Co-op News March 2023

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GLOBAL UPDATES TURKEY AND SYRIA Co-ops mobilise to support communities hit by twin earthquakes Co-ops around the world have rallied to support those affected by the twin 7.8 and 7.7 earthquakes that struck Southern Turkey and Northern Syria on 7 February. Nearly 25,000 buildings have collapsed or were badly damaged as a result of the quake, according to Turkish officials. As of 21 February, the confirmed death toll for Turkey and Syria was nearing 50,000, with the number likely to increase. It is estimated that over 13.5 million people have been affected by the disaster. The Federation of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Turkey (Tarimkredi) was quick to step in to support its members and communities. “We are safe, but we are not well as millions of people have been affected” said Burçak Akansel, corporate communications specialist. “It is such a huge disaster affecting 10 provinces. The situation is very severe due to the harsh weather conditions, blocked roads and infrastructure, which makes it even harder for the aid materials to be dispatched to and the search and rescue teams to reach the quake-affected zones. “As Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Turkey, we have more than 1,600 cooperatives all around the country; 150 co-operatives with 80,000 members are in these 10 provinces hit by the earthquakes, half of which have been damaged, to the best of our knowledge. We can neither tell the exact number nor how much damage has been caused at the moment. “We also have co-op supermarkets selling co-op products. We sent 14 trucks filled with food and hygiene products working in collaboration with AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority). We are working on a debt relief programme for our members.” Before sending 14 trucks to the area, Tarimkredi distributed 50 truckloads of goods from its warehouses in the region, and is raising money for the earthquake victims via its network of employees. p Inogar Coop members helping in the recovery efforts And through its mining subsidiary Gübretaş Maden, the co-op sent a team of miners trained in search and rescue to provide support and logistical assistance. “Last but not least, our co-operatives and personnel still do their best to serve our members by providing their basic needs such as animal feed free of charge. We are working on initiatives to postpone and restructure their debts, as well,” added Akansel. Other Turkish co-ops are fundraising to support those affected, including Genc Isi Kooperatif (Youth Deal Cooperative) in Izmir, Turkey. “In Turkey, 14% of co-operatives and 11% of co-operative members are in the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake,” said Berkin Şafak Şener, a member of the co-op. “Two of our members were planning to travel to Şanlıurfa to deliver training next week. “Our co-operative is also a member of the New Generation Cooperatives Society which brings together co-operatives from the disaster-affected region. . “The initial news reveals that many fellow co-operators lost their lives, and many others seek shelter together with their families. They are deprived of basic human needs such as food, medicine, healthcare, water, sanitation and transport. The co-operative economy is inevitably deeply affected by this disaster. We plan to first do our best to facilitate the delivery of search, rescue and humanitarian assistance operations. In the medium term, we will support our fellow co-operators and local communities to recover and build back better. This is certainly easier said than done. Hence, we need international solidarity and help.” Through its Coops4TR campaign, the co-ops hopes to mobilise the global cooperative movement to help communities affected by the earthquake, added Şener. “We have always believed in cooperation among co-operatives and established long-standing communication with international bodies such as the ICA Youth Committee, Young European Cooperators Network, US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and many others,” he said. “We thus wanted to leverage these connections in order to provide more and better support to local NGOs, co-operatives and humanitarian organisations that work on the field as first-responders. We invite our fellow co-operators from around the world to donate and share this aid appeal among your networks. The Coops4TR campaign can evolve into an act of solidarity which can help local co-operatives recover and build back stronger. “We received immediate response from the co-operative unions such as ICA, Cooperatives Europe, Democracy at Work Institute, Legacoop, Platform Cooperatives Consortium, Co-operatives UK. We also heard back from Pangea Cooperative and Articolo 12 Cooperative from Italy, Supercoop from Germany. This is just a short list of responses we received within 24 hours. These mean a lot to us and we really appreciate our fellow cooperators’ support.” Needs Map Coop, a map-based data matching platform, and Inogar Coop, 12 | MARCH 2023
a social co-operative, are also helping on the ground by matching people who need shelter with available houses and distributing essential goods. The two co-ops have set up a fundraising page to support relief and recovery efforts in the affected region. The funding will help the two co-ops meet the immediate needs of those affected by distributing food packages, winter clothes, heaters, blankets, sanitary products, clean water and medicine, among others. Meanwhile, the UK’s Solidarity Economy Association is encouraging donations to support those affected in Northern Syria, where around 300,000 people have been displaced. “Solidarity Economy Association encourages people to donate to Heyva Sor (Kurdish Red Crescent) to support emergency response efforts as they are well placed to provide this support. We know that Heyva Sor will spend the money efficiently, quickly and effectively, with a bare minimum of overheads,” said SEA co-founder Colm Massey. Co-operatives UK and UK retail co-ops, including the Co-op Group, Radstock, Midcounties and Scotmid are promoting a fundraising appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Customers and members can make online donations or donate by texting COOP to 70787. “We are calling for co-operatives across the movement to back the appeal by asking colleagues, members and customers where possible to donate,” Co-operatives UK said in an email to members. The International Co-operative Working Group (ICWG) is in touch with co-ops in Turkey and Syria to explore what extra support the UK movement can offer. Rose Marley, CEO of Co-operatives UK and chair of the ICWG, said: “The devastation of the earthquakes in southern Turkey and north west Syria is incomprehensible. We urge the cooperative movement to take collective action to support the DEC Appeal. It’s vital we get funds to people on the ground who can help those in need.” The Co-op Group has made a £100,000 donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to kickstart the appeal. Rebecca Birkbeck, the Group’s director of community and member participation, said: “People have been left without p Image: NeedsMap co-op shelter in freezing winter conditions, with humanitarian needs expected to grow in the coming days. “We know our members and customers will want to help and we’re proud to be coming together with other co-operative societies and the wider co-op movement, as well as our Nisa colleagues to collectively support this appeal.” Mutual insurer Simplyhealth has launched a fundraising appeal for DEC’s Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, and will match donations up to £75,000. On 10 February the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, in partnership with World Council of Credit Unions (Woccu), announced the launch of its Turkish Cooperative Earthquake Relief Fund to solicit donations in support of Turkey’s co-operative movement. Woccu president and CEO Elissa McCarter LaBorde has reached out to the leaders of Tarimkredi and the heads of other organisations in Turkey to assess the greatest needs and to determine how the Relief Fund can be put to the best use. “As someone who managed postearthquake recovery programmes in Turkey earlier in my career, my heart goes out to the many communities that have been hit by this tragedy,” she said. “We are proud to play a part in helping mobilise the generosity of the global credit union movement to support those in need.” Woccu is also encouraging those who want to support the immediate humanitarian relief efforts in Turkey and Syria to donate to the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) which is distributing hot meals, ready-to-eat food, blankets, aid kits, and is contributing to build shelters and tent cities. p Members of Inogar Coop assisting with the relief efforts (image: Inogar) Co-op and mutual insurers around the world have also confirmed donations. The International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (Icmif) said Canadian Red Cross donations had come from Canadian insurers Beneva (CA$25,000), Co-operators ($50,000,) Desjardins Group ($60,000) and Gore Mutual ($25,000). In Denmark, the LB Foreningen association, which includes all 420,000 members of ICMIF member LB Forsikring, has donated DKK2m to the Red Cross. German co-op insurer R+V Versicherung has given €50,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Co-ops in Israel are helping relief efforts in Turkey. The Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality, and Cooperation – Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development (Ajeec-Nisped) and Kibbutz co-op movement are working with NGO IsraAID and co-operators in Turkey. “IsraAID partnered with Latet, Society for International Development, the Israeli Chamber of Commerce, and co-ops in Israel and Turkey to pack and distribute food, tents, warm blankets, and other humanitarian relief items. We are also sending essentials from our logistics hub in Tulcea, Romania,” said Mully Dor, chair of Ajeec-Nisped and board member of IsraAID. Links for donations DEC – bit.ly/3SpbooM Turkish Cooperative Fund – bit.ly/3EtPYl0 IBC – bit.ly/3lZcb3R Heyva Sor – bit.ly/3YW3upv AKUT Search and Rescue – bit.ly/3ErznOn UN Crisis Relief – bit.ly/3Zg7CjS AFAD – bit.ly/3IKsqL6 MARCH 2023 | 13
Page 1: MARCH 2023 MOBILISING SUPPORT FOR T
Page 4 and 5: ISSN 0009-9821 9 770009 982010 01 T
Page 6 and 7: EQUALITY Bright Future Co-op reappo
Page 8 and 9: CREDIT UNIONS Credit union lending
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Page 14 and 15: CHILE Electric co-ops work to keep
Page 16 and 17: UKRAINE War-torn credit unions give
Page 18 and 19: USA Hawaiian electric co-op draws u
Page 20 and 21: JAPAN Sustainable housing co-op bui
Page 22 and 23: MEET John Brodie CEO of Scotmid Co-
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Page 26 and 27: From Crisis to Co-op: Future Co-ops
Page 28 and 29: Photography: Co-operative Futures T
Page 30 and 31: q Francesca Gagliardi; facing page,
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Page 52: Help us raise vital funds for the D

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