How will major changes in Canadian and global economic structures impact management practices in co-operatives?  Recognizing that the capacity to adapt to these changes will significantly impact the market position of co-operatives, how can co-operatives best take advantage of their distinctive qualities as co-operatives? The conference theme builds on those two central questions.

Union Cab is a worker-owned cooperative founded in 1979.  We have 240 members, and are located in Madison, Wisconsin.  We are looking for a Business Manager to fill the following job description:

The Funeral Co-operative of Ottawa is part of a movement aimed at changing the cost of funerals in Canada. It is a community initiative providing members with compassionate, high quality funeral arrangements on a not-for-profit basis. It is owned and managed on the co-operative principle of one member, one vote.

The newly formed Funeral Co-operative Ottawa is presently in the development stage. In preparation for a July 3rd opening, we are seeking expressions of interest from individuals who would like to work for a Co-operative and under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors. The position will include management and licensed Funeral Director responsibilities. The salary is competitive.

Check out news from the ICA conference, an update from the online CoopZone training courses, CoopZone conference workshop summaries, CDI conference videos and more!

The United Nations has proclaimed 2012 the International Year of Co-operatives (IYC). In Canada, national IYC efforts are being led in partnership by the Canadian Co-operative Association, the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité and the Government of Canada.  Look around this site: www.canada2012.coop to find out more!

Please see newsletter attached below.

WHERE:  Sri Lanka
WHEN: as early as March 2012, approx. one month
APPLICATION PROCESS:  Please send a detailed letter of interest and copy of your resume to Sarah Feldberg, Volunteer Coordinator at sarah.feldberg@coopscanada.coop by January 17, 2011.  Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.
 
*This is a voluntary assignment. All related costs including domestic airfare, ground transport, and a meal/incidental allowance will be covered by CCA.  Limited remuneration may be available based on relevant experience.  For more information contact Volunteer Co-ordinator, Sarah Feldberg.

"Co-operatives need to develop a ‘breed of capital’ – ‘co-operative capital’ – that appeals to their members' values and is consistent with and nurtures the co-operative business model. Millions of co-operative members are looking for investments that do not harm the planet and their children and grand-children. It is time to meet our members' needs.”

On the occasion of 2012,  declared by the UN as the International Year of Cooperatives, Euricse and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) are organizing an international conference, Promoting the understanding of cooperatives for a better world. This Conference is one of three official ICA events  during the International Year of Cooperatives and will be one of the key moments during the year in which reflections on cooperation will be  offered to the  international public. The Conference aims to give an updated picture of the current state of the scientific debate on the nature, impact, and potential of cooperative enterprises. Among the participiants will be many of the most noted academics and economists who have addressed the economic and social role of cooperative enterprises using innovative approaches .

The deadline in November 17, 2011. It is a 6 month program and starts on December 1, 2011.

TELE-LEARNING SESSION: Presented by Vanessa Hammond & Jean-Pierre Girard: Health Care Co-operatives, in Canada & globally, (Introduced by David Daughton)

Note: videos are below, while PowerPoints and notes are attached at the end.

-Official Launch of CICOPA-North America, short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZZ2UEl7cSE) long video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzQxGHyDz8)

note: videos are below, while PowerPoints and notes are attached.

-Issues and Challenges of Business Transfers - Peter Hough, Financial Officer at the Canadian Worker Co-opertive Federation. October 12, 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC-AMKRGx6g)

WHERE: Cambodia & from home

WHEN: Two to three weeks January 2012 with email/skype support before and after trip

APPLICATION PROCESS:  Please send a detailed letter of interest and copy of your resume to Sarah Feldberg, Volunteer Coordinator at sarah.feldberg@coopscanada.coop by November 11, 2011.  Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Attached below is a flyer and a speech that was handed out to Occupy Toronto participants to highlight a democratic business model alternative and the role co-operatives play in the world today.

Dear ICP groups,

Next week, CDI will welcome to the Ottawa Conference more than 75 people from 50 co-ops. Registration to the conference did very well and the conference was fully booked in no time, which shows that our event fills an important need in the Canadian co-op sector. This year, CDI innovates with a pilot-project: we will webcast the conference live!! Selected panels will be made available to watch live on the net on Friday and Saturday, October 28-29, Ottawa time. All presentations will be available in both official languages: the voice transmitted on the internet will come from the speaker if they are Anglophone, or from the simultaneous interpreter if they’re not. People will also have access, from home, to the PowerPoints that will be used by our speakers. A chat room will be open so that people from home can ask questions to our panellists, live!  In addition, the speakers’ presentations and success stories from ICP groups will also be available on the internet a few weeks after the conference. It is a tremendous opportunity to get interesting training on issues of vital important for the co-op development in Canada! Attached, you will find the webcasting schedule. CDI is partnering with a co-operative from Montreal, Webtv.coop, to webcast the conference.