IYC Reports ~ Cluster Call information ~ Links
On Thursday, January 12th, cooperatives came together to show their pride in the co-op business model and what they have to offer the world. The United Nations General Assembly annouced the proclamation in 2009, and over the last three years excitement and plans gathered toward this single showing of cooperative spirit. Internationally, nationally, provincially - down to the very grass root communities in Alberta - celebrations joined in the united cause to "build a better world" through cooperative businesses.
The AFREA celebrates, not only its own cooperative status, but that of its cooperative members - Rural Electrification Associations (REA). We are unique - in Canada, REAs only exist in Alberta; we are small but strong - many member REAs celebrate 60+ years; we provide a service to rural consumers borne of those who joined forces in the late 1940s to bring power to even the farthest farmhouse.
The AFREA was asked to join other Alberta co-op representatives on the Alberta steering committee for IYC 2012 planning, including among others the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA), Servus Credit Union, Co-operators Insurance Agencies, and the Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops. Several initiatives were discussed by the committee to bring provinical co-ops together. The province-wide IYC 2012 launch was just one and it is just the beginning. As we look forward to the upcoming year and beyond, we realize we must embrace the co-op model, create awareness, and enforce the benefits this type of business can offer in today's economy. Co-ops have been around for a long time but there is more work to do in order to increase the number of people who know what co-ops are and what they can do!
CO-OPS IN ALBERTA - a Google map is in the works to include all Alberta co-ops. Check out its progress and marvel at the number of cooperatives throughout the province. Zoom in to get an idea of the co-ops that operate in your own community.
http://tinyurl.com/albertacoopsmap
Create a Co-op Cluster - are you looking to celebrate? Combine your efforts with neighboring cooperatives to bring awareness and fun to your community. The IYC co-ordinator, Sarah Arthurs, is available for conference call consultations to encourage cluster events, discuss options, and share success stories. Working together we can create a buzz that will last all year long.
Next Cluster Conference Calls
Thursday April 19 10:00 amThursday April 19 7:00 pm (For Housing Co-ops)May 17 10:00 am- June 21 10:00 am
Call in number 1 866 613 5223 Call in ID 4241718
Please RSVP to sarah.arthurs@prairiesky.ab.ca
SHARE YOUR IDEAS - GETS SOME IDEAS - FIND OUT WHERE TO START - LEND A HAND = COOPERATIVES!
Promotional material is available through the AFREA for members interested in handing out some IYC gifts - buttons, magnets, paper flags.... Please contact our office if you are planning an event. Quantities on hand are limited but they are also avaiable through the local Flag Shop. Use the link below - contact linda@afrea.ab.ca for more information.
http://iyc.flagshop.com/
Social Media Connections & News:
Alberta Co-op Cafe Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Co-op-Cafe/181455038572693
AFREA Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Federation-of-Rural-Electrification-Associations-Ltd/184529828226653?v=info
Strathcona County Co-ops Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IYC-2012-Strathcona-County/254371121292593:
IYC Alberta - follow us on Twitter @IYCalberta
AFREA - follow us on Twitter @AFREA1
Local news updates on ACCA web site: http://acca.coop/alberta-co-op-cafe/
Alberta Co-op Launch Video: http://clients.pyramidproductions.tv/html/clients/acca/
News Coverage:
A POEM FOR COOPERATIVES - IN CELEBRATION:
The International Year of Co-operatives
by Mary Pinkoski, on the occasion of the IYC launch at the Mountain Equipment Co-op, Edmonton.
they say that it takes a village to raise a child,
but it also takes a village to raise a village
to raise a community
to raise a country
our country was built on the possibility
and the promise of a handshake between friends
built on the hope harboured in knowing that dirt under your fingernails
was the same dirt that was under the fingernails
of your father, your uncle and your grandfather
built on the coming together of women
in halls and around kitchen tables
despite the distance of geography
we have grown in community
despite the solitude of climate
we have borne the weight of responsibility for our neighbours
our country is a gift
that moves with the spirit of cooperation
and so, in celebrating this international year of cooperatives
this poem is for the group of Alberta farmers
who plowed fields and gathered grain together,
who raised barns and then sat in them for dances
the farmers who paused to watch the way
the prairie dust picked itself up just before a storm
and swirled in unison with struggle but did not back down
the farmers whose dreams did not stop at the edge of their fields,
the ones who stepped out onto ledge of the horizon,
swallowed the winds of change and fought to unite
the farmers brave enough to tie themselves to the land and to each other
knowing that strength is found in numbers
the poem is for the business owners
whose parents travelled here in steamships
with coins sewn into the seams of their clothing
this poem is for those who knew too well
the sound of ripping thread
to release the last of paycheque
who dreamt of wealth in a new way
who were not afraid to put words
like credit and union together
this poem is for the Nova Scotian students
who imagined new societies without company stores and houses
where people had the power
It is for the students that rewrote textbooks
Over songs of the dirty thirties dustbowl
the students that dared to sing while the country lamented
the students who taught communities to join hands
lest their circle be unbroken
this poem is for the group of outdoor adventurers from Vancouver
who found themselves scheming mountains in a rainy tent
on Mount Baker 40 years ago
a group who lived for the beauty of this country,
who longed for the potential of the shared experiences
offered by its diverse geography
a group who knew the value of a tying a strong knot in a climbing rope
who joined themselves together to bring
their passion of adventure and environment to Canadians
this poem is for the dairy farmers and the grocers
the insurance brokers and the bankers
all those who stand in community before wealth
who value democracy and volunteers
this poem is for possibility and promise
for the gift of hope harboured in community
for strength in unity
this poem is for the power of cooperation
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| Cooperatives Matters 2012 June Issue 14.pdf | 847.48 KB |
