Spanish | Dame Pauline Green

I am conscious that this award is given to the ICA for the work that it has done over its 117 year history as steward of the values and principles of our global movement and for its work to drive the development of co-operatives across the world … but in reality, it also represents the intrinsic recognition of the work of the billions of individual co-operators who are the real heroes and heroines.

It is their work over the last century and a half and today, that has helped to reduce conflict, embed democracy, build community cohesion, build skills and expertise, develop local leadership potential, support women into positions of economic activity and leadership in their communities – in effect they have been building civil society – all with the intellectual underpinning of the value of common endeavour in sustainable member- owned, local enterprises – in effect they have helped to take millions out of poverty with dignity, by helping them to build their own co-operative enterprises.

Pepe Miquel Valencia award

I’m travelling to Valencia in Spain’s sunny south tomorrow. While the sun may shine on its inhabitants much of the year, news that the Spanish Government may hike taxes on basics like milk, bread and sanitary items as part of continuing austerity measures has hit a population already reeling from one quarter of its population being without a job, with the figures for young unemployed being particularly cruel at around 50 per cent.

But, amid all of the difficulties the Spanish people are facing, co-operatives in Valencia added jobs in the past year. Anecoop and Consum, two co-operatives I am very much looking forward to visiting, have put in strong financial performances in difficult economic circumstances. Consum has even found the impetus and funds to dramatically improve its environmental performance. That’s the co-operative difference!

And the government of Mariano Rajoy is doing its bit to help fund entrepreneurial activity and self-employment in the social economy by boosting its spending in this area. With this in mind, just consider if some of the funds that have been used to bail out failing banks in the past months, or allocated to the now nonetheless desired high court probe into Bankia – Spain’s fourth largest bank – had been put into co-operative development? That would have done much to help the Spanish people get through the pain, and helped Spain jump the very real hurdles in front of it on the bumpy path to economic recovery.

Pepe Miquel Award

Dame Pauline Green

President, International Co-operative Alliance

Tag Archives: Spanish

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