Previous Events

The European Development Days Conference

Stockholm, October 22-24th

Dr Samantha Lacey represented the Co-operatives for Development programme at The European Development Days Conference.

The European Development Days are a yearly event hosted jointly by the European Commission and the EU Presidency. It brings some 4 000 people and 1 500 organisations from the development community together on an equal footing. Delegates from 125 countries are represented, including heads of state and leading world figures, Nobel prizewinners among them.

The event aimed to make development aid more effective, to build a global coalition against poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Through frank and sometimes controversial debates on pressing issues, such as governance, poverty and environmental sustainability, the European Development Days provide unprecedented opportunities for sharing ideas and launching innovative partnerships.

To learn more about the conference, please follow this link.

ICA General Assembly – “Global Crisis – Co-operative Opportunity”

Geneva (Switzerland), 16-20 November 2009

Dr Linda Shaw will attended the ICA General Assembly in Geneva.

The Assembly focused on the fact that the co-operative form of enterprise is more resilient in periods of crisis and has an important role in contributing to global recovery despite the global recession.

To view the General Assembly programme, please follow this link.

The Co-operative Party Conference

11- 13th September 2009, Edinburgh

Linda Shaw and Rebecca Forecast attended the Co-operative Party Conference, distributing a number of our recent publications. A full report of the conference and list of motions can be viewed here.

UK Society for Co-operative Studies Annual Conference 2009

Building a Co-operative Economy: Opportunities and Challenges

5-6 September 2009, Ruskin College Oxford

Linda Shaw attended the conference, where a number of our latest publications were distributed. To read more about the conference, click here.

International Co-operative Alliance Research Conference

People before profit: the response of co-operatives to the global financial crisis and economic recession

2-4 September 2009, Oxford, United Kingdom

At the ICA Conference, the Co-operatives for Development programme launched the three new publications. Dr. Linda Shaw and Dr. Samantha Lacey attended alongside other programme associates and representatives from DFID.

The conference addressed the following questions:

  • Declining trust – governance and regulation innovations: Are financial services co-operatives such as co-operative banks, building societies and credit unions weathering the crisis better than their investor-owned counterparts? If so, what lessons can they teach governments about good governance and bank regulation? Can they provide a viable alternative, or will they suffer from over-regulation as governments that do not understand the ‘co-operative difference’ tighten up on all banking institutions?
  • Unemployment and social cohesion: With rising unemployment, what role can employee-owned and other co-operatives play in generating new jobs?
  • Declining state services: as the state faces dramatically increasing budgetary demands, and is turning more to market solutions, how can co-operatives help fill the gap and be both distinctive and competitive?
  • Support Needs: What is the role and potential of co-operative development agencies? How can federal bodies and consorzi strengthen the sector?
  • Housing crisis: With rising home repossessions, can housing co-operatives provide a people-centred alternative? What kinds of government policies are needed to enable housing co-operative sectors to expand to meet the affordability gap? Are there specific models such as limited or shared equity co-ops that can combine individual home ownership with collective security?
  • Local-global tensions – With a shrinking global economy, what is the role of co-operatives in sustaining local economies? Are there models that can be replicated, such as consumer/farmer partnerships in local food strategies, or shared service co-ops for local businesses?
  • North-South issues – With falling demand for products from developing countries, what is the role of consumer co-operatives in increasing fair trade? What can we learn from existing north/south partnerships, and can these be replicated?

To read more about the conference programme, please click here.

Can Values Make A Difference? Co-operatives – moving from the Rochdale Pioneers to the 21st Century

July 1st- 2nd 2009, Manchester

The Co-operative College, Liverpool John Moores University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Edge Hill University and the University of Central Lancashire organised this hugely successful international conference on the co-operative movement.

From its origins in the 19th century the co-operative movement has developed a global presence and reach. In 1995 an international statement of identity, together with a set of core co-operative values and principles, was agreed. Since then the movement has entered a period of renewal and growth, leading many to identify the 21st century as a period of co-operative renaissance.

Taking the theme of co-operative renewal, the conference explored turning points and examined the ways in which co-operative values have been central to the emergence of co-operative enterprises across the world.

The conference was attended by over 120 delegates, comprising of a unique blend of academics, researchers, co-operators and young people from Co-operative Trust Schools. On the evening prior to the conference, delegates were invited to an evening of stimulating discussion, good food, and fantastic views of Manchester from the 24th floor of the CIS tower. The following evening there was a visit to Toad Lane, where delegates enjoyed a drinks reception whilst reflecting on the history of the co-operative movement and its relevance to the revival of co-operative development today.

To read more about the conference programme, please click here.

To view photos from the conference, please visit our Gallery

Below is a selection of papers presented at the conference:

Suleman Chambo “Relevance, Opportunities and Chall the Co-operative Movement in Africa” (Download)

Samantha Lacey “Beyond a Fair Price- the Co-operative Movement and Fair Trade” (Download)

Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation Conference

“Reflecting on Co-operation: Celebrating 25 Years of CASC and 100 years of the Canadian Cooperative Association”

May 27th- 29th 2009, Ottowa.

In many ways, the context in which co-operatives operate has changed dramatically since the founding of the Co-operative Union of Canada in 1909. Their role has also shifted, from emphasizing single bottom lines to multiple ones, and single stakeholder groups to the needs of workers, consumers, and the wider community. At the same time, the nature of co-operative research has also evolved since the emergence of CASC.

Yet at their core, co-operatives have changed very little – their purpose has remained essentially to improve the lives of stakeholders in a manner that is equitable and democratic. In response, at the root of scholarly inquiry lie two consistently asked questions: “How does the co-operative form improve the conditions and capacities of those it affects, and what helps or hinders co-operation?” Conference participants were invited to submit abstracts that in some way reflected on the history of co-operation, changes in the co- -operative sector, and new methods of co-operative research.

Linda Shaw and Samantha Lacey from the Co-operatives for Development programme of the Co-operative College presented their latest research at the conference.

The Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation conference features in the May 2009 edition of the ICA-Americas newsletter, which can be downloaded here.

ICA-Americas Newsletter 1 May 2009

Department for International Development (DFID) White Paper Consultation

The Department for International Development (DFID) is producing a new White Paper entitled “Eliminating World Poverty: Assuring our Common Future”, looking at the challenges facing the world and the global solutions we need to develop together to address the economic downturn, climate change and conflict and security.

DFID is held a series of expert meetings on the major themes of the White Paper as well as a series of public events around the UK between 18 March and 18 May. For more information about the consultation, please click here.

Ethical Shopping: the Producers’ Perspective (December 4th 2008)

Following on from the successful Ethical Shopping at the Crossroads conference in 2007, Ethical Shopping: the Producers ‘ Perspective examined the extent to which consumers‟ concerns over the ethical production of their food has impacted on commercial practices. It took place on 4 December, 2008 at the British Library Conference Centre and addressed the following questions through six conference threads.

  • At a time of rapidly rising prices and concerns over food security, has the ethical consumer movement made its voice heard down the supply chain?
  • Are food producers, in the UK and abroad, heeding calls for more sustainable production?
  • How can social and economic justice for small-scale farmers be achieved?
  • How can we make their voice more effective in the future? How are communities on the ground taking action to respond to the desire for sustainable food?

For the full report of the conference please click this link and to see pictures of the event, please visit our photo gallery.

Ethical Shopping at the Crossroads (December 5th 2007)

A conference organised by Co-operativesUK with the Co-operative College, the Co-operative Bank and Ethical Consumer.

Conference theme:

‘Conscious’ shopping has been gaining ground over the past five years. Climate change- “the most important challenge humankind has had to face” – is at last influencing our behaviour, while the scourge of poverty underpins much of what we all consume. Fair trade sales are at all time high, the shopper looks for organic foods or those of local provenance, energy from ‘green’ suppliers, and seeks out clothing that we hope is fairly produced – free from exploitative labour practices or made by children. Ethical trade is high on the agenda, and not just of the politically correct. Ethical shopping is set to go mainstream.

What are the implications of going mainstream? Is the adoption of ethical trading by the corporates a great success or selling out? And is it making a difference? Can we expect to see a backlash? Is the type of organisation we buy from or trade with important? Should we be consuming less, not just differently?

Who is jumping on the ethical bandwagon and why?

For the full report of the conference please click here.