Our programmes work with a range of partners to build the capacity of the co-operative movement through education and institutional development. The successful candidate will have a strong background in international development programme management with experience in developing and managing projects preferably in Africa. International travel will be required. We are looking for a candidate with experience and ambition to effectively manage both existing and new programmes. The role will involve working with the College team of associate consultants.

For more information click here.

Dr Linda Shaw, Vice Principal – Research and International at the Co-operative College, welcomed the visitors, giving an overview of the co-operative movement in the UK.

The guests then saw co-operative buildings old and new during a tour of the Co-operative Group’s complex including, the new head office which is currently under construction, and met with the manager of a Co-operative store to find out about the range of products on sale. They also met Paul Flowers, Chair of the Co-operative Bank.

Emma was in Vilnius to give a presentation themed ‘From Rochdale to a Global Movement’ at a conference organised by the Lithuanian Co-operative Union. The conference was entitled Co-operative: International Experience and Prospects for Development in Lithuania’, and aimed to raise awareness of the co-operative movement in Lithuania among government officials and members of parliament.

Speakers at the conference, which was held in the ‘Seimas’ (Lithuanian Parliament), included Carlos Dellasega, the Director General of Cooperazione Trentina in Italy, Kazys Starekevcius, Chairman of the National Commission for Co-operatives and Minister of Agriculture, and Edmundas Pupinis, Chair of the Seimas Committee of Rural Affairs. Delegates also heard from representatives from Lithuanian agricultural co-operatives and credit unions.

The conference was attended by around 200 people from Lithuanian state and municipal institutions and agencies, co-operatives and credit unions.

Emma also visited the Union of Co-operatives and Vilnius Co-operative College. Read her blog posts about her time in Lithuania at www.co-op.ac.uk/blog.

About 110 first and second year co-operative management students gathered at the Richards Bay City Campus to listen carefully to a definition of ‘co-operative’ as explained by Sindisiwe Sokhulu of the Co-operative Management Students Society.

Other keynotes included types of co-operatives, examples of co-operatives and their core business descriptions, membership, the International Year of Co-operatives and the Co-operative College’s partnership with the KwaZulu Natal Department of Economic Development.

Stirling explained: “The Co-operative College has been working in KwaZulu Natal for more than one year; the province is one of the poorest in South Africa, but also one of the most committed to co-operative development. During the apartheid period, the co-operative ideal was distorted and they were a mechanism for providing cheap credit to white farmers. South Africa now has a very good legal framework for co-operatives and national and provincial governments have spent quite a lot of money on start-up support for new co-operatives. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to show for these efforts.

“KwaZulu Natal is now trying to relaunch its support for cooperatives. As part of this, the provincial government has sponsored a three year diploma course for young people who have a co-operative background, at the University of Zululand. The campus is at Richards Bay, in the north of the province, a big industrial centre and a major port. But most of the students have a rural background. The students are very enthusiastic and hungry for information about the co-operative movement globally.

“I was asked to talk to the first and second year students and I chose the topic of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives. At the Co-operative College, we want to make every session that we teach interactive, so I tried to get students on their feet and do some role-plays. Some of them were a bit shy but I think they enjoyed the session and I know I did.”

The Other Way Home teaser

The Statement on Co-operative Identity adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1995 states that co-operatives are there to meet the common, economic, social and cultural needs of their members through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. The Other Way Home provides compelling evidence of this in the context of the South East Housing Co-operative. The film uses the testimonies of members whose lives have been transformed for the better in that they have been able to get a home, as compared to simply somewhere to live, through the co-operative. Members’ pride in their homes and in the co-operative they are part of radiates from their and their families’ smiling faces as they tell their stories. The visuals from the members’ meetings bear witness to the thriving active participation they have developed. But these are not affluent families – the co-operative is in the social housing sector, providing quality social housing for low income groups, often priced out of the private rental sector, which is witnessed by the tales of the repeated number of moves families have gone through before joining the co-operative.

The United Nations has stated that: “Co-operative provide health, housing and banking services; they provide and promote education and gender equality and they protect the environment and workers’ rights. Through these and a range of other activities they help people better their lives and those of their communities.”

The Other Way Home provides the evidence of this, and proves what the ILO states in its document Working out Poverty: “Co-operative members learn from each other, innovate together, and by increasing control over their livelihoods build up a sense of dignity the experience of poverty destroys.”

Mervyn Wilson, Principal and Chief Executive of the Co-operative College, who visited SEHC in Melbourne, said: “Too often we hear that co-operatives are a quaint 19th century notion that has no place in the modern 21st century economy. Take a look at The Other Way Home – it will show you not only why we need co-operatives, but how they can enrich their members’ lives today.”

Watch the full (12 minute) documentary The Other Way Home at http://vimeo.com/37638602.

Co-operation works

The conference was organised by Common Equity Housing Limited, South East Housing Co-operative Limited and bankmecu, Australia’s first member-owned bank, and attended by hundreds of delegates including members of housing co-operatives, housing service professionals, building industry professionals and academics.

The event celebrated the diversity of housing co-operatives in Australia and their potential to create opportunities and build communities, tying in with 2012 International Year of Co-operatives.

Read more at: www.australia2012.coop/news-and-events/latest-news/march-2012/housing-just-beginning

Further images:

[Show as slideshow]

The series, called ‘Co-operation in Practice’, was made by the SouthEast Housing Co-operative in Melbourne. As well as defining each value and principle in a practical sense, it covers governance; co-operatives’ relationships with members and directors; the importance of education to co-operatives and the resurgence in co-operative education; the spread of co-operation internationally; and the sometimes unclear relationship between co-operatives and social enterprise.

Wilson explained: “If you look at any co-operative you ought to be able to judge it by looking at how those values and principles are put into practice in everyday life.”

He added that “the ethical values are particularly important to co-operatives” because it was the lack of these values among nineteenth century businesses that allowed the co-operative movement to grow. Wilson gives an example of honesty: the Rochdale Pioneers kept the scales in their store on view to show that they gave honest weights and measures at a time when it was common to cheat shoppers out of goods and sell adulterated food. The so-called ‘Rochdale Principles’, said Wilson, continue to guide co-operatives today.

The spread of co-operation since the days of the Rochdale Pioneers has been inspiring and, as Wilson notes: “Co-operatives have managed to develop and flourish in all political and economic systems. Co-operatives are becoming more and more the part of a modern, twenty first century economy.”

Watch the videos online using the password SEHC.

Principles

Members

Governance

Education

Directors

International

Social Enterprise

Ana Rey and Ana Torrado started at the Co-operative College at the beginning of March and will stay until July. Ana Rey, from Seville, has a background in marketing and is working on the relaunch of the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, which will reopen in spring following a major refurbishment.

Ana Torrado, from the beach-side town of San Pedro in Malaga, would like to pursue a career in event management and PR. She is assisting the College with upcoming events being held for the International Year of Co-operatives. This includes helping plan the Meet the Pioneers schools event in Rochdale in May, which will introduce students and teachers to the story of the Rochdale Pioneers, and assisting with preparation for the College’s Mainstreaming Co-operation conference in July.

Ana Rey has degrees in advertising and PR and marketing at the University of Seville, and a Masters in web design. Anna Torrado also studied advertising and PR, at the University of Malaga.  Both concluded their studies in 2011.

Ana Rey explains what attracted her to marketing: “When I was studying publicity and advertising I realised I really like marketing. In the future I would like to work in a marketing department as you have to do research and investigate a lot and make conclusions about why people like something or not and how to communicate to them.”

Ana Torrado’s enthusiasm for event management is the result of organising an ethical event for schools when she studied in Holland as an exchange student. It raised funds for two African students to study in Holland. She said: “It was rewarding and a lot of fun. A lot of students came.”

Event management also appeals because, says Ana: “I want a job where there is constantly work to do and it is different everyday and you are always surprised.”

Ana Rey has extensive work experience in Spain. She worked on communications for Heineken, where she helped with a magazine for employees. She also worked in the marketing department of a software company. While she was doing her Masters in web design she worked for an advertising company.

Despite this, it is still hard to find a job. She explained: “I can’t find a job in Spain as the situation is really bad. I want to improve my English and meet new people and learn what it’s like to work abroad. If you don’t know English you can’t get a job in Spain. Everyone has a lot of degrees and everyone always has something better than you. You always need to be the best in everything.”

Ana Torrado agreed: “There is a really big crisis in Spain. It’s really, really difficult for young people. All you can get is just unpaid internships, but no contracts. As soon as one person finishes an internship, there is another graduate ready to take their place so there is no incentive for companies to hire anyone.”

Both Ana Rey and Ana Torrado are well travelled and studied in Holland through the Erasmus programme during their degrees. They agree that it is important to live in other countries and explore other cultures. Ana Torrado said: “I love travelling and living in different countries – this is my fourth! I love learning about different cultures. It’s important and it helps you both personally and professionally.”

Some of Ana Rey and Ana Torrado’s experiences of Manchester so far have surprised them, especially its ethnic mix. Ana Rey said: “I was surprised by the mix of cultures in Manchester. I like that because you can see people from all the countries and everyone is the same. There is no difference.” Ana Torrado observed: “Most of the people in Manchester aren’t from here.”

Another point of difference between the UK and Spain is the working day, for example only having one hour for lunch. Ana Rey also highlighted the lack of kitchens in workplaces in Spain – and the British love of tea! She said: “Everyone is drinking tea here. I enjoy that! I have never seen that before in a company. It makes people speak to each other and creates a nice environment.” Ana Torrado added: “You can drink tea while you’re doing work!”

Both Ana Rey and Ana Torrado have learned a lot about co-operatives since they have been at the College. Ana Rey said: “Co-operatives are really interesting. It’s a different way to do things.” Ana Torrado added: “I like the way co-operatives work and they way they treat their staff. I really like their philosophy of one member one vote – democracy!”

They will be more aware of co-operatives when they return to Spain. Ana Torrado is a big football fan, but had not realised Barcelona FC or her favourite football team, Real Madrid, are co-operatives.

Ana Rey and Ana Torrado are looking forward to making the most of their time at the College. Ana Torrado said: She said. “I am looking forward to doing my job as well as possible and doing creative events and seeing them be a success. I also want to learn as much as I can. I hope we have a lot of fun and get along with everyone and I hope you enjoy our company. I hope we get to know Manchester.”

Ana Rey concluded: “I’m looking forward to being useful and doing real things.”

College staff have volunteered to be on a new, dedicated blogging team. Our bloggers are drawn from different teams to ensure the blog represents the diversity of the College’s work, although they will be joined by guest bloggers from other parts of the College from time to time.

The core blogging team comprises Jess Wilson, Schools Trust Co-ordinator from the Schools team, Archivist Sophie Stewart from the Heritage team, Michelle Sansby, Customer Services Manager – Information & Systems from the Co-operative Learning & Development Team, Emma Willder, Vice Principal – Finance & Resources, Ceri Smith, Contracts & Compliance Manager in the Finance & Recources team, and Funding Development Manager Sue Hennessey. They are also joined by Simon Sheppard, who is currently Project Archivist on the Robert Owen Correspondence Collection, and Heather Roberts, Archive Assistant, who is working to catalogue the records of the Co-operative Group as buildings are vacated ahead of the Group’s move into its new premises. Heather is sharing unique insights about what it’s like to be an archivist, and revealing treasures unearthed in the dark, dusty world of the basements under the co-operative complex.

Follow the Co-operative College’s blog at www.co-op.ac.uk/blog.