Professor of Management Anu Puusa from the University of Eastern Finland and Hagen Henrÿ, who holds a title of Docent in Law at the University of Helsinki, have been invited to an advisory group of the International Cooperative Alliance, ICA, addressing the global development of cooperative identity and any needs for change therein.
ICA decided, in its World Cooperative Congress held in Seoul last December, to launch a review of cooperative identity and its principles. This will be the fourth review in the movement’s nearly 200 years of history. For the task, ICA appointed an advisory group of 20 experts, with Finland being represented by Anu Puusa and Hagen Henrÿ.
The international cooperative movement has been building a common value base throughout its history. The movement’s values were last updated in ICA’s 100th Anniversary Congress in 1995, at which time cooperative values were defined as self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In addition, ethical values were defined as honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.
Members of ICA’s Board of Directors as well as researchers and specialists in cooperatives from all over the world have been invited to join the advisory group responsible for the review and update work. The group is set to finish its work in autumn 2023, and the first interim report is due already in June 2022.
“It’s a great honour to be invited to the group. It feels like I’m actually part of making history, instead of talking about it, like in my research and lectures. In the work we’re doing, the process is at least as important as the outcome. Personally, I’ll be advocating participation as much as I can. I consider it essential to extend the possibility to participate and to be heard to all people, working in all kinds of cooperatives at all levels of the movement, in all sectors of the economy and throughout the world. I look forward to interesting two years ahead,” Anu Puusa says.
Puusa works as Professor of Intellectual Capital Management at the University of Eastern Finland. She holds several elected positions in the field of cooperatives, including being a Board Member in Cooperatives Europe. She has also actively promoted research and education relating to cooperatives at the University of Eastern Finland. Puusa has been recognised with a national education prize for her teaching addressing cooperatives.
Source of the press release: Pellervo Coop Center https://pellervo.fi/uutiset/2022/01/13/osuustoiminnan-identity-frying-tyo-kaynni /
For further information, please contact:
Anu Puusa, Professor of Intellectual Capital Management, Business School, University of Eastern Finland, anu.puusa@uef.fi, tel. +358 50 442 3376
