COOPERATIVES UNITE FOR GOOD: A BETTER WAY

October 13-19, 2013 is Co-op Week in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Co-operatives here will join with more than 360 cooperatives with over 200 million members in 102 countries worldwide to celebrate their mission and heritage. The theme of Co-op Week 2013 Cooperatives Unite: A Better Way, encapsulates what has long been co-ops philosophical principle - cooperation among cooperatives to better serve their members. In an era that continuously poses economic and financial challenges for people around the world, this theme honors the cooperative principles and positions co-operatives as an effective and sustainable alternative to other business models. Co-operatives have been an important player in the Vincentian economy for more than 60 years, and are as relevant today as they ever have been. The co-operative network in St. Vincent and the Grenadines consists of 18 primary societies (credit unions and general co-operatives), 87 junior co-operatives, 1 secondary apex co-operative (the national League), and 1 credit union service organization (a microfinance co-operative). With more than 64,000 members St. Vincent and the Grenadines has the 2nd highest per capita Credit Union Movement in the world. A majority of Vincentians believe in the values and business practices that cooperatives uphold. It is the goal of all credit unions to offer access to affordable financial services to all their members and provide even the most financially disadvantaged the tools and the opportunities to be financially self-sufficient. Vincentians know from 60 years of experience that co-operatives support community values, contribute to the local economy and engage in socially responsible practices. As co-ops celebrate today, it is with the conviction that uniting for collective good, pooling and sharing of resources to create jobs, keep wealth in local communities and build and expand the Movement is the better way.