ICA launches cooperative cultural heritage webinar series with 200 participants
The discussions focused on the relationship between cooperation and living culture, highlighting the role of cooperatives in preserving traditional knowledge, skills, customs and community practices
BRUSSELS, November 7, 2026 – The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] has launched a webinar series on cooperative cultural heritage, bringing together 200 participants from across the world to explore the role of cooperatives in preserving cultural traditions and promoting sustainable development.
The inaugural webinar, titled “Cooperation that Echoes through Time: Cooperatives in the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development”, was organised by the ICA through its partnership with the European Union, with support from Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives [OCB], the ICA Ambassadors for Cooperative Cultural Heritage for Peace, under the leadership of the ICA Working Group on Cooperative Cultural Heritage.
The event coincided with the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, observed on October 17, and marked the beginning of activities aimed at connecting cooperative experiences across regions and shaping the movement’s contribution to the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development [2027–2036].
The discussions focused on the relationship between cooperation and living culture, highlighting the role of cooperatives in preserving traditional knowledge, skills, customs and community practices.
Speakers noted that cooperative cultural heritage extends beyond historic buildings, collections and sites to include the everyday practices through which communities organise themselves, pursue shared interests and address common needs. They also emphasised the importance of involving younger generations in preserving and passing on this heritage.
The webinar brought together representatives of the cooperative movement, cultural institutions, academia and international organisations. Speakers included Tiago Schmidt, chairperson of the ICA Working Group on Cooperative Cultural Heritage, and Lutz Möller, deputy secretary-general of the German Commission for UNESCO.
A session on living heritage, moderated by Helena Gorroño, vice-president for Europe at the ICA Youth Committee, featured presentations on the Haenyeo culture of Jeju in the Republic of Korea, social and solidarity economy perspectives, cooperative journalism and the preservation of historical collections.
Contributors included Prof. Jieun Kiaer of the University of Oxford, Prof. Colombia Pérez Muñoz of INDESCO, Miles Hadfield of Co-op News, Maissan Hassan of the International Institute of Social History [IISH] and Waltteri Katajamaki of the International Labour Organisation [ILO].
The programme also featured Erbin Crowell of NFCA/dotCoop, who discussed the culture of cooperation in the United States, while Ritika Khanna presented a knowledge and information brief on intangible cultural heritage and cooperatives.
Prof. Harekrishna Misra of the ICA Asia-Pacific Research Committee shared insights on cooperative heritage in research and development, while ICA Board member Osamu Nakano delivered the closing remarks, emphasising the importance of peace in the Cooperative Cultural Heritage [CCH] programme.
The discussions highlighted the need to translate recognition of cultural heritage into practical support for the communities and individuals responsible for preserving it.
Cooperatives, participants noted, can help achieve this by linking cultural practices to livelihoods, democratic ownership and collective responsibility, enabling communities to retain control over their knowledge and work while creating opportunities for younger generations to sustain traditional practices.
The ICA said the webinar series would provide a platform for continued dialogue and collaboration among cooperatives, heritage practitioners, young people, researchers and institutional partners, strengthening the contribution of cooperative culture to sustainable development.
The initiative is part of the ICA-EU Partnership [2024–2028], also known as #coops4dev, a five-year international cooperative development programme aimed at strengthening the ICA network and positioning cooperatives as key development actors within the European Union’s development agenda.
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