the post-pandemic world”, declared Bruno Roelants, Director General of the ICA.
In his video message for Coops Day, ICA President Ariel Guarco said: “Today, more than ever, an economic model with community leadership focused on the common good is necessary. The cooperative model is the answer.”
In the fields of insurance, health, agriculture, production, retail, finance, housing, employment, education, social services and many other spheres where cooperatives are found, more than one billion cooperative members worldwide continue to prove that no one needs to face a crisis like the pandemic on their own. The ICA says Coops Day will be the occasion to spread the word about how a human-centred business model, sustained by the cooperative values of self-help and solidarity and the ethical values of social responsibility and concern for community, can reduce inequality, create shared prosperity and respond to the immediate impacts of COVID-19.
The ICA calls on cooperators and partners around the world to get ready to celebrate Coops Day on 3 July and to show the world how the sector can “Rebuild better together”.
Webinar “Cooperatives for a better recovery”
As part of the celebrations for International Day of Cooperatives 2021, the ICA together with the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), will host a webinar entitled “Cooperatives for a better recovery” on Friday 2 July at 15.00 CET. Register here.
High-level speakers representing COPAC members will be addressing celebratory keynote speeches, sharing their views on how cooperatives can build a people-centred and environmentally just recovery by being embedded in the global recovery strategies.
Later in July, COPAC is joining the 2021 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to promote cooperatives and discuss their comparative advantages on rebuilding a better recovery for all in a webinar: “Rebuild better together: Cooperatives’ contribution to a people-centred and environmentally just recovery”. The webinar will take place on Monday 12 July at 13.30 (CET) / 07.30 (EDT). Register here.
Panellists specialised on cooperatives representing COPAC members and grassroot cooperators will share their experiences and discuss how cooperative action can constitute an indispensable component in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs for the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery.
Keynote speakers from the European Commission and a EU Member State will also provide insights for a coop-centred recovery
About the International Day of Cooperatives
Marked by cooperatives worldwide since 1923 and officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on the centenary of the ICA in 1995, the International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July.
The aim of Coops Day is to increase awareness of cooperatives and promote the movement’s ideas of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace. Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) have jointly set the theme for the celebration of Coops Day.
This year’s celebration will be the 27th International Day of Cooperatives recognized by the United Nations and the 99th International Cooperative Day.
Through Coops Day, local, national and global policymakers, civil society organisations and the public in general can learn about the contribution of cooperatives to a just future for all.
