Celebrating 101 International Day of Cooperatives: MTIC begins preparations

KAMPALA– The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives [ MTIC ] has started preparations to mark the 101 International Day of Cooperatives.

The cooperative movement in Uganda will on July 1, 2023, join the rest of the world to celebrate the Day under the theme, “Cooperatives for sustainable development”.

According to MTIC’s Robert Mpakibi Waiswa, this year’s celebration of the Day will be co-hosted by Lango Cooperative Union [LCU] and Walimu SACCOs Union Limited. President Yoweri Museveni is expected to preside over the celebrations in Lira City, northern Uganda.

During the celebrations, cooperators in Uganda will show how the cooperative way of working, inspired by the cooperative values and principles, has the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] as part of its DNA.

Mpakibi says the celebrations will include week-long activities, dubbed “the Cooperative Week” which begins on June 24, up to the Day itself. The activities include national prayers, blood donation, medical camps, tree planting, entertainment, exhibitions and symposiums.

MTIC has invited different stakeholders to be part of the National Organising Committee [NOC]       to prepare the related activities and the Day’s celebrations, with meetings scheduled to start Friday in MTIC.

Last year, the Day’s celebrations took place in Sheema Municipality, Sheema district, co-hosted by Muhame Financial Services Cooperative Limited and Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Society Limited.

The purpose of the International Day of Cooperatives is to increase awareness on cooperatives and promote the movement’s successes and ideals of solidarity, efficiency, equality and socio-economic transformation.

As natural vehicles of collaborative partnership and prosperity for all, cooperatives contribute to economic, social, and environmental sustainability across regions and economic sectors. It is inherent among them to safeguard community relations, enhance local resources, advocate social responsibility, and adopt sustainable and long-term business practices.

About the International Day of Cooperatives

Celebrated worldwide for more than a century and officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on the centenary of the International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] in 1995, the International Day of Cooperatives is annually commemorated on the first Saturday of July.

The aim of #CoopsDay is to increase awareness of cooperatives. The event underscores the contributions of the cooperative movement to resolving the major problems addressed by the United Nations and to strengthening and extending the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors. Since 1995, the ICA and the United Nations, through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives [COPAC], have jointly set the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay.

This year’s celebration will mark the 29th International Day of Cooperatives recognised by the United Nations and the 101st International Cooperative Day.

Through #CoopsDay, local, national, and international policymakers, civil society organisations and the public in general can learn about the contribution of cooperatives to a just and sustainable future for all.

https://thecooperator.news/2023-international-day-of-cooperatives-announced/

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