Financing and Marketing Management

Unit 1 - Cooperation

1.6. Cooperative Education, Training and Information
This is an old principle; it underscores cooperative movement’s long-standing and distinguished commitment to educating the members as well as general public about cooperative movement. It means engaging the minds of the members, elected leaders, managers and employees to comprehend fully the complexity and richness of cooperative thought and action. Training means making sure that all those who are associated with the cooperatives have the skills they require in order to carry out their responsibilities effectively. The principle also stresses that cooperatives have the responsibility to inform young people and opinion leaders about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
Co-operation among Co-operatives
This is also an old principle. If cooperatives are to achieve their full potential, they can do so only through practical and rigorous collaboration among cooperatives at various levels. Cooperatives around the world must recognize more frequently the possibilities of more joint ventures. They must enter in to them in a practical manner, carefully protecting the interest of members. Cooperatives must also recognize, even more than the past, the necessity of strengthening their support organizations and activities. One good example of cooperation among cooperatives is the doing business with cooperatives of higher level. That is, cooperative societies can have accounts with higher cooperative banks for their transactions.
Concern for Community
This is also a new principle. The principle emphasizes that cooperatives have a special responsibility to ensure the development of their communities-economically, socially and culturally. They have a responsibility to work steadily for the environmental protection of those communities.