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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><B><U><FONT face=Arial color=#008000 size=6>
<P align=center>International Day for Co-operatives</P></B></U></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><B><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=5>
<P align=center>Mass Bay Co-op Faire</P></B></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><B><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=5>
<P align=center>Saturday, 2011-July-02</P>
<P align=center>10 AM to 2 PM</P>
<P align=center>Harvest Co-op Market, Essex St. parking lot, Cambridge,
MA</P></B></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><B><U><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=4>
<P align=center>First Annual Event</P></B></U></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P> </P>
<P>Every year, the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), based in Geneva,
and the United Nations (UN) co-sponsor the International Day for Co-operatives
on the first Saturday in July, which is July 2nd in 2011.</P>
<P>This year, Harvest Coop Markets is sponsoring a Co-op Faire, featuring
Boston-area cooperatives and their supporters. The Faire is co-sponsored by the
Boston-Area Solidarity Economy Network (BASEN), the Co-operative Fund of New
England (CFNE), BRANCHES housing co-ops, Equal Exchange, the Beacon Hill Friends
House, the Boston Building Resources, and, at least, a dozen other co-ops of all
types.</P>
<P>These co-ops will come together in the parking lot adjacent to Harvest from
10 AM to 2 PM and set up tables & chairs, canopies & booths with banners
& signs, to pass out flyers to the public, talk with interested potential
members, share an afternoon with coop-minded people, and celebrate the joy of
building the co-op movement. Add a bit of food for the gatherers to share and
the screening of the film "At Home in Utopia", about housing co-ops in New York
in the 3o’s 40’s & 50’s. Participating co-ops expect good weather and a
marvelous time supporting co-ops and connecting with co-ops around the
world.</P>
<P>This is the first year that a celebration of the International Day for
Co-operatives is being held in the Boston area. We are engaging our co-op
community with not only co-ops around the world, but also complementary local
movements. We hope the Mass Bay Co-op Faire becomes an annual event, in which
all area co-ops can share.</P>
<P>History shows that the periods of greatest co-op growth are when the economy
is coming out of a recession. As people get back on their feet, they work to
organize different ways of building economic organizations that will not
replicate the previous business disasters. That time is now. As we come out of
the "Great Recession", we are already seeing a boom in co-op organizing and the
time is now to point the way to a better future -- co-operatively.</P>
<P> </P></FONT>
<P><STRONG><FONT size=3>Background</FONT></STRONG></P><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P>The International Day for Co-operatives was first declared by the ICA in
1923. According to their web site </FONT><A href="http://www.ica.coop/"><FONT
face=Arial size=2>www.ica.coop</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, "[i]n 1994,
thanks to the lobbying efforts made through the Committee for the Promotion and
Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) of which the ICA is a member, the United
Nations recognised and reaffirmed that co-operatives have an important role to
play in economic, social and cultural development and proclaimed an UN
International Day of Co-operatives to be celebrated for the first time in 1995,
marking the centenary of the establishment of the ICA. The UN requested all its
member governments to join with their co-operative movements to celebrate the
day."</P>
<P>According to COPAC at their web site </FONT><A
href="http://www.copac.coop/"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>www.copac.coop</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, the "[t]he aim of the
International Day of Cooperatives … is to increase awareness on cooperatives,
highlight the complementarily of the goals and objectives of the United Nations
and the international co-operative movement and, underscore the contribution of
the movement to the resolution of the major problems addressed by the United
Nations. The International Day also aims to strengthen and extend partnerships
between the international cooperative movement and other actors, including
governments, at local, national and international levels."</P>
<P>Every year a theme is chosen to represent the emphasis that the world co-op
movement places on that aspect of co-operation. In 2011, the theme is "Youth,
the future of co-operative enterprise". In previous years, the themes have been
"Cooperative enterprise empowers women" (2010), "Driving Global Recovery through
Cooperative Enterprise" (2009), "Confronting Climate Change through Cooperative
Enterprise" (2008), "Cooperative Values and Principles for Corporate Social
Responsibility" (2007), "Peace-Building through Cooperatives" (2006),
"Microfinance is OUR business: Cooperating out of poverty" (2005), "Cooperatives
for Fair Globalisation: Creating Opportunities for All" (2004), "Cooperatives
Make Development Happen!: The contribution of cooperatives to the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals" (2003), and "Society and Cooperatives: Concern for
Community" (2002).</P>
<P> </P>
<P>For more information or to apply for a table space for your co-op at the
Faire, contact <A href="mailto:rwayneclark@igc.org">rwayneclark@igc.org</A></P>
<P>See you there!</P>
<P> </P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>