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The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) is one of
the smallest but oldest of the international
organisations in Geneva. It is also one of the least
well know, but the alternative that the ICA represents
to the global economic crisis has brought it into the
news again.
Founded in London in 1885, the organisation has had its
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland since 1982, at the
heart of the international arena. On the 6th
May of this year, the President of the ICA, Mr. Ivano
Barberini, a tireless promoter of the co-operative
movement passed away.
Maria Elena Chavez Hertig, a member of the ICA since
1987, explains that the worldwide ignoring of the
co-operatives is due to the fact that the United States
considers this movement to have its ideology rooted in
communism, and therefore it is not considered real
economics.
An Economical Alternative
Ms. Hertig explains “we crossed a global crisis and we
want to show that co-operatives are an alternative to
the current economic model, because the co-operative
system is more ethical, and co-operatives are more
democratic, as demonstrated by a recent ILO study that
states that co-operatives have not experienced the
crisis, because these companies are not looking only for
profits…it has been demonstrated in the financial area,
where the savings and credit co-operatives are very
successful, they have not broken the bank and they have
not needed the help of the United States”.
“Co-operatives seek gains for their members, but also
for associated social and cultural interests. They are
a model and a concept of how businesses should operate”
she explains citing as an example the Migros in
Switzerland, one of the countries largest co-operatives,
and also a member of the ICA.
“I think we should be aware of the value of
co-operatives” she insists “so we’re working on an
international level to get this message across, and our
study will be presented at the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), which is arranging a special
conference this summer to find a solution to the
financial crisis…the UN is considering creating an
International Year of Co-Operatives, which I think is
going to be celebrated because the organisations,
economists and governments are looking for new
alternatives to the crisis”, Ms Hertig stresses.
Marias Elena Chavez Hertig is aware of the importance of
co-operatives in the world, and has spared no efforts in
attracting new partners and also in reinstating those
who had withdrawn, as is the case of COOP, the second
largest co-operative of Switzerland: “They decided to
withdraw when they were just looking for a restructuring
and corporate identity and consumer market, and to be
less co-operative”. She goes on to explain that “it is
interesting to see now how the COOP in its advertising
emphasises the fact that it is now a co-operative”.
Belonging to the ICA
“A member benefits from the belonging to the family of a
global co-operative movement, the ICA provides a lot of
information and brings the experience of others. One of
our mandates is to increase the growth in members’
trade…we also have a development program where we look
for funds to help the co-operatives move into any type
of training, and also to grant them access to credit.
We help our members when they encounter problems
concerning government legislation, or when they cannot
be competitive in their markets…we have access to funds
which we provide for development programs to our
members. To belong to the ICA is to belong to a network
for the promotion of cooperatives.”
An Experienced Leader
Maria Elena Chavez Hertig joined the ICA in October
1987. She previously worked in Rome for COPAC
(Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of
Co-operatives). She is a graduate of Political Science
and French Literature, studies which “are the basis of
general culture and that enable another way of being -
to understand the international world” says the
multinational and multilingual Director. Born in Canada
to a Chilean father and Belgian mother, she grew up in
New York, her father working in developmental programs
of the UN. She is also the secretary of the Committee
on Gender and Governance of the Council on the Governing
Body of the ICA.
Swisslatin /Alberto Dufey
(1.07.2009) |
