2012 declared Year of the Co-operatives by UN

News Release
OCA

On behalf of the Premier of Ontario, Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, congratulated Denyse Guy, Executive Director of the Ontario Co-operative Association, on the United Nations declaration of 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives (IYC2012).
In a letter about IYC2012 to the Ontario Co-operative Association dated July 27, 2011, the Minister stated, “Our government recognizes the importance of co-operative initiatives. We also value the significant contributions that the many different co-operatives make to the economic and socio-economic well-being of the province.”
The Minister says she looks forward to the International Year and added, “I share your enthusiasm for this United nations initiative as it provides an excellent opportunity to recognize how the co-operative business model helps promote economic development within Ontario, across Canada, and globally.”
The International Year of Co-operatives, which runs from January 1 to December 31, 2012, officially launches on October 31, 2011 and will be celebrated by co-ops internationally. More than 1 billion people are members of co-operatives world-wide.
In Ontario, IYC2012 launches during the annual Co-op Conference and Gala, held October 19, 2011 in Burlington, ON. Ontario’s 1300 co-ops, credit unions and caisse populaires will be utilizing the world’s attention to promote their use of the co-operative enterprise business model, and increase awareness and understanding of co-operatives.
The Ontario Co-operative Association has organized an IYC Ontario Task force to create a provincial network of IYC and co-op champions who will provide assistance in engaging and empowering their own co-ops, and those in their communities, sectors and networks, to participate in individual and group IYC activities. The group, which will hold its third meeting in September, has been instrumental in brainstorming IYC activities that can be implemented at a local level.
On Co-op has created a ‘Get Involved in IYC’ page on its website. Whenever the Association issues its bi-weekly e-newsletter, two small or easy-to-implement IYC ideas are added to the growing list of IYC initiatives on the On Co-op website. The list is currently at 21 items and can be viewed at http://www.ontario.coop/all_about_cooperatives/2012_the_international_year_of_cooperatives/iyc_2012_get_involved