It is assumed that diversity, equity, and inclusion are included in the 7 International Co-operative Principles and many co-ops use the principles, and their corresponding values, to frame the work of co-operation. Yet, many co-operatives struggle with diversity, equity, and inclusion in daily practice.  Co-ops find themselves with hiring practices and internal culture that does not reflect inclusivity, or with a business environment where customers/members do not feel welcome and staff feels marginalized. 

Co-operative leaders, in all sectors, are being challenged by the communities they serve to become more inclusive regarding membership, staff, and leadership. These communities are not looking for equality, they are looking for equity. What is the co-operative difference?

By applying an Intercultural Development Model, LaDonna Sanders Redmond will introduce participants to a process that can support the implementation of practical governance and management processes that positively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizations. Come prepared with your questions on the topic, as well as examples from your own co-op (struggles and/or solutions). 

About the speaker: LADONNA REDMOND is the former Diversity and Community Engagement Manager for the Seward Co-op (Minneapolis, USA). LaDonna led the co-ops' diversity and engagement initiatives that contribute positively to organizational culture, marketplace competitiveness, and social responsibility.

Join a conversation to learn more about the Common Approach to Impact Measurement and the Common Foundations, and how evaluators, trainers and consultants can get involved. 

In this webinar, we’ll explore how the Common Foundations were derived and how they can help evaluators, consultants, and trainers guide organizations to improved impact measurement. You’ll also find out about a national initiative to identify and highlight Common Foundations “champions” who are willing to actively promote the five essential practices in the social purpose sector.

PRESENTER

Margerit Roger, M.Ed. of Eupraxia Training is a program planner, evaluator and trainer who has worked with community-based organizations, industry, post-secondaries, labour organizations, and provincial and federal governments. Her impact evaluation work is grounded in Theory of Change, social impact analysis, and SROI in an effort to more effectively describe the critical “ripple effect” created by organizations that support vulnerable and marginalized populations. As a result, she feels strongly that the Common Approach and the Common Foundations provide an important strategic and communication tool for impact-oriented practitioners who work in the social purpose sector. Additional guests will be introduced during the webinar.

Register for the webinar now!

GSEF and GSEF2021 Mexico Local Organizing Committee (LOC) present the GSEF Global Virtual Forum October 2020 with the central theme 'Great Challenges, Greater Solidarity: Power of Community and SSE as a Path for Transformation', which will take place from 19th to 23rd October 2020.

Learn more and register

Co-ops inevitably overlap with other movements and in this webinar we will explore how worker co-ops fit into the Social and Solidarity Economy and with social enterprises. We invite participants to come with ideas of how to better partner in these spaces for mutual benefit, and have ideas on how CWCF can partner for the benefit of the worker co-op movement.

Definitions: What is the Social Economy? What is the Solidarity Economy? What are Social Enterprises?

How do worker co-ops fit into each of these?

What is the value of having worker co-ops link with the Social and Solidarity Economy?

Where is this collaboration working well?

Group Discussion:

• What are the ways in which your worker co-op already collaborates in the Social & Solidarity Economy?  With Social Enterprises or other enterprises / organizations?  What are the challenges, and the benefits?
• What are some additional ways you think that your worker co-op may be able to partner in these spaces?  What would your co-op hope to obtain, and what can it give, in such a partnership(s)? 
• CWCF has partnered in the past most significantly with co-op associations (CMC, provincial co-op associations, CICOPA).  What other entities in the Social & Solidarity Economy do you think CWCF should consider collaborating?  For what purpose?

About the Presenter:
Sonja Novkovic is a Professor of Economics and Academic director of the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. She is Chair of the International Co-operative Alliance Research Committee, past president of the International Association for the Economics of Participation (IAFEP) and a member of the NCBA Council of Economists.

Her research interests are in the field of economic democracy, including labor-managed and cooperative firms, social economy, and comparative economic systems. She is involved in the development of the CoopIndex diagnostic tool for worker cooperatives, and a four year research project on co-operative governance funded by FWO – Belgium. Her co-edited volumes include Co-operatives and the World of Work (Routledge, 2019); Cooperativism and Local Development in Cuba: An agenda for Democratic Transformation (Brill, 2018); and Co-operative Governance Fit to Build Resilience in the Face of Complexity (ICA, Brussels 2015).

Register for the webinar here!

The Indigenomics Institute invites Indigenous leaders, businesses and organizations, government, policy makers, educational institutions, private industry and corporations to the 2021 Taking a Seat at the Economic Table | Indigenomics by Design Virtual Forum. This forum, on June 22 and 23, 2021 will focus on the path towards Indigenous economic freedom, and will be an opportunity to come together to advance the vision of an annual national $100 Billion Dollar Indigenous economy. 

Register

Due to the global COVID-19 crisis, Association of Co-operative Educators (ACE) and Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) decided to join forces to offer the Co-operation Virtual Instititutes (CVI).

These Co-operation Virtual Institutes (CVI) will bring together co-operators, researchers, academicians, community activists, collective entrepreneurs, civil servants, experts and co-operative educators who will exchange on current hot topics of the co-operative sector.
The Institutes are currently organized in two phases:

Phase 1: from June 15–24, 2020
Phase 2: from September 2020 to May 2021
 
Please note: Our physical ACE Institute in Vancouver, BC, Canada will be pushed to 2021. Once again, thank you for your continued support.

Learn more on the website