ICA: Cooperators converging to Quebec City

Leaders from the cooperative community and other sectors are converging on the Quebec City Convention Centre, in Canada, for the third edition of the International Summit of Cooperatives from October 11 to 13, 2016.

A delegation of three persons from IFFCO including Aditya Yadav, A K Singh and Tarun Bhargava has also gone to participate in the event. There are three main functions-the seminar based on the theme “cooperatives’ power to act”, elections to ICA board for two seats and meeting of Youth Leadership Circle.

This year, the Summit is highlighting “cooperatives’ power to act,” a key instrument for sustainable development. Recognized for its contribution to the betterment of communities, the cooperative model contributes just as much to global prosperity; the 2.6 million cooperatives and mutuals with 1 billion members worldwide generate US$3 trillion annually and some 250 million direct and indirect jobs.

The world’s 300 largest cooperatives alone produce combined turnover equal to Canada’s GDP. The vital forces of the cooperative community from 103 countries will therefore create fertile ground for discussions on sustainable growth.

Top five distinguished economic thinkers will share their insights on the new global socioeconomic and geopolitical realities. Joseph Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University in the City of New York and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, Jeremy Rifkin, American prospective essayist, Robert Reich, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and prominent opinion leader, Mark Kramer, founder and managing director of the FSG consulting firm in Boston, and  Navi Radjou, eminent innovation and leadership advisor based in California, will discuss the major issues of the 21st century and the business models most conducive to global prosperity.

More than 200 internationally renowned speakers will address the specific challenges faced by cooperatives and mutuals, and will propose concrete solutions to strengthen their role as the vector for social and economic change.

To keep the power of cooperatives going strong, the Summit also focusses on succession. As part of the Young Leaders Program, young cooperators from around the world aged 20 to 35 will have an opportunity to meet with top executives from the cooperative community and representatives of international organizations, such as the UN and WHO, in order to learn about best practices that guide cooperatives and mutuals. These meetings, combined with the many conferences and discussions, will familiarize them with the essential role that cooperatives and mutuals play in implementing sustainable economic development strategies.

The event attracts more than 2,500 participants from 103 countries.