The 2022 ICA elections are taking place at the ICA General Assembly on 20 June in Seville, Spain. Three candidates are standing for the ICA president position and 22 candidates are standing for 15 seats on the board. Co-op News is carrying Q&As with each of the three presidential candidates – Jean-Louis Bancel, Ariel Guarco and Melina Morrison – and we also hear from the candidates for the board.
David Fraser, Capricorn Society Ltd, Australia
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
My first involvement with cooperative’s stretches back to 1989 when the company I was working with became an inaugural partner to a cooperative expanding into our region of Australia. It provided me with a great insight into how cooperatives help their Members, not just their businesses, but their personal lives too.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
To work with the global board and bring a focus on what needs to be done to allow our sector to flourish, to create jobs, to generate profit for our customer owners and to provide viable solutions in tough economic times. I want to contribute to driving that focus.
Alexandra Wilson, Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, Canada
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
When I was 19, I led my neighbours in a successful effort to turn our flats into a housing co-operative, putting a stop to our landlord’s plans to evict 260 low-income households. That led to a career in in the development, management and provision of association services to housing co-operatives.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
If re-elected to the board, I will work with my peers to bring the co-operative identity consultation to a successful close, raise the profile of the co-operative business model, grow the membership, appoint a suitable successor when our director general retires, and update the ICA’s membership, voting and financial arrangements.
Toru Nakaya, JA Zenchu (Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives), Japan
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I am from a farm community where agricultural cooperative activities are common. While growing citrus fruits on a family farm, I started my career as a cooperator in a primary multi-purpose agricultural cooperative, and now I chair the apex organization of agricultural cooperatives (JA Zenchu) and Japan Cooperative Alliance (JCA).
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I will lead comprehensive and lively discussion on cooperative identity. I will contribute to the sustainable local communities under the SDGs. I will strengthen cooperation among cooperatives with ICA members. I am committed to realising a stable and democratic governance as well as a sound finance of ICA.
Iñigo Albizuri Landazabal, Confederación Española de Cooperativas de Trabajo Asociado (COCETA), Spain
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I studied Higher Industrial Engineering (6 years degree) in Bilbao. Many colleagues went to German companies but I thought that we had a world reference very close, in MONDRAGON, and I did my specialty in Social Economy in Copreci, a cooperative of MONDRAGON and I discovered the cooperative world. It was IMPRESSIVE!
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
The world changes very fast and not always for the better. Cooperatives build a better world. I firmly believe it. And we desperately need a better world. We need to inter-cooperate, learn from each other and to have a clear voice to be heard in institutions, governments and universities. ICA has to be where the decisions are made, and it has to help the cooperatives.
Simona Cavazzutti, Confederación de Cooperativas Rurales del Paraguay (CONCOPAR), Paraguay
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I have 25 years of cooperative and union leadership and I am convinced that cooperativism is the way to a more just, sustainable and inclusive world.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
As long as my mandate, I hope to continue carrying out cooperative work, providing the necessary support to cooperatives both nationally and internationally.
Krasimir Ignatov, Central Cooperative Union Bulgaria, Bulgaria
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
Since 2010 I have been actively contributing for the promotion of the co-operative business model which has over 130 years history in Bulgaria. My career path in the field of co-operatives was a stepping stone to enrol and graduate PhD degree program with dissertation focused on co-operative development. CCU president – PrfPetar Stefanov has been serving for three mandates on the ICA board on various issues related to cooperatives and as a young representative I will try to continue his involvement.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
Harmonisation of the co-operative legislation at global level; developing educational programmes for a better future for young co-operators; developing policies and strategies for the benefit of national, regional and sectoral cooperative organisations; strengthening the co-operative identity and attracting the academic community for further development of the co-operative model; actively promoting the advantages of the cooperative business model; and expanding co-operation between co-operatives
CAI Zhenhong, All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC), China
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
My story with co-operatives began when I worked for social welfare benefiting the mass co-operators. Those years working in agricultural provinces enlightened me about the diverse role of co-operatives in various social sectors. Now as vice president of ACFSMC, my co-operative horizons expand beyond.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I always believe that with co-operatives, the future is promising, collaborative and sustainable. During my term, I hope to achieve the following: raising the voice of co-operatives by strengthening co-operative identity; promoting co-op-to-co-op collaboration by deepening co-operative connectivity; and enhancing co-operative sustainability by building co-operative resilience.
Bennett Reid, Midcounties Co-operative, United Kingdom
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I joined the movement in 1978 when I started work at Ilkeston Coop. Prior to this I had no idea of what the Co-op was, except my mother used to buy my school uniform with the ‘divi’. At Ilkeston I discovered a new world that I was very comfortable in.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
If re-elected I would like to help to restore momentum to the work of the ICA. Over the pandemic it has been inevitable that we have had to concentrate on supporting our members through this difficult period. Now its time to adopt a far more outward looking, progressive approach.
Bahman Abdollahi, Iran Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC), Iran
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I have started my journey in the co-ooperative movement 32 years ago when I was a senior government manager and also the managing director of a housing co-operative in my organisation. After a few years, I started managing some other housing co-operatives.
Later, I entered the consumer co-operative sector and have been the CEO and chair of the board of the National Consumer Cooperative Union since 2009. I joined the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC), as a member of the board since 2011. I had the honour of being elected as the president of the ICC in 2014.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
Transforming the co-operative economy in the world is a high priority. I believe a strong coo-perative economy will be able to strengthen its members and community and eradicate poverty and unemployment in the world.
I will focus on some strategic priorities, including strengthening the Co-operative Identity, digitalisation, education and research, youth and gender equality, networking, legislation and monitoring the co-operative laws.
Marjaana Saarikoski, SOK Corporation, Finland
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I have been serving the consumer co-operative S Group since 1983 in various leadership positions in sales, marketing, chain/concept management and membership programme and am a committed member of the board of the ICA and Euro Coop presidency.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
My first term at the ICA board and at the ICA Gender Equality Committee as vice chair has shown me the need for global co-operation and stronger advocacy to strengthen the competitiveness of co-operatives. I am committed to continue working with the movement to build bridges and partnerships for future progress.
The shocking violence today in Europe will change the status quo significantly and have severe impacts to the food system also globally. The sustainability and future development of our movement are my priorities when working together with you on the way to build a better world.
Giuseppe Attilio Dadda, Alleanza Cooperative Italiane, Italy
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
As a co-operator, I have 30 years of work experience. I started as a technician in a worker co-operative created from a workers’ buyout in the production and service sector. I continued to work for the same co-operative as general manager. In 2015 I started working in Legacoop in Milan. I never worked for corporations, just for co-operative enterprises. I believe in co-operation as the best business model, driven by values, not just profit. The best way to empower yourself and the world.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
Share best practices, support international value chains and networks of co-operatives; improve information-sharing platforms, create a common economic ecosystem driven by values and interested in innovation. Working together as a global collective intelligence, with specific local actions for sustainability, for the growth of local communities and co-operatives.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Jatiya Samabaya Union (BJSU), Bangladesh
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
In the early 70s, I saw my grandfather form co-operatives to help poor farmers to get loans with easy terms and become financially independent. This inspired me to get into the co-operative movement. Later I realised that only through co-operatives can we eradicate poverty in rural Bangladesh and make positive changes in human life. I got physically involved in co-operatives in 1989.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I would like to add values into the existing framework by digitally connecting cooperators across the border for a resilient and accessible ecosystem, and develop a better microfinance model leveraging the impoverished and indigent population.
Let us build an intertwined co-operative world to promote co-operative identity and values which will eradicate poverty and will help us achieve SDG goals for a better future.
Dato’ Kamarudin Ismail, Malaysian National Cooperative Movement, Malaysia
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
My career as an educator and later at the Ministry of Education, provides an opportunity for me to contribute to the development of school co-operative, a movement to empower youth within co-operatives. It has been close to three decades, including the time I started to serve ANGKASA in 2013.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I will continue to pursue for a better cooperation and exchanges among members and actualising the 6th principle, co-operation among co-operatives. There are a lot of untapped potential of co-operative-to-co-operative trade which should be strengthen because materialising effectively our co-op principles will be the key for sustainable development of co-ops.
Márcio Lopes de Freitas, Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB), Brazil
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I was born in a family of co-operators. My father was a recognised co-operative leader. For over 30 years I have been following his steps. I was president of two co-operatives, a federation and, now for 21 years, president of the apex body of co-operatives in Brazil.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I wish to contribute to making ICA financially sustainable and capable of offering strategic services to its members. I strongly believe ICA can make more to promote business and education services to its members. I hope I will have the opportunty to work hard with my colleagues to achieve that goal.
Martin Lowery, National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA), USA
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
My earliest involvement with co-operatives was as a charter member of our neighbourhood food co-operative. My working life has primarily been in support of electric co-operatives in the United States and globally. Our family’s financial services are with a credit union and our home and auto insurance with a mutual insurance company.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I wish to continue supporting the Cooperative Identity Committee and the Cooperative Identity Advisory Group. I believe that we must advocate for robust public and private partnerships in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. I will to continue to advocate doing much more to build a better world through co-operatives.
Johan Nyhus, HSB Riksforbund, Sweden
How did you get involved in cooperatives?
I have been engaged in co-operatives in different ways for a long time, and since 2021 I have been chair of the largest co-operative housing organisation in Sweden. It really is an inspiring and important mission to work together to create good housing with a basis in the co-operative idea.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
To work together all around the world to advocate for co-operatives and the co-operative model. Also to share experiences and bring ideas back to Sweden in order to strengthen the role of co-operatives at home and around the world.
Eva Kusuma Sundari, INKUR Federation, Indonesia
How did you get involved in co-operatives?
I was an active member of Student Coop in 1986, and taught co-op at my campus from 1989 to 1994. I was asked to join ICA Asia-Pacific in 2017 as one of the supervisors. Since then I have been active in writing op-eds on co-ops as well as founding and supervising TriSakti co-operative, working on economic creative sectors, and later with KOBETA co-op focusing on developing local agricultural seeds. I also initiated the establishment of co-operatives for female farmers of 20 villages who grow hydroponic vegetables in my constituency.
Currently, I am at INKUR Federation – a co-operative working in agricultural sector, with involvement in retail, fishery, production, education and agro-tourism.
What would you hope to achieve during your term?
I want to strengthen the co-operative movement at two levels: cultural and political. I will promote the establishment of co-op people in all areas of the economy. It is the solution for individuals, groups even the economy at a national and global that bring no harm to people and the planet.
Politically, I want to work for public policymaking to be supportive of the creation of a co-operative economy. Co-operatives have shown that their values, practices and experiences are valid and robust as the strategy for sustainable development and economy. Co-operatives have done all the recommendations of SDGs.
I will maximize my commitment and capacity as a member of ICA’s board. I do believe that ICA will be lucky to have me and the same goes for me being in the ICA’s board.
Also standing are:
- María Eugenia Pérez Zea, Asociación Colombiana de Cooperativa (Ascoop), Colombia
- Germán Astul Mejia, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Educadores de Honduras Limitada (COACEHL), Honduras
- Aditya Yadav, Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Limited (IFFDC), India
- George Magutu Mwangi, Kenya Union of Savings & Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO), Kenya
The General Assembly in Seville will be preceded by an international gathering from 19-22 June, hosted by the Spanish Confederation of Worker Cooperatives. For the full programme and to book, visit seville2022.com.
This article was amended on 8 June to remove a board candidate who decided to withdraw from the election.
