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Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade
Taking the co-operative way of doing business to a new level!
The Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade is a global strategy of and for co-operatives. And it is decidedly ambitious! To achieve the 2020 Vision of the Blueprint, the Alliance pursues Blueprint programmes in five priority areas:
- PARTICIPATION
- SUSTAINABILITY
- IDENTITY
- LEGAL FRAMEWORKS
- CAPITAL
The 2020 Vision
The 2020 Vision, embedded within the Blueprint strategy, aims for the co-operative form of
business – by 2020 – to become:
- The acknowledged leader in economic, social, and environmental sustainability
- The model preferred by people
- The fastest growing form of enterprise
The 2020 Vision rests on five pillars where co-operatives must make significant strides in order to reach their full potential. The first two – Participation and Sustainability – are differentiators. These traits set co-operatives apart from other business models in the marketplace. The third – Identity – takes the core and backbone of the co-operative model into our digital and virtual age. The fourth and fifth – Legal Frameworks and Capital – are exogenous factors that can inhibit or facilitate co-operative economy.
The Alliance pursues Blueprint initiatives in these five priority areas in order to achieve the 2020 Vision. Nevertheless, reaching our goals requires all hands on deck. Tell us what you are doing with the Blueprint!
PARTICIPATION
Democratic governance is one of the co-operative tenets – “one member, one vote” – and it sets co-operatives apart from investor- or shareholder-owned counterparts in the marketplace. And there is more to participation in a co-operative than just its governance. In co-operatives people are directly engaged in the economic activities of their communities. Through co-operative ownership and participation, individuals are more engaged, productive, and fulfilled citizens of our contemporary world. The Blueprint aims to elevate participation to a new level.
SUSTAINABILITY
By placing human need at their centre – rather than profit – co-operatives overcome short-termism and introduce real choice in how business is done. Quite simply, co-operatives are builders of sustainability.
Co-operatives have always endeavoured to enable people to have access to goods and services without exploitation – to realise their needs and aspirations. This has led co-operatives to pursue a convergence between economic, social, and environmental interests. The Blueprint aims to position co-operatives as builders of sustainability.
IDENTITY
Co-operatives are the only known form of organisation to boast an internationally agreed definition and code of ethics. The Values and Principles capture the core of how co-operatives do business. And they demonstrate the heritage of a long-standing and successful business model.In light of the failures of investor- and shareholder-owned enterprises, the co-operative identity – the co-operative brand – is increasingly sought after. The Blueprint aims to build the co-operative message and secure the co-operative identity.
LEGAL FRAMEWORKS
Co-operatives require laws and policies that facilitate development and growth, just like any other form of enterprise. And the legal framework plays a critical role for the viability and existence of co-operatives.
The Blueprint aims to provide assistance to lawmakers and regulators so that the growing enthusiasm for the co-operative form of enterprise is met with supportive legal frameworks that will unleash the full potential of co-operative economies.
CAPITAL
Businesses cannot function without capital, and co-operatives are no exception. And co-operatives require specific mechanisms that allow for a full and robust capitalisation strategy all the while preserving member control. Because co-operatives have particular needs, they also offer particular innovations.The Blueprint aims to secure reliable streams of co-operative capital while guaranteeing member control.
The Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade is unabashedly ambitious!
The Blueprint aims to strengthen the co-operative model and grow the global movement. Co-operatives are a vehicle of growth and development – a business model that allows people and communities to meet their needs and aspirations.
Co-operatives offer a unique answer to contemporary problems – a space where individual economic pursuits are valued, and where these economic pursuits are embedded within a holistic consideration of the world in which we live.