The 2014 International Summit of Co-operatives is calling upon co-op leaders to “say loud and clear” that co-operatives are providing solutions to global challenges.

Following the 2012 summit, which focused on the “power of co-operatives” as a substantial force in the global economy, this year’s gathering of co-operative leaders in Quebec City from Oct. 6 – 9 aims to focus on challenges of growth and performance with an international lens.

One of the most exciting aspects of the summit is the opportunity it presents for co-ops to co-operate across borders on global issues like food security or health care, says Kevin Harding, British Columbia Co-operative Association (BCCA) director of co-op development.
 
The summit is a biennial gathering of co-op leaders across many sectors to share and discuss the challenges and opportunities they are encountering in the field. This year’s event converges on five key themes: sharing experience and tools for developing co-operative and mutual enterprises; financing and capitalization; food security; health and social-care services; and employment.
 
“The breadth of knowledge and experiences you can be exposed to (at the summit) is something invaluable for any co-op,” Harding says. BCCA is among other organizations that have a partnership agreement with the summit, enabling them to host a “mini summit” for their B.C. membership prior to the larger gathering in Quebec City.

“We’d like to get everyone in the room together and talk about some of the collective goals that B.C. co-operatives have going into the summit and strategize ways to really make use of the time and to make the most impact that we can. We have a lot to share as well,” Harding says.
 
“We are really excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the international summit and to share in both the learning and the networking opportunities to see how British Columbia can take an active role in the summit as we go forward,” he adds.

For more information on the summit, visit www.intlsummit.coop

A version of this article was originally written for the British Columbia Co-operative Association (BCCA) news service. This repost, for which we received permission, follows the style guidelines of the original post. To learn more about generative newsroom options for your organization or community, please contact peter(at)axiomnews.ca.