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    This document has been made available in electronic format
         by the International Co-operative Alliance ICA 
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                         December 1997



                49th International Co-operative Day
                    (Saturday, 3rd July, 1971)
          
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          Message from the International Co-operative Alliance

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Dear Co-operators,

In a world experiencing a new industrial revolution resulting
from the changes that have taken place in technology and
management, Co-operative Organisations in the '70s face
challenges and competition undreamt of by the founders of our
Movement over a hundred years ago.

In constantly examining their structure, their policies and
methods, leaders of co-operatives in the industrialised
countries, facing problems arising from the European Common
Market, from the spread of multi-national corporations, the
difficulty of raising finance from within the Movement, have
made use of the opportunities provided under the umbrella of
the Alliance to discuss their common problems. The experiences
and the technical resources of the advanced movements will
need to be increasingly pooled so that sensible solutions can
be found to the large number of urgent and complex problems
which beset the movements today.

In several developing countries, however, where co-operatives
are in their infancy and are trying to overcome problems
associated with extremely meagre resources of finance and
skilled management, the Alliance has concentrated its efforts
on providing education and training. Our programme of the Co-
operative Development Decade (1971-80) has received
encouraging responses from our member organisations and we
have been greatly heartened by the message of U Thant, the
Secretary-General of United Nations, who wrote, `By mobilizing
the many co-operative organizations throughout the world to
stimulate the development of co-operative movements in the
developing countries,' the ICA `will be making a greatly
needed contributions to the implementation of the goals of the
Second United Nations Development Decade.'

It is my sincere hope that, on the occasion of the 49th
International Co-operative Day 1971, co-operators will recall
the mutual bonds which have united us all in the family of the
Alliance for seventy-five years and will look forward to
concerted action for the future success of the co-operative
movement.

Dr.S.K.Saxena
Director

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                    Declaration of the ICA
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The International Co-operative Alliance, addressing its
affiliated organisations comprising 254,917,534 members in 51
countries, on the occasion of the 49th International Co-
operative Day:

*    Requests all governments to support UN decisions; and to
     collaborate wholeheartedly with the UN in its efforts to
     bring about world peace, thus providing conditions for
     accelerated social and economic progress;

*    Welcomes the support already given by its affiliated
     member organisations to the Co-operative Development
     Decade 1971-1980, which will link all co-operators in a
     massive campaign to further co-operative development,
     especially in the Third World;

*    Confirms its strong belief that the co-operative idea,
     based on the motto of self-help, can be a powerful
     instrument for improving the lot of millions of under-
     privileged people;

*    Reminds all co-operators that 1971 is designated by the
     United Nations as the International Year for Action to
     combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; and consequently
     draws attention to the first of the co-operative
     principles, which states:

          *Membership of a Co-operative society shall be
          voluntary and available without artificial
          restrictions or any social, political, racial and
          religious discrimination, to all persons who can
          make use of its services and are willing to accept
          the responsibilities of membership.*