By Jerome Alangui-Muguet Polonio, Ph.D. 
With over one billion members and around three million cooperatives worldwide, the cooperative movement is one of the most deeply rooted and socially embedded organizational forms we know. Anchored in seven principles that integrate economic, social, and cultural imperatives, cooperatives embody a way of organizing that goes beyond business.
In 2025, the United Nations has proclaimed the International Year of Cooperatives—perhaps the only time such recognition has been extended to an enterprise form. The message is clear: cooperatives are unique, democratic, and people-centered platforms of entrepreneurship that can deliver on the sustainability promise the world has aspired to since the 1970s.
Culture and Creativity through Cooperation
In the cultural and creative industries, cooperatives are proving themselves as innovative, equitable, and rights-based models. They ensure that diverse voices are not only heard but also given ownership and agency.
For artists, artisans, and cultural workers, cooperatives provide fairer platforms to pool resources, market their creations, and safeguard their cultural rights. They protect creative independence while opening opportunities for decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
“Cooperatives show that culture and livelihood can grow together—without exploitation, without exclusion.”
Education as Identity and Inclusion
Education has always been a cornerstone of the cooperative identity. But in today’s world, it takes on even greater significance.
Through cooperative education, members gain not only technical skills but also cultural literacy, democratic participation, and a deeper appreciation of diversity. These are the values that turn cooperatives into schools of democracy—where members learn to govern themselves, respect plural identities, and embrace lifelong learning.
When education is embedded in cooperation, it becomes a tool of empowerment, equipping communities to safeguard both their cultural rights and their economic well-being.
“Cooperative education is not just about skills—it is about building citizens who value diversity, solidarity, and culture.”
Mapping Heritage, Preserving Identity
Cooperatives are not only businesses; they are also keepers of memory and identity. Recognizing this, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) has launched a global initiative to map cooperative heritage sites.
From historic cooperative buildings to community-based cultural hubs, these sites are living expressions of resilience across generations. They remind us that cooperation is not just about meeting today’s needs but about carrying forward stories of struggle, innovation, and solidarity.
“Every cooperative heritage site is a landmark of memory—proof that solidarity has always been a choice.”
A Movement Rooted in Culture and Decency
As we celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives, it is worth asking: what makes cooperatives different?
The answer lies in their ability to connect the economic with the cultural, and the social with the democratic. They are custodians of cultural rights, incubators of diversity, and platforms for decent work.
Cooperatives invite us to rethink development itself—not as a race for growth, but as a pursuit of dignity, equity, and shared humanity.
That is why, more than just organizations, cooperatives are movements—rooted in history, evolving with the times, and offering hope for a future where diversity is celebrated, and every person has the right to both livelihood and cultural expression.
“When culture, cooperation, and solidarity converge, societies flourish.”
SO LET’S CONTINUE MOVING ON !!!
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