XVII Regional Conference of ICA Americas

Cooperative Commitment for the preservation of the planet


The XVII Regional Conference of ACI-Americas “Cooperative Commitment for the Preservation of the Planet”, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from November 22 to 26, 2010, was a successful experience that demonstrated the potential and willingness to dialogue of the people who give life to the cooperative movement in the region.

The President, the Regional Board of Directors and the Regional Directorate of ICA-Americas and its staff, together with the member organizations of ICA in Argentina - the Cooperative Confederation of the Argentine Republic (COOPERAR), Agricultores Federados Argentinos Sociedad Cooperativa Limitada (AFA SCL), the Instituto Movilizador de Fondos Cooperativos (IMFC), La Segunda Cooperativa Limitada de Seguros Generales, Sancor Cooperativa de Seguros Ltda and Banco Credicoop Cooperativo Limitado-, feel deep satisfaction for the achievements in this new edition of the largest regional meeting event for cooperative members. At the same time, they express their deepest gratitude to all the participants, because the success of the conference was based, above all, on the effort made by them and their organizations to be present at the activity, as well as on their relevant contributions. that turned the event into an opportunity for the regional cooperative movement to positively impact the search for solutions to the environmental problems that our planet suffers.

In this conference it was evidenced that there are many cooperative men and women who, in unison, affirm that we are committed to the preservation of the planet. Beyond being a meeting point for American cooperative members, the conference represented an opportunity to reflect and carry out a collective analysis on the importance of environmental conservation, while allowing the positioning of the commitment of the cooperative movement in relation to a crucial issue for the very future of humanity. Everything we discussed at the conference leaves us challenged to move from words to deeds. It has been shown that cooperatives, by their very nature, are organizations that harbor important reserves of awareness about the need to adopt concrete measures that contribute to the preservation of the planet. Now, we are called to transform this socio-environmental commitment into viable and ecologically sustainable practices.

Thus, the event represented a reaffirmation of the path initiated by the ICA with the adoption of the resolution called "Climate change: our cooperative commitment", a mandate that was reaffirmed by more than 900 cooperative members from the Americas region, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse; to communicate and educate members about the practices that lead to their reduction and to channel their political influence, to offer a constructive contribution to the planetary fight to minimize the effects of climate change.