July 3: International Day Of Cooperatives
The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation will be observing the International Day of Cooperatives tomorrow [July 3], and this year’s theme is ‘Rebuild Better Together’.
A spokesperson said, “July 3rd is the International Day of Cooperatives, and this year’s theme is ‘Rebuild Better Together’! Cooperatives have responded to the Covid-19 crisis by drawing on the strength of the cooperative model to assist members and work towards the well-being of people and respect for the planet. Indeed, Covid- 19 has underscored the importance of the seventh cooperative principle, ‘concern for community’.
“As we collectively look to rebuild from the damages that Covid-19 has brought to Bermuda, economically and socially, this principle will be at the forefront of our recovery. While there are few cooperatives in Bermuda today, we have seen from the response of the global cooperative movement that no one has to face a crisis like the pandemic on their own. At BEDC, we believe that one of the responses to rebuild back better is for the growth of cooperatives in Bermuda.
“As a human-centered business model founded on the cooperative values of self-help and solidarity and the ethical values of social responsibility and ‘concern for community’, cooperatives can play a role in reducing inequality, create shared prosperity, and help Bermuda build back better from covid-19.
“The Economic and Cooperative Development Unit [ECD] at BEDC continues to engage persons interested in cooperatives and develop the policy framework to assist new and existing cooperatives in flourishing. As part of the post-Covid recovery for Bermuda, we are eager to restart our training and education programs on cooperatives and work towards developing a vibrant cooperative ecosystem in Bermuda as we advance!
“If you are interested in learning more about cooperatives, check out BEDC’s website for more information, or contact us at info@bedc.bm See also here.”
