Within the framework of last meeting of the Board of Directors of Cooperatives of the Americas, a training day aimed at strengthening the capacities of its members was held as part of the project coops4dev, co-financed by the European Union and focused on promoting sustainable development by promoting the cooperative model.
This space, conceived as an opportunity for exchange and reflection, had a key objective: to provide counselors with concrete tools to establish and consolidate strategic relationships with the European Union delegations and United Nations agencies in their respective countries.
To this end, a five-step practical guide was presented to guide Council members in identifying opportunities for collaboration, institutional outreach, submitting cooperative proposals, monitoring dialogue, and strengthening partnerships. Along with this guide, an updated database of contacts for EU and UN representatives in the Americas was provided, thus facilitating the immediate activation of field-based networks.
During the day, the structure and operation of the Coops4dev project were also presented in detail, as well as the benefits and collaborative work opportunities it offers to member organizations and thematic committees.
In addition, the main progress made in the first year of implementation was shared, highlighting activities aimed at capacity building and the strategic positioning of the cooperative movement. Upcoming activities planned within the framework of the project were also shared, which include the implementation of webinars In collaboration with the committees, the conceptualization and organization of the internship in Trento, Italy, as well as continuing with the implementation of the platform CoopImpact, conducting consultancies on legal frameworks, producing short publications that link these frameworks to the Sustainable Development Goals, and organizing country-by-country fact sheets.
With this initiative, Cooperatives of the Americas strengthens the strategic role of its board members as key articulaters of the cooperative movement in each country, providing them with tools to expand international relations, consolidate alliances, and highlight the contribution of cooperativism to global development.
About the Coops4dev project:
This project is the second agreement promoted by the European Union to strengthen the International Cooperative Alliance, its Regional Offices, and its members. The project fosters closer cooperation among the different regional and global offices, member organizations, partners, civil society organizations, international institutions, and other development actors, consolidating cooperativism as a driver of sustainable and global change, serving as a fundamental platform for advocacy, cooperation, and the international projection of the region's cooperatives.
