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Cooperativism
BIRTH OF THE GREAT IDEA
In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution took place in England. Labor lost significant bargaining power. Low wages and long working hours brought many socioeconomic hardships to the population. Faced with this crisis, leaders emerged among the working class who created welfare associations. This experiment did not yield positive results.
Based on previous experiences, they sought new approaches and concluded that, with the formal organization called a cooperative, it was possible to overcome these difficulties. This was so long as human values were respected and specific rules, norms, and principles were practiced.
Then, 28 workers, mostly weavers, met to discuss their ideas. They respected their customs and traditions and established rules and goals for organizing a cooperative. After a year of work, they accumulated a capital of 28 pounds and were able to open the doors of a small cooperative warehouse on December 21, 1844, in the Rochdale neighborhood of Manchester, England.
The Rochdale Society of Equals was born, known as the world's first modern cooperative. It established the moral principles and conduct that are still considered the foundation of authentic cooperativism today. By 1848, it had 140 members, and twelve years later, it reached 3,450 members with a capital of £152,000.
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FORM OF ORGANIZATION
Cooperativism is a movement, a philosophy of life, and a socioeconomic model capable of uniting economic development and social well-being. Its fundamental principles are democratic participation, solidarity, independence, and autonomy.
It is a system based on the union of people, not capital. It aims at the needs of the group, not profit. It seeks joint, not individual, prosperity. These differences make Cooperativism the socioeconomic alternative that leads to success with balance and fairness among participants.
Associated with universal values, Cooperativism develops independently of territory, language, creed or nationality.
PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATIVISM
At the Congress held in commemoration of the Centenary of the International Cooperative Alliance, in September 1995, the congressmen, representing cooperatives from all over the world, embodied the basic principles of Cooperativism, as being:
I. Voluntary and free membership - Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use their services and assume responsibilities as members, without discrimination of sex, social, racial, political and religious.
II. Democratic and free management - Cooperatives are democratic organizations, controlled by their members, that actively participate in the formulation of their policies and decision-making. Men and women, elected as representatives of the other members, are accountable to them. In first-degree cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote); in higher-level cooperatives, the organization is also democratic.
III. Economic participation of members - Members contribute equitably to the formation of the capital of their cooperatives and control it democratically. Part of that capital is normally the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive, if any, a remuneration limited to paid-in capital as a condition of their membership. Do members allocate surpluses to one or more of the following purposes: development of their cooperatives? eventually through the creation of reserves, part of which, at least, will be indivisible; benefit to members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; support for other activities approved by members.
IV. Autonomy and independence - Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations, controlled by their members. If they sign agreements with other organizations - including public institutions - or use external capital, they must do so under conditions that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain the autonomy of society.
V. Education, training and information - Cooperatives promote the education and training of their members, elected representatives and workers, so that they can contribute effectively to the development of the group. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
SAW. Intercooperation - Cooperatives serve their members more effectively and give strength to the cooperative movement, working together through local, regional, national and international structures.
VII. Interest in the community - Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities, through policies approved by the members.
ADDRESS
Pernambuco Street, 370 - Boa Vista
São Mateus-ES, ZIP Code: 29931-230
CONTACTS
Tel.: +55 (27)99602-2407
contato@coopbac.coop.br