On October 8 and 9 from 10 am-noon each day, participants in the International Track of IMPACT 2020 will have the opportunity to be part of a fast-paced virtual gathering of cooperative community leaders from across the U.S. and around the world. In addition to outstanding keynote speakers, expect dynamic and engaging breakout sessions, opportunities to learn from development experts and time to share insights and experiences with your peers.
This year’s dedicated international programming is available free of charge to development practitioners. During registration, choose “International Sessions Only” on the Registration Type dropdown.
Register now
Note: The International Track at the Cooperative IMPACT Conference is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The views and opinions expressed by the speakers and panelists are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or NCBA CLUSA.
Thursday, October 8
Keynote: Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire
Rebecca Henderson, Professor and Author, Harvard Business School
Renowned Harvard Professor Rebecca Henderson debunks prevailing orthodoxy with a new intellectual foundation and a practical pathway forward for a capitalism, a system that has lost its moral and ethical foundation. Free market capitalism is one of humanity’s greatest inventions and the greatest source of prosperity the world has ever seen. But this success has been costly. Capitalism is on the verge of destroying the planet and destabilizing society as wealth rushes to the top. The time for action is running short. Rebecca Henderson’s rigorous research in economics, psychology, and organizational behavior, as well as her many years of work with companies around the world, gives us a path forward. She debunks the worldview that the only purpose of business is to make money and maximize shareholder value. She shows that we have failed to reimagine capitalism so that it is not only an engine of prosperity but also a system that is in harmony with environmental realities, striving for social justice and the demands of truly democratic institutions. Henderson’s deep understanding of how change takes place, combined with fascinating in-depth stories of companies that have made the first steps towards reimagining capitalism, provides inspiring insight into what capitalism can be. With rich discussions of how the worlds of finance, governance, and leadership must also evolve, Henderson provides the pragmatic foundation for navigating a world faced with unprecedented challenge, but also with extraordinary opportunity for those who can get it right.
Sessions
As COVID-19 continues to impact communities worldwide, many countries have closed their borders to trade and shuttered businesses, limiting the free movement of people and spurring economic instability. Moderated by panels of experts, the sessions below will examine the roles being played by cooperatives in four key areas: serving member needs as early responders; maintaining food systems; contributing to financial resiliency in crisis situations; and using data and technology in response to the pandemic. Each session will include moderated Q&A. When registering, you will be prompted to choose one of the four simultaneous sessions.
Session 1: Mitigating Impacts; Keeping Members Safe
From the earliest days of the pandemic, cooperatives around the world have been serving member needs as early responders, not only their needs for PPE and health care, but their financial needs and the need to continue to address ongoing priority issues such as gender violence that continued throughout the crisis. This panel also will include discussion about the role youth have played in both the response and recovery from the pandemic. A panel of practitioners, cooperatives and donors will discuss how co-ops have helped their members and communities weather, adapt and plan for the future through the crisis.
Special Message: Simel Esim, Program Manager & Senior Technical Specialist, ILO Cooperatives Unit
Moderator: Emily Varga, Director, Cooperative Development, U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau of Economic Growth, Education and Environment, Office of Local Sustainability
Panelist: Katie Carlson-Akuto, Gender Specialist, Land O’ Lakes Venture 37
Panelist: Kiera Derman, Senior Program Manager/Youth Specialist, NCBA CLUSA
Panelist: Fernando Mercado, Haiti Project Manager, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Panelist: Sarah Murungi, Chief of Party, HealthPartners Uganda
Session 2: Food Security and Systems Issues
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the question is how to maintain safe food production, processing and distribution and protection of the most vulnerable. Among the questions that will be addressed by a panel of practitioners, cooperatives and donors: Are co-ops resilient to the crisis or just surviving? What strategies and tools can co-ops use to address the impact of COVID-19 on the food supply? What can producer cooperatives do to ensure the safety of the food supply? Are there technologies that could be used by cooperatives to ensure food safety and supply? Also, is there a role for the international community and donors to work with cooperatives to ensure food systems and security are protected?
Special Message: World Food Program
Moderator: Neha Patel, Western Corridor Advisor, National Co+op Grocers
Panelist: Thukela Mashologu, Regional Manager, South Africa Program, GENEX
Panelist: Nikki Duncan, Chief of Party, Democratic Republic of Congo, Global Communities
Panelist: Julia Baumgartner, Manager, Cooperative Development Program, Equal Exchange
Panelist: Marea Pappas, Program Specialist, U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Resilience & Food Security
Session 3: Business and Member Financial Recovery and Resilience
A panel of practitioners, cooperatives and experts in the field will examine the financial and business challenges ahead and discuss strategies necessary for cooperatives to have a successful recovery. The panel will both discuss how best to adapt existing strategies and to employ new and innovative business practices that will be required in the new business environment. There also will be discussion of how cooperatives can be included in government-sponsored stimulus and recovery plans in the US and abroad.
Special Message: African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA)
Moderator: Susy Cheston, Chief of Party, Financial Inclusion, World Council of Credit Unions
Panelist: Juan Buchenau, Senior Financial Specialist, World Bank
Panelist: Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, Founder and Managing Director, CARD MRI
Panelist: Ibon Zugasti, Managing Director/International Project Manager, Mondragon
Panelist: Liege Siqueira, Marketing Analyst, Sicredi Campos Gerais PR/SP
Session 4: Research, Technology and Digital Solutions
Many new lessons will be learned regarding the resiliency of the cooperative model in times of crisis and this panel will discuss the role data collection has already played in the cooperative community’s response. The panel also will examine the roles of training, technology and social media in the cooperative community’s response and the panel will discuss the prospects for a new and expanded role for technology in both traditional and platform cooperatives.
Special Message: Association of Co-op Educators (ACE) and Lega Co-op (Italy)
Moderator: Judith Hermanson, Director, International Cooperative Research Group, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council
Panelist: Sonja Novkovic, Professor of Economics and Academic Director, International Centre for Co-operative Management, Saint Mary’s University
Panelist: Isaac Nyamongo, Professor of Anthropology, Co-operative University of Kenya
Panelist: Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder
Panelist: Ahmed Attia, CEO, Direct Global
Friday, October 9
Award Presentation: OCDC’s International Cooperative Innovation Award
Paul Hazen, Executive Director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council
Keynote
Tony Bedard, CEO, Frontier Co-op
Workshops
The following simultaneous interactive workshops will feature small group discussions that allow participants to share best practices, lessons learned and suggestions for new and innovative solutions when it comes to supporting the resiliency of cooperatives. When registering, select your two top workshop choices from the following topics. You will also have the opportunity to indicate your language preference.
Access to Finance During a Prolonged Crisis
Companies of all sizes, from local businesses to cooperatives and even blue-chip giants, have taken a big hit from the coronavirus pandemic which will gut companies’ profits and affect not only their ability to keep operations afloat, but also their ability to borrow money. Participants in this session will discuss access to finance by cooperatives and how it compares to the experience of other businesses in times of prolonged crisis.
Adapting to a Changed Environment: How to Restart Operations
In the wake of COVID-19, all businesses began the recovery by, first, assessing the business impact, then, responding to immediate health and financial consequences, and preparing to restart operations when that day comes. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to share experiences and learn about how cooperatives and their members are adapting to the changed post-COVID environment and making plans to restart operations.
Battling Inequality: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Cooperatives/Gender-Based Violence: Strategies and Safety Valves
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is more important today than it has ever been for the cooperative movement in the United States and globally. Although many argue that DEI is inherent in the cooperative principles, how can cooperatives be more inclusive and promote diversity and equity in their policies, practices, and work? And how can cooperatives reduce and eliminate gender-based violence?
Co-op Principle #6: Collaboration Among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures. Participants in this session will share their experience with working collaboratively and learn about the successes of other examples of where cooperatives have helped each other.
E-commerce and Cooperatives: Potential for Economic Resilience?
Can cooperatives embrace e-commerce and make it a new dimension of co-op operations and business? How can cooperatives use e-commerce to advance their resilience and the sixth cooperative principle of inter-cooperation?
Food Security and Systems Issues
As the crisis continues, the question is how to maintain safe food production, processing and distribution and protection of the most vulnerable. Among the questions that will be discussed: Are co-ops resilient to the crisis or just surviving? What strategies and tools can co-ops use to address the impact of COVID-19 on the food supply? What can producer cooperatives do to ensure the safety of the food supply? Are there technologies that could be used by cooperatives to ensure food safety and supply? Also, is there a role for the international community and donors to work with cooperatives to ensure food systems and security are protected?
Growth of Worker-Owned Businesses in a Post-COVID Economy
One way to narrow the wealth gap is to expand ownership opportunities for workers, transferring ownership from a single person to the workers of the company. Participants in this workshop will discuss the role for worker ownership in the new economy that will emerge post-COVID , with worker buyouts and small business closures/bankruptcies providing new opportunities for worker ownership.
ICA’s Youth Network: Building the North American Region
It’s clear that in a world dominated by top-down, centralized regimes and shareholder capitalist models, there’s a need for a different way of doing things. The good news is that we already have one – the cooperative model. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) formed the Youth Network in 2003 to give advice, help and representation to the cooperative youth movement. Its members are young people, aged 18-35 years, from all nationalities, who are working together to build more just and equitable societies. The Youth Network also works with cooperatives around the world to help them develop strategies to promote youth employment – to give young people better jobs, and to make sure that cooperatives employ them, keep them in work, and give them the chance to progress. In this session, you will hear from the Cooperatives of the Americas ( ICA AMERICAS) Regional Youth Committee and their members work in the region. Learn how to organize and support young cooperators as part of the North America region. There will be follow up webinars and learning sessions for those interested in joining the ICA Youth Network and using the cooperative model for economic and social inclusion.
Member Equity: The Key to Cooperative Success
For cooperatives, owner equity and patronage refunds create and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between the cooperative and its members. How has the pandemic affected cooperatives’ equity when their members are struggling and what can they do?
Strategies for Donor Interventions: What do Co-ops Need?
Bilateral and multilateral donors are reviewing their portfolios to see how to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. What are immediate needs to support recovery and how do co-ops play a supporting role?
Workshops in Spanish
Capitalización cooperativa, la clave del éxito para las cooperativas
Para las cooperativas, el valor de la inversión del socio y los dividendos crean y mantienen una relación de beneficio mutuo entre la cooperativa y sus miembros. ¿Cómo ha afectado la pandemia al capital de las cooperativas cuando sus miembros están enfrentado dificultades y qué pueden hacer?
El comercio electrónico y las cooperativas: ¿una vía para lograr resiliencia económica?
¿Pueden las cooperativas adoptar el comercio electrónico y convertirlo en una nueva dimensión de las operaciones y los negocios cooperativos? ¿Cómo pueden las cooperativas utilizar el comercio electrónico para avanzar en su resiliencia y el sexto principio cooperativo de intercooperación?
Note: The International Track at the Cooperative IMPACT Conference is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The views and opinions expressed by the speakers and panelists are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or NCBA CLUSA.
MADE POSSIBLE BY
HOSTED BY
