Visibility Initiatives

Meet and Greet Webinars

The ICA-AP, along with the ICA Global Office, hosted a Meet and Greet session with Cooperatives in Asia-Pacific to showcase the impactful work of the ICA-AP Regional Office on 28 May. The session, moderated by Ms. Gretchen Hacquard, Director of Membership at ICA, highlighted the ICA’s structure, activities, membership benefits, and upcoming events, including the ICA General Assembly in New Delhi. Mr. Balu Iyer, ICA-AP Regional Director, presented the regional office’s history, strategic pillars, and ongoing projects. The guest speakers, Mr. Santhosh Kumar Shukla from IFFCO, India, and Ms. Sylvia Paraguya from NATCCO, the Philippines, shared insights into their organizations’ collaborations with ICA and ICA-AP.

The session also covered the eligibility criteria and process for joining ICA, encouraging interested organizations to become ICA members. The participants used the opportunity to ask questions and share their concerns/ suggestions. One participant shared insights into the cooperative movement in Balochistan, Pakistan, and emphasized the need for international cooperation to expand business opportunities for cooperatives in the region. The event also addressed regional engagement efforts, preparations for the ICA Global Conference, and the cooperative movement’s global contributions. Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav closed the session, emphasizing the importance of ICA membership and cooperation.

International Day of Cooperatives

On 6 July, cooperatives around the world celebrated the International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay, IDC) with the theme "Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All." This year, cooperatives showcased their current and historical contributions to building a sustainable future, accelerating efforts to implement the SDGs by 2030.

The Asia and Pacific region is home to a diverse and vibrant cooperative movement that has been instrumental in driving socio-economic development, promoting environmental sustainability, and fostering community resilience. On this CoopsDay, the ICA-AP Regional Office, in its position paper, highlighted the lessons learned and explored how cooperatives can keep making a positive impact and help build a better future for everyone. The office also executed a social media campaign called the « Power of Cooperatives, » featuring inspirational messages from the ICA-AP Board Members, which attracted good digital engagement.

Cooperative Research

18th Asia Pacific Cooperative Research Conference

The ICA-AP Committee on Cooperative Research (CCR) organized its annual Cooperative Research Conference from 16 to 18 October in collaboration with Uralungal Labor Contract Cooperative Society Ltd (ULCCS). and the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) in Kerala, India. The conference featured plenary sessions, panel discussions, and presentations of 84 research papers from across the Asia-Pacific region, providing valuable insights into the role of cooperatives in promoting social and economic inclusion. Notable paper presentation sessions included discussions on the impact of digital transformation, youth engagement, platform coops, and sustainable development within the cooperative sector.

The three Industry panels – a unique feature of this conference included two roundtables on pressing development issues – digital transformation in cooperatives, sharing international best practices in sustainable agriculture, and the opportunities and challenges development of sustainable agriculture (with a focus on Kerala and India). Additionally, the conference highlighted research on the unique role of cooperatives in Kerala’s knowledge economy.

Another exclusive event on the sidelines of the Conference was the Young & Emerging Scholars (YES) workshop, organized in collaboration with Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), iNET, New York, held on 15 October. It offered an intensive platform for young cooperative entrepreneurs and focused on equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to drive social impact through cooperative ventures. With a series of interactive sessions and skill-building exercises, the workshop emphasized themes like innovation, digital tools for social enterprises, and financial management.

The Mauritz Bonow Awards were given out for the eighth year in a row. The panel consisting of Dr. Sidsel Grimstad, Prof. Ann Apps, Ms. Rajeshwari C, and Prof. Akira Kuriomoto reviewed the full papers where the Young/Emerging scholar was the lead/ first author of the paper. The first prize was awarded to Stefano Tortorici from Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy, for his paper Redefining Platform Cooperatives Identities, Dimensions and Challenges. The second prize was awarded to Kanchan Koner from the University of Burdawa, India, for his paper - Mapping the Research Landscape on Cooperative Marketing in Agriculture: Bibliometric Study.

Knowledge Sharing

COOP Dialogue

The Office published two issues of COOP Dialogue (CD), its bi-annual magazine. CD 6 on ‘Positioning Cooperatives in the Gig and Platform Economy’ explored how cooperatives can address the challenges of the gig and platform economy through initiatives like SEWA’s data cooperatives in India, the Online Micro Sellers Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines, and MyCoolClass for online educators. These examples showed how cooperatives empower marginalized communities, enhance economic stability, and promote sustainable development. Highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement, the issue also discussed how effective partnerships with governments, financial institutions, and others are crucial for success.

CD 7 on ‘Cooperatives in the Social and Service Sectors in the Asia-Pacific Region’ highlighted the transformative role of cooperatives in the social and service sectors in the region. It showcased examples such as the Care Together program in Australia, the potential of worker-owned cooperatives in Chennai’s social sectors, Swach Cooperative in Pune, initiatives like Mushroom Buddies, a cooperative supporting persons with disabilities in Singapore, as well as community service efforts in Palestine and Japan. The magazine also included an engaging conversation with Ms. Diana Dovgan, Secretary General of CICOPA, who discussed the emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges facing cooperatives in these vital sectors.

Launch of E-Coop Series

Around CoopsDay, the ICYC launched a series of educational webinars focused on cooperatives called the E-Coop Series (Education on Cooperatives). It is a platform to disseminate valuable information on cooperatives to educate and empower youth across the Asia-Pacific region.

The first episode focused on "Understanding Cooperative Law Across Different Countries and Sectors," which provided a comprehensive understanding of the legal frameworks that govern cooperatives. The webinar featured an exceptional lineup of speakers who shared their insights and expertise. Mr. Santosh Kumar, Legislation Director at ICA, highlighted how legal frameworks and cooperative models can serve as powerful tools to support and inspire young entrepreneurs. Dr. Sagar Wadkar, Adviser for Research and Study at NCUI, emphasized the importance of by-laws in defining the structure and governance of cooperatives, offering practical guidance on drafting effective by-laws. Ms. Prakruthi Upadhyay Pandya, Director of Finance at National Yuva Cooperative Society Ltd. (NYCS), India, discussed the significance of legal resources and the need for capacity-building initiatives to support the growth and sustainability of cooperatives. The webinar provided participants with a general understanding of cooperative law and its implementation across different countries and sectors.

ICYC is excited to continue this journey by bringing more informative and engaging sessions. You can follow their official YouTube channel to get notified about future videos and updates.

Coop Colloquiums

Continuing its series of research & academic webinars, The ICA-AP CCR organized three iterations of coop Colloquiums.

The 9th edition, held on 27 February, in collaboration with the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia (CIM), focused on ‘The Art and Science of Managing a Cooperative: Unveiling the Secrets of Successful Co-ops.’ It explored good practices in cooperative management. Case studies from cooperatives in Malaysia, India, and South Korea highlighted effective cooperative management practices. These included detailed strategic planning by the leadership, comprehensive feasibility analyses, integrating technology, collaborating with external stakeholders, diversifying income streams, and enabling new business lines. The importance of learning and development programs, educational initiatives, and targeted capacity building for cooperative members and employees was emphasized to unlock their potential and contribute meaningfully.

The 10th edition, held in August, focused on ‘Harmonizing Cooperative Legal Frameworks: Insights from Indian Cooperative Laws.’ It brought together experts and researchers from 11 countries who discussed India’s evolving cooperative legislation, highlighting challenges in harmonizing state and national laws, the impact of recent policy initiatives, and lessons from international best practices. The guest speakers emphasized the need for balanced regulations, cross-border cooperation, technology-driven governance, and legal education to strengthen cooperatives. The colloquium provided valuable insights for future research, policy advocacy, and legal reforms to create a more enabling environment for cooperatives in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 11th edition, held in December, focused on promoting partnerships between governments and cooperatives, drawing insights from an exploratory study by Prof. Yashavantha Dongre and Prof. M. Indira. The study examined legal frameworks, policies, and cooperative roles across countries such as India, Nepal, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Key discussions during the webinar highlighted the diversity in constitutional and legal recognition of cooperatives, challenges like bureaucratic hurdles and limited representation, and successful practices such as Korea’s Framework Act and the Philippines’ Cooperative Development Authority. Participants emphasized the need for enabling policies, regular consultations, and knowledge sharing to strengthen collaborations, with recommendations including creating dedicated government departments, capacity-building programs, and streamlined administrative processes. The session underlined the potential of cooperatives in delivering welfare programs and concluded with a call for actionable strategies to enhance cooperative-state partnerships.

To cite this part

ICA-AP, « Promoting Cooperative Visibility, Research, and Knowledge Sharing », in ICA-AP Annual Activity Report 2024, New Delhi, 2024, online .