We officially launched twitter chat, 'Coops Speak' on 31st July. The objective behind Coops Speak is to use the social media platform to connect a leader from the global co-operative movement with members and supporters of co-operatives and give them the opportunity to pose questions.
Our first speaker was Ms. Melina Morrison, CEO of Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM). The BCCM is the peak body for co-operatives and mutual in Australia. She is an advocate for all forms of mutually owned enterprise, regularly contributing commentary and appearing as a spokesperson for the sector. The questions posed to Melina were under three categories – SDGs, Platform Co-operatives, and the Parliamentarians Network.
Cooperatives (in Australia) and SDGs - Co-operatives in Australia are poised to play a very important role in the implementation of the SDGs. Two of the leading co-operatives, CBH Group and National Health Cooperatives have made pledges at www.coopsfor2030.coop and others are expected to follow.
Platform cooperatives or platform co-op, is a cooperatively-owned, democratically-governed business that uses a protocol, website or mobile app to facilitate the sale of goods and services. Platform cooperatives are an alternative to venture capital funded platforms insofar as they are owned and governed by those who depend on them most—workers, users, and relevant stakeholders. In Australia, the social care sector has a lot of casualized labour and there is need for care workers to find work through their own platforms.
Parliamentarians network - The Parliamentary Friends of Mutuals and Co-operatives (an initiative of BCCM) was officially launched in June 2017. It will provide a forum for BCCM members to lobby more effectively for reform in regulation and legislation.
The first edition of Coops Speak was quite exciting and it created space for stimulating discussions on three very relevant topics. Please check out the first Coops Speak on our Twitter profile here .
The next Coops Speak will be with Ms. Elenita Sanroque, CEO of the Association of Asian Confederations of Credit Unions (ACCU), Thailand on 31st August, 2017 at IST 02:30 pm. You can participate in the chat by going to our Twitter page. We will be soon posting the time for the event on all our social media profiles.
