Co-oppundit 2011

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Co-opPundit is dedicated to elucidating, supporting and developing
Co-operation as a form of human organisation

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Co-operation-
the beautiful Idea

This booklet explains, in less than 80 pages, the theory and practice of
Co-operation and mutualism

Available in both printed and eBook versions

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Its time to stop and think!

Power has now shifted away from the nation-state; it has gravitated towards those that control internationally operating companies. We are now all at the mercy of the vagaries of global markets. We also await with trepidation the effect of enormous world population growth, the potentially devastating effects of climate change and the threats arising from extremism the world over. Also, future generations will need to come to terms with the likely impact of the shift in power towards the rapidly-growing economies led by China, India and Brazil; and, what this will means in terms of the pressures this will bring upon living standards, employment prospects and commodity prices (including foodstuffs) in the western world.

We should be tempering our current obsession with economic growth and greedy consumerism, frequently based upon costly credit, and instead shifting our focus towards human development. The current main driver of economic activity - profit maximisation - needs to be replaced by one based on the concept of resource optimisation; and. the present market system must be revitalised so that it better serves the vast majority of the populace. Models of enterprise that can help to deliver more fairness and more equal access to the available resources now need to be given priority.

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Organisations

Fifty years ago most people would never have even been able to imagine many of the things we now take for granted as part of everyday life, such as mobile phones, TV on demand and so many other technological developments. During this time there have been enormous advances in the fields of science and technology, however, during the same period our systems of human organisation have hardly changed. In relative terms, many of our organisations are at about the same stage of development as the first steam engines. Despite the tremendous technological advances made in so many spheres, most of the world's really significant problems are not being addressed because our organisations are just not up to the job. This is equally true of governments, international organisations, investor-owned companies, charities, social enterprises, and, paradoxically, many co-operative and mutual enterprises (CMEs). The time is now ripe for an organisational revolution based upon the widespread adoption of co-operation as the basis of our organisations. Find out moreFind out moreut m

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The capacity to deliver

Those seeking to expand the role of CMEs within the economy must first accept and then address the fact that it is essential to secure within the population at large a much better understanding of both co-operative practice and the true nature of the co-operative and mutual enterprise model.

If the innate potential of co-operatives and mutuals is to be unleashed, a clear agenda for change must be established -
click here to see the Co-opPundit agenda for change

What are CMEs?

What's in a name?

Co-operation underpins of wide variety of co-operative and mutual enterprises of many differing types, including: co-operative societies, building societies, credit unions, friendly societies, community benefit societies, member-owned enterprises of all types, etc. It is also at the heart of many other enterprises encompassing many more types of enterprise well beyond the very limited range that are registered under legislation specifically formulated to cover co-operatives and mutuals. Here we are dealing with a specific model of enterprise that is based upon self-help and mutual help.

Co-operatives and mutuals are two sides of the same coin. Co-operatives are based upon mutuality and both mutuals and co-operatives are based upon the concept of beneficial interdependence; both are reliant upon the practice of co-operation. An organisation that is fully mutual services only its members. The main reasons for the distinction between co-operatives and mutuals arise from their historical origins and the different forms of legislative arrangements that were available to their founders. Throughout the booklet the composite term "Co-operative and Mutual Enterprise" (CME) is used to describe all of the different manifestations of enterprises rooted in the practice of economic co-operation.