Calling all Co-op Developers!!!

The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) has received a grant from the Co-operative Development Initiative administered by the Co-operatives Secretariat to bring together ten outstanding co-operative developers in a sustained effort to explore and publicize Best Practices in Canadian Co-operative Development.

Our first step in this task is to identify these 10 respected developers. We are asking your assistance to help identify them from across the country - people whom you think should be included in this project. 
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The 4^th annual international youth conference will be held May 24-27, 2006, in Manchester and Rochdale, U.K. - the birthplace of the international co-operative movement. The theme of this year's conference is Co-operating Out of Poverty: Can Co-ops Save the World? A billion people live in extreme poverty, earning less than a dollar a day. Collective action through co-operatives offers an effective tool for ending poverty.

Visit the Co-op Youth Zone for information on the event and how to register. >>

BCICS and the International Co-operative Alliance will co-host an international workshop and conference exploring the theme: Co-operatives in the Pursuit of Peace. Presentations will examine the role of co-ops, past and present, in promoting social cohesion at the international, national, and local level. June 19-23, 2006.
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Send papers to: peaceco@uvic.ca

The BCICS has joined forces with the International Co-operative Alliance and the International Labour Organisation in a developing an collaborative online resource for the co-operative community.

Click here for more information on the project and on how your organisation can be involved.

• On Building Alliances: Credit Union Service Organisations (CUSOs)
• 160th Anniversary of the Rochdale Pioneers
• More Professional Development Courses in Co-op Studies
• BCICS Publishes 3 New Books
• And much more.

To read online Click Here.

The BCICS, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, the International Co-operative Alliance, and the Canadian Co-operative Association, is preparing a book showing how young people around the world are using co-operatives to meet their economic and social needs. It will feature essays by young people exploring the world of co-operatives and co-operative action.
Click here for more info and info on participating in the project.

The BCICS and the Division of Continuing Studies, Business and Management Programs at the University of Victoria, are offering four new professional development courses on Co-operatives. For more information Click Here.

The BCICS is proud to present the new and improved discussion forum. Please take a few moments to visit and check out the new functionality. Users can post topics for discussion or announce upcoming events in their community, create and take part in online polls, and exchange private messages with other users.

The BCICS is currently working on a three-year project, British Columbia in the New Economy: The Role of Co-operatives in Rural and Remote Communities. To read more about it, Click Here.