THE Anna Regina Community Centre in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will be a hive of activity on Saturday, July 6, as Guyana joins the world in celebrating International Day of Co-operatives 2019 (Coops Day), under the theme: ‘Co-ops 4 Decent Work– The Future of Work in Focus’.

The celebration in Essequibo will take the form of a rally and exhibition and will culminate a week of activities that the Department of Co-operatives in the Ministry of Social Protection, planned in collaboration with the Guyana National Co-operative Union.

Activities here began on Friday, June 28, with an Outreach in Ituni, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) that targeted Ituni Small Loggers Co-operative Society Limited and a Market Day and Exhibition at Paramakatoi in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

On Sunday, June 30, an interfaith service was held at the Guyana Police Force Co-operative Credit Union building, Camp and Seawall Road, Eve Leary, while on Tuesday, July 3, the focus will be an outreach for the Three Door Fishermen Co-operative Society at the Three Door Fishermen Port, Cotton Tree Village, West Bank Berbice in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

That same day, July 3, a Co-operators’ Walk will be held in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), starting at Philadelphia Street and ending at the Ministry of Social Protection.

On July 4, a Co-operators’ Forum will be held at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

The Ministry of Social Protection, in a release early last month, said that it has supported the revitalisation of some 170 co-operative societies and registered another 68 new ones from 2016 to date.

It said too, that the coalition government sees co-ops as the third pillar of economic development, noting that while some of the 170 societies were active they were not in compliance with the laws, and others were dormant.

According to Head of the Co-operatives Department, Ministry of Social Protection, Perlina Gifth, non-compliant societies were guided towards becoming compliant, while the dormant societies were resuscitated.

“We have credit unions, manufacturing societies and different forms of agricultural societies such as chicken and sheep rearing, fish processing, block making, catering and baking among others,” she said.

Co-operatives speak to joint ownership and management, whereby the benefits and profits are shared. With this also comes the commitment to achieve success and where challenges exist, to work together to resolve them. The development of all Guyanese, without exception, can trace instances of their lineage where co-operative associations helped weather stormy situations and pursue advancement.

According to the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), co-operatives are people-centred enterprises characterised by democratic control that prioritise human development and social justice within the workplace.

It views Co-ops Day as celebrating a future in which human development and social justice are priorities. Through Co-ops Day, too, local, national and global policy makers, civil society organisations and the public in general can learn how co-operatives contribute to a decent working environment,

“Co-operatives help to preserve employment and promote decent work in all sectors of the economy. Through participation, members have a motivation to change their lives, their communities and the world,” Ariel Guarco, President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), has said.