Co-operatives Globally

Why we work with co-operatives globally

Co-operators have also been internationalists. And one of the principles that guide our movement is the idea of co-operation between co-operatives. For more than 150 years, foreign visitors came to the UK to learn about co-operatives, and British co-operators travelled abroad, sometimes to find suppliers, but also to talk about the idea of a different kind of business.
Co-operatives can play an important role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations estimates that the livelihood of nearly four billion people depends to some extent on co-operatives and an important focus of the College’s international work is supporting co-operatives in the common global endeavour to end poverty and create a fairer world for all.Our international work with co-operatives

The Co-operative College works in nearly 20 countries in Africa and the Asia/Pacific region. We work with other co-operative colleges in Africa, with the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations agency responsible for co-operatives; the International Co-operative Alliance, the coordinating body of the global co-operative movement; and individual co-operatives.

Central to our work is building the capacity of co-operatives and co-operative institutions, such as colleges.

In Africa, for example, we are working with co-operative colleges in eight countries to modernise their curriculum and teaching methods, and help them reorient themselves towards supporting co-operatives enterprise.