NEWS RELEASE

SVG IYC 2012 COOPERATIVE MARCH AND RALLY

On Friday February 24, 2012 more than two thousand cooperators and cooperative well-wishers will march from the Peace Memorial Hall at 3:00pm through the streets of Kingstown under the banner of the International Year of Cooperatives and gather at the Heritage Square for a massive Cooperative Rally. In addition to showcasing the vibrancy of the SVG Cooperative Movement, the March and Rally will celebrate the values and legacy of Vincentian cooperatives, and underscore the role of coops as people-centered, values-based organizations that offer a compelling model of socio-economic enterprise relevant for todays challenges. A main feature of the Coop Rally will be an address by the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves. The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Arnhim Eustace will also address the Rally. Stalwart cooperator and former President of GECCU, Sister Rene Baptiste, will deliver the keynote address which will trace the origins, impact and future development of the SVG Cooperative Movement. Other feature speakers at the event will be Hon. Frederick Stephenson, Minister of National Mobilization and Social Development; Bro. Cecil Jackson, Registrar of Cooperatives and this countrys Focal Point to the UN on IYC; and Bro. Junior Bacchus, President of the SVG Cooperative League. This Rally will hear solidarity messages from the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU); the Eastern Caribbean Cooperative Central Ltd (ECCCL); and Presidents of local cooperatives. The Rally will include a rendition of the IYC Theme Song Building Cooperation by Shaunelle Mc Kenzie, poetry, dance and other cultural presentations. The Coop March and Rally has been organized by the SVG IYC Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of social development and National Mobilization.