Cooperativism: a model for post-Covid reconstruction

On the 3rd of July the International Day of Cooperatives was held, which this year was dedicated to the slogan: “Rebuild better together.”  With this commemoration, the cooperatives from all over the world have wanted to show how they have faced up to the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with solidarity and resilience, offering their business model for an environmentally-friendly recovery, centred on people.

At the celebration, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), an independent, non-governmental organisation that brings together and represents cooperatives on an international scale, guarantees that, “over the past year, we have been able to see that the main priorities of the cooperative model have been the well-being of the people and respect for the planet, which reinforces the principles which uphold this model.”

The message chosen for this edition wanted to underscore the success of cooperativism as a recovery and joint working model that will contribute to creating a stronger society after the pandemic.

Although the celebration dates back to 1923, it wasn’t until 1995, the year of the 100th year anniversary of the ICA, when the United Nations officially proclaimed it as International Cooperatives Day and since then, it has been commemorated on the first Saturday in July every year.