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SEWA Women: Rising Strong and Empowered ( Kathy – New Delhi – December 2024)
Tote bag made by SEWA
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Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All – #IYC2025 – 4th Part ( Kathy -New Delhi – November 2024)
Attending the Global Conference on Cooperatives was an inspiring and thought-provoking experience. This summary focuses on my observations and reflections from Day 2 and Day 3, which were largely institutional in nature, showcasing the critical role of cooperatives in building a more inclusive and sustainable world. Inclusivity was a central theme, with a powerful intervention by Anne-Laure Degris, Co-CEO of SmartCoop, emphasizing the need for better representation of women within cooperative leadership. Her call to action highlighted a critical gap in gender equity that must be addressed to align cooperatives with their foundational values of solidarity and equality. I feel incredibly proud to be a member of SmartCoop, especially after Anne-Laure’s inspiring intervention, which underscored…
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Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All – #IYC2025 – 2nd Part ( Kathy -New Delhi – November 2024)
French version below Sunday, 24th Arrival in Delhi. A taxi arranged by the organization is waiting for me. What a warm welcome. And then, very quickly, the chaos begins—chaos with an Indian flavor.A mix of kindness, indifference, and extreme attentiveness. Organizing an event of such magnitude, with over 3,000 participants from 100 countries, is no small feat. There’s the accommodation spread across a dozen hotels, meals, badges to print and distribute, communications, congress scheduling, volunteers from IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative: https://www.iffco.in/en/corporate) assisting us, transfers, film screenings, security arrangements, and so much more. Monday, 25th And we’re off! The event is front-page news in every Indian newspaper. It’s also covered extensively…
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Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All – #IYC2025 – 1st Part ( Kathy – Udaipur – November 2024)
French and Dutch versions below A Movement Rooted in Values The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) https://ica.coop/en/our-work/cooperative-mission defines a cooperative as: “An autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise”. At their core, cooperatives are more than just organisations—they’re communities driven by shared values like self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. These values are reflected in the ICA’s seven principles, which include voluntary membership, democratic control, economic participation, autonomy, education, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for the community. Together, these principles empower members, foster inclusive decision-making, and drive sustainable development. I am a proud member of SmartCoop https://smart.coop/countries and this…
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Let’s Coop Together (Kathy – Alappuzha – Jan. 24)
Version en français plus bas When delving into the economic and social fabric of India, one discovers an enormous living network of cooperatives that weave connections beyond economic boundaries while bringing transformative change in various sectors. These collective entities are not just organizations; they reflect the communal spirit that characterizes Indian society. These collective organizations, founded on democratic principles and focused on the common welfare, have become catalysts for socio-economic development in the country. In the vast fields of India, agricultural cooperatives are like oases of solidarity. They not only facilitate production and marketing but also create spaces where farmers share their experiences, support each other to overcome seasonal challenges,…
Writing workshops around the world
