Elevating the performance of co-operative enterprises through customized business education and research \

Hello friends of the International Centre for Co-operative Management.   Our team is thinking of you in this time of great difficulty.

In this news piece, we've share important updates from the Centre and offer a suite of resources - articles, webinars, research and more - on key topics in the co-operative business world for your enjoyment (since we are spending so much time shut in!). In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we have brought together exciting materials from the co-operative economy on how co-operatives are punching beyond their weight to respond to the needs of their members and community, and to prepare for the next economic system post-pandemic.
Message from Academic Director and Co-operative Economist, Dr. Sonja Novkovic
Applications Open 
Applicants should begin applications by May 31. Accepting applications until seats are full. 
Bursaries available.
 
Online, part-time programs for co-operative and credit union professionals:
- Master of Management, Co-operatives and Credit Unions (3 years) 
- Graduate Diploma in Co-operative Management (20 months) 
- Certificate in Co-operative Management (10 months)
  
S tudents will join a growing network of leading co-operative practitioners, educators and academics from around the world and e xperience education in a co-operative learning environment. They will deepen their understanding of the co-operative business model and develop tools to maximize its impact and their leadership performance.


Student, Graduate and Partner Satisfaction:
  • 100% of graduates would recommend their program
  • 98% said their education provided knowledge and tools to improve the social, economic and environmental performance of their co-operative organizations
  • Nearly 80% said the program significantly changed how they see, think and do their jobs
Attend one of our informational webinars to get a better understanding of our programs and opportunities.
 
The next webinars will take place:
Visit our  website  for future webinars as well (2/month). 
Social Enterprise World Forum 

The Centre is partnering with the Social Enterprise World Forum (June 2-4, 2021 in Halifax, NS) to deliver a pre-conference research and practitioner symposium at Saint Mary's University (May 31-June 1, 2021). The symposium aims to facilitate collaboration between academia and the social enterprise sector in order to increase impact of research and knowledge dissemination on overall sectoral growth, innovation and impact. Learn more.
We're Building an Ecosystem
 
We at the Centre are honoured to receive the Emilia Romagna Cross Sector Collaboration Award from the  Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives. What a special surprise!  We work hard to facilitate international connections in this awesome co-operative economy of ours and we're glad fellow co-operators are benefiting. 
Webinars for You

We are so pleased to share our Special Topics Webinar Series! Thanks to our generous expert speakers and an enthusiastic, sharp-witted audience, these webinars have been a generative space to share and deliberate best practices in co-operative business, management and governance. Enjoy our recordings and tune into our upcoming webinar with Marcelo Vieta on Argentine co-operative and solidarity organizing - May 27  (12-1PM EST). 
  • Living our Co-op Values: Applying an Intercultural Development Model to Achieve Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with LaDonna Redmond (February 19, 2020). View recording.
  • Learn What Content Marketing and the Fifth Co-operative Principle have in Common (and how to leverage it) with Michael T. Jackson  (March 11, 2020). View recording. 
  • Co-operation and the Preston Model: Beyond 'Urban Regeneration' with Julian Manley (March 24, 2020).  View recording. 
  • Break Free from Our Systems Prison - A Human Centred Way of Thinking About and Managing Co-operatives with Bob Cannell (April 22, 2020). View recording.
  • Lessons from Argentina's Worker-Recuperated Enterprises: Co-operatives in Times of Crisis with Marcelo Vieta - May 27 from 12-1PM EST. Register here!
Our upcoming webinar: What can the co-operative and social and solidarity economy learn from the Argentine economic crisis of 2001 and the worker-recuperated enterprise movement? What new discourses, lessons, and practices of 'autogestión' (self-management) can we adopt now in response to this crisis, and for imagining and prefiguring a different socio-economic reality for today and tomorrow? Join the conversation with Marcelo Vieta. Register here, and check out his new book on this topic. 
What is the significance of Indivisible Reserves for Co-op Principle 3? In their recent webinar presentation, ICCM Academic Director, Sonja Novkovic, and Claude-André Guillotte provide an overview of the topic drawing on key debates, rationales and experiences from Europe and Quebec. This webinar was hosted by Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada. They've graciously shared the recording for your enjoyment! 
The UK Society for Co-operative Studies is hosting a free virtual lecture with Sonja Novkovic on June 29, 2020. This lecture promotes a discussion about governance in co-operatives from a humanistic economics perspective. Join the conversation - registration is open ! 
The Centre has recently launched a Working Paper Series. We publish open source research papers and reports in the field of co-operative management, economics and governance. We invite submissions including think pieces and work-in-progress pieces from our faculty and sector partners and the broader community of co-operative academics and practitioners. Learn more. Contact: Cian McMahon cian.mcmahon@smu.ca 
New publication released as part of our working paper series! This think-piece explores lessons in economic democracy from Northern Italy - written by Margaret Lund and Matt Hancock (2020). Read it here! 
Co-operative Governance : Investigate, Deliberate and Elevate Best Practice
The Centre is leading in a multi-year research project on co-operative governance. It investigates numerous examples of successful co-operatives that experiment with and/or fully embrace participatory governance beyond casting a vote, pushing back against a one-size fits all corporate governance model. We are seeking co-operative organizations, researchers, and other governance experts to explore participatory governance in co-operatives as part of this study. Contact: Sonja Novkovic snovkovic@smu.ca

The Centre is hosting its second International Co-operative Governance Symposium (June 17-19, 2021) at Saint Mary's University. This participatory gathering of governance professionals, experts, and researchers will interrogate governance models that maximize the benefit of the democratic, people-centred and jointly-owned nature of the co-operative model. Learn more.

Postponed due to COVID-19
Canada Development Education (CanadaDE) has been postponed from June 7-12, 2020 until May 16-20, 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. CanadaDE is an international credit union leadership program for which the World Council of Credit Unions provides certification.  Learn more about CanadaDE.

Our International Co-operative Study Tour to Emilia- Romagna in October 25-November 5, 2020 has been cancelled. We will be offering a Co-operative Study Tour to Emilia- Romagna, Mondragón, Basque Country or another co-operative destination in October 2021 (TBC, Covid recovery pending).  Learn more about our study tours. 

Exciting article by ICCM Faculty: The COVID-19 crisis has spurred Canada's co-operative movement into action in order to meet the needs of their members and their communities. Now playing an energized role, will co-operatives steer the transition towards a sustainable, just and humane economy in the post-pandemic period? The article is written by Marcelo Vieta & Fiona Duguid. 
Read it here.
Co-operation during COVID-19

Across the globe, the co-operative economy has mounted an impressive response to the social and economic crisis of COVID-19 - demonstrating their commitment to human dignity, social responsibility, solidarity and care. We are glad to share resources put forward by co-operative and social and solidarity economy practitioners and elevate stories of co-operation during COVID-19. 

Webinars, podcasts, articles and more 
Co-operatives Making a Difference
Our team sends wishes of health and safety to you, your colleagues, community and loved ones.
Through continued co-operation, we see the end to this pandemic. Our co-operative economy will steer our global community towards greater resilience, equity, care and sustainability.