Source: Genç İşi Kooperatif
The “New Generation Cooperatives Society” project was implemented by Genç İşi Kooperatif (The Young Deal Cooperative) in 2021-2022 with the support of the European Union (EU), in partnership with Haliéus, the international development cooperation organization of Legacoop, the Italian National Union of Cooperatives and Mutuals, and the National Union of Cooperatives of Turkiye. The action included (1) the development of a database and digital platform to inventory and bring together new generation cooperatives, (2) the organization of a national workshop to improve their capacity for democratic participation, and (3) the development of working groups and a three-year action plan.
Internationally, policy-level discussions on the development of the social solidarity economy have gained momentum. The International Labour Conference’s Strategy and Action Plan for the development of the Social Solidarity Economy (29 September 2023), the EU Social Economy Action Plan (6 July 2022), and the UN Resolution on “The role of cooperatives in social development” (19 December 2023) were published. Finally, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. This proclamation affirms the fundamental role of cooperatives in promoting sustainable development on a global scale and calls on Member States to recognize and support this role.
Genç İşi Kooperatif, with the support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Hollings Center, organized the “Preparation and Networking Workshop for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025” in Istanbul on July 5, 2024 under the coordination of New Generation Cooperatives Association.
The workshop brought together cooperatives and supporting organizations to assess the current state of the cooperative economy and support for the social economy in Turkey, and to plan collaborations and actions that can be taken in Turkey for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025. The co-designed collaborations and actions were aligned with sustainable development goals.
Members of the New Generation Cooperatives Community were invited to the workshop, as well as organizations and institutions that have worked to develop cooperatives and the social economy in Turkey. The workshop was held in Istanbul on July 5, with a full day of physical participation using the methods of a “Future Search Workshop”.
To watch the short video (with English subtitles / 3 min.) documenting the workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QblEdrR4mjM
