It's a Fair Co-op
Source: International Development Magazine, Issue 25, 2004
www.developments.org.uk
(More on Fair Trade)
One of the leading players in the rise of fair trade in the UK has been the
Cooperative Movement which recently signed a Strategic Grant Agreement (SGA)
with DFID. Through the support of its members, the Movement believes it can play
a greater role in international development and the agreement with DFID will
focus on providing extra resources to develop its capacity.
The agreement is aimed at: enabling the Co-op Movement to become more aware of
the international development agenda and the Millennium Development Goals (MDCs);
improving information sharing between the Co-op Movement and other development
players and the global cooperative movement; and boosting the Movement's ability
to deliver help to southern cooperatives, including influencing international
cooperative development agencies such as the ICA, EU, ILO, FAO, etc and
governments.
Cooperative activities already have a significant impact in developing countries
particularly in agricultural marketing and supplies, savings and credit, social
protection - health and other forms of insurance, shelter, fairtrade, and
employment. The UN has estimated that the livelihoods of three billion people is
made more secure by cooperatives, that at least 800 million were members of
cooperatives, and 100 million people are employed by them.
As DFID attaches increasing importance to building a strong and effective
constituency for development in the UK, the development awareness focus is
concentrated on five groups: formal education, the media, the business
associations, trade unions, and faith groups. Strategic Grant Agreements (SGAs)
were established in 2002 to speed progress with civil society partners. They
target organisations for which international development is not their main focus
- but who have the potential to work strategically with DFID in reducing
poverty. To date SGAs have been struck with, among others the Trade Union
Congress (TUC), British Medical Association (BMA) and the Chartered Institute of
Public Finance and Accountability (CIPFA).
The aim is to contribute to a stronger, better informed and more engaged UK
constituency for development. One of the first outcomes of the new SGA with the
Co-op Movement is a survey launched by the Cooperative College into the
movement's awareness of global development issues. At the beginning of May, DFID
published a Target 2015 booklet in conjunction with the Cooperative College.
Currently the Cooperative College is preparing a paper on How to work with
Cooperatives. The paper is aimed at DFID country offices. While UK cooperatives
and their membership are being encouraged to make use of the fair trade pack -
Make your Town a Fairtrade Town.
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