’The Co-operative Movement  Needs Women and Women Need the Co-operative Movement’

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 09:45 – 11:40 a.m. BST

Pat Juby: Co-ops & Mutuals Wales introduces ’The Co-operative Movement  Needs Women and Women Need the Co-operative Movement’

Session 1 – 10.00 – 10.45 a.m.

Speaker: Debbie Robinson, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative Ltd. Continue reading

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Funding Our Future – Robert Owen Day 2023 contribution by Richard M Murphy

Funding Our Future

The left must create a sustainable economy by putting all the resources available within society to best use, including those that the market fails to use to best effect.

Robert Owen Day – and the need for a new economic paradigm for the left https://taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/05/13/robert-owen-day-and-the-need-for-a-new-economic-paradigm-for-the-left/

Lively and very relevant contribution with £100 billion available if public subsidies used in in different way. In doing so Richard clearly explains why the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the blame!

Richard blows away the current HM Treasury pre Kenysian playbook and underlines the need for radical tax changes.

Other valuable contributions from First Minister Mark Drakeford MS, Dr. Sarah Longlands  (CLES), Dr. Liz McIvor (Co-op Heritage Trust) Dr Sue Evans (Cwmpass) at our Robert Owen Day event will be placed on our YouTube channel shortly. All supported by two able chairs: Counsel General Mick Antoniw MS, and Professor Cllr. Jackie Jones.

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How big things get done! Robert Owen Day / Sut y cyflawnir pethau mawr! Diwrnod Robert Owen

How big things get done! Robert Owen Day

 Saturday 13th May 2023 10 am -12.30 pm online

Session One 

10.00 – 11.10 am

  • Key Note contribution, Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister, Welsh Government
  • A new economic narrative for the left’ with Richard M Murphy, Professor of Accounting Practice, Sheffield University
  • Chair: Mick Antoniw MS, Welsh Government Counsel General

11.10 – 11.20 Short break

Session Two

  • 11.20 – 12.30 am – Driving Community Wealth Building – Owen and Co-operation
  • Owen & his theory of community wealth building today?’ – Liz McIvor, Manager, The Co-operative Heritage Trust
  • ‘The Power of Community Wealth Building’ Sarah Longlands, Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategy
  • ‘The trade union role in developing networks & initiatives’ – Cllr Laura Smith, Political Consultant, Communications Workers Union
  • ‘Wales’ perspective’ – Sarah Evans, Commercial Director, Cwmpas
  • Q&A Panel Chair: Cllr. Jackie Jones with audience contributions

Continue reading

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Pioneer Robert Owen’s Impact: Co-operation & Education – Saturday 12th November 2022 – Zoom

We now have a new date. Thanks for your patience. Continue reading

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Robert Owen’s Coop Legacy: Community Wealth Building – slides used by Neil McInroy on 14 May 2022

You can download the presentation here

Robert Owen – Neil McInroy

 

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Explore the roots of Community Wealth Building / Foundational Economy a quarter of a millennium after his birth. Free online event ‘Robert Owen’s Impact: Learning lessons for co-operation and education’

Explore the roots of Community Wealth Building / Foundational Economy a quarter of a millennium after his birth. Free online event ‘Robert Owen’s Impact: Learning lessons for co-operation and education’ with Prof. Chris Williams, University College Cork, Cork. Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pioneer-robert-owens-impact-learning-lessons-for-co-operation-education-tickets-318910819847  A Taster…

 “Among the many movements and ideas that Robert Owen inspired and influenced, co-operation has a claim to be the longest-lasting and most important. The co-operative movement in Britain pre-dated Owen but, from the 1820s, it was infused with his optimism that a better world could be organised around, as he put it, ‘principles of union and co-operation’. Such principles took many forms: communitarian experiments, producer associations, the ‘labour exchange’ movement, and ultimately, the foundation stone of British co-operation, the co-operative store. Although Owen, in this as in so many other cases, moved on rapidly to other enthusiasms after the mid-1830s, his ideas continued to function as a touchstone for co-operators for generations to come. More than a quarter of a millennium after his birth, Owen continues to offer much food for thought for twenty-first century co-operators”

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Pioneer Robert Owen’s Impact: Learning Lessons for Co-operation & Education

Robert Owen portrait

FREE ONLINE EVENT: Saturday, July 2nd, 2022

Download the event programme (English, pdf) | Lawrlwythwch rhaglen y digwyddiad (Cymraeg, pdf)

Register for your FREE ticket on Eventbrite.

Lecture: ‘Robert Owen & co-operation’

by Prof Chris Williams with audience’s contributions to promote his ideals within our national curriculum

International Co-operators Day – online event

Programme

Saturday 2nd July 2022, 9.55  – 11.10 am

Robert Owen’s Impact: Learning lessons for Co-operation and Education

Welcome: Mick Antoniw Labour & Co-operative MS for Pontypridd, Counsel General for Wales https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Mick Antoniw

Speaker: Professor Chris Williams, Head of College, College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, University College Cork, Cork http://research.ucc.ie/profiles/A019/chris.williams@ucc.ie

‘Robert Owen and co-operation’ – Among the many movements and ideas that Robert Owen inspired and influenced, co-operation has a claim to be the longest-lasting and most important. The co-operative movement in Britain pre-dated Owen but, from the 1820s, it was infused with his optimism that a better world could be organised around, as he put it, ‘principles of union and co-operation’. Such principles took many forms: communitarian experiments, producer associations, the ‘labour exchange’ movement, and ultimately, the foundation stone of British co-operation, the co-operative store. Although Owen, in this as in so many other cases, moved on rapidly to other enthusiasms after the mid-1830s, his ideas continued to function as a touchstone for co-operators for generations to come. More than a quarter of a millennium after his birth, Owen continues to offer much food for thought for twenty-first century co-operators.

Chair: Chris Hall, Chairperson Co-ops & Mutuals Wales

 

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Those who opt to make history and change the course of events

“Those who opt to make history and change the course of events themselves have an advantage over those who decide to wait passively for the results of the change.”

– Father José María Arizmendiarrieta

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Building on Robert Owen’s Co-operative Legacy

Robert Owen picture

FREE ONLINE EVENT: Saturday 14th May 2022: 9.55-12.05

Download the Programme (English, pdf) | Lawrlwythwch y Rhaglen (Cymraeg, pdf)

To reserve your FREE ticket to this Zoom Online event, please register here

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A CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR A CO-OPERATIVE WALES? A Community of Enquiry Report April 8, 2017

A CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR A CO-OPERATIVE WALES?

Summary

The Welsh word ‘dysgu’ means both teaching and learning. This underlines the fact that learning should not be something handed down from teacher to pupil. It should be a collaborative effort between all stakeholders. With discussions taking place on new school curricula and teacher training, now is the time to press for introducing this new approach.

This April 2017 event in Cardiff demonstrated the wealth of potential there is in Wales to further the Co-operative education agenda. What was great about the enquiry was that participants recognised that we are exploring the notion of a contemporary Co-operative education in a hospitable policy climate – i.e., the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and through initiatives such as Philosophy with Children. This opens real opportunities to think creatively about new educational approaches and to see these delivered ‘on the ground’.

For the future, there are some really important elements to be considered in terms of ‘being’ a co-operative teacher which are not simply about values and principles (though these are drivers); but also, about learner centred pedagogical approaches; communications; leadership; and attitudes. We left the event with big questions: What is a co-operative teacher? What does being a co-operative teacher add to the experiences of the student, school, classroom; professional practice? Much of this could come up through any future enquiry – but they are important questions if we are to realise the goals set out in the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

For more details please go to:

ds:3:1:22cmw final 8 APRIL 2017 report

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Best wishes / New Year Greetings from Co-ops & Mutuals Wales with our favourite quote from Joe Reeves

Joseph (Joe) Reeves was born on 28 January 1888 in Camberwell, London. His childhood was impoverished and he left school at 13. He was a conscientious objector during World War I.  Joe was Education Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) from 1918-1938. He believed that ‘the dynamic of education must be altered from individual assertiveness to service on behalf of the community’. While Reeves was secretary the Education Committee expanded its activities and provided equipment and premises for classes as well as holding drama groups and orchestras. In 1945 he was elected as a member of parliament for the Greenwich Constituency, until 1955. He also served on the RACS Political Purposes Committee from 1946-1953. https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/1421fc6e-153c-3142-8ae9-ddcaf00e00f3

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Civic society ambition for a Community Bank in Wales supported by Monmouthshire BS & Welsh Government

https://gov.wales/economy-minister-sets-out-plans-banc-cambria-wales-new-community-bank

Welsh Government statement issued today.

Excellent cross-party support for Monmouthshire Building Society backing a civic society mutual intiative for a community bank – long in the making in Wales. Many more miles to travel. Mutuals are member controlled. If you want a say in branch location/policy join this mutual to make it a great success.

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Coop identity, culture & heritage session International Co-operative Alliance, Seoul, World Co-op Congress, 1 December 2021

As part of Congress’s first key theme, Examining Our Co-operative Identity, delegates gathered on the afternoon of 1 December in Seoul and online to discuss cooperative and cultural heritage. In 2016, UNESCO formally recognised cooperatives as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and in her introduction, the session’s facilitator Stefania Marcone referenced this decision as something to reflect on in this conversation, saying, “if we want to rebuild a better world, cooperative culture and the culture in cooperative sectors are fundamental.”

David Smith, lifelong co-operative activist and Trustee of the Robert Owen Memorial Museum offered a presentation from Wales, where he shared that despite having global recognition in the co-operative world, Robert Owen, whose 250th birthday is being celebrated this year, is little known in Wales. Mr Smith explained that there is sadly poor understanding of the co-operative movement in Wales, something he and his colleagues are working to counter through educational programmes, media coverage and events. He ended his presentation with a question to Congress: Would the creation of a global annual Robert Owen Day spur us to action in creating a co-operative education system for the co-operative world we wish it to be?

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Robert Owen – One of Wales’s greatest political icons

https://www.thenational.wales/news/19737010.robert-owen—one-waless-greatest-political-icons/ 

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Why do we know so little about a man whose work is revered across the world?

Francis Jones explores the life and work of Welsh businessman and social reformer Robert Owen: why do we know so little about a man whose work is revered across the world?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z4vj

The radio programme is on this evening, 31st August 2021 at 18.30 hrs, and will be available on the BBC Sounds app for the next month so there’s plenty of time to take advantage of its presence online for a while yet.

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Co-operative Education – the crucial role of embedding the spirit of co-operation in all that we do

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Anu Puusa ~ The Case for Co-ops, the Invisible Giant of the Economy

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‘Ways to Mark Robert Owen’s Anniversary’ Q&A | Chair: Jeremy Miles, MS Labour – Co-op, Neath

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Co-op Learning & Methods in Schools| Dr Sara Vicari |Chair: Jeremy Miles, MS Labour – Co-op, Neath

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Robert Owen & History of Co-op Movement in Wales| Siân Williams|Chair: Jeremy Miles, MS Labour-Co-op

 

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