Statement on the Co-operative Identity

The Statement on the Co-operative Identity, promulgated by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), defines and guides co-operatives worldwide. It contains the definition of a co-operative as a special form of organization, the values of co-operatives, and the currently accepted cooperative principles that direct their behavior and operation. The Statement with the latest revision of the cooperative principles was adopted by ICA in 1995.

According to the Statement, a co-operative is defined as "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise." Co-operatives "are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of co-operative founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others."

For a discussion of the seven cooperative principles see Rochdale Principles.

References

Statement on the Co-operative Identity, 1995 version.

Cooperatives and mutual organizations

Types of cooperative

By governance

Consumer	Cooperative federation list Cooperative wholesale society

Worker (list)	Employee ownership Workers' self-management Workers' control Workplace democracy Business and employment co-operative

Purchasing	Retailers' cooperative

Other	Social cooperative Agent-owned company

By purpose

Banking	Credit union Mutual savings bank Savings and loan association Building society

Housing	Building Cohousing Student housing Housing society (egalitarian) Intentional community

Agricultural	Collective farming Reforestation Winemaking Wheat pool

Utility (list)	Community wind energy Electric Telephone

Mutual education	Anarchistic free school Homeschool Democratic education Learning by teaching

Mutual insurance	Health insurance cooperative

Other	Food list Recycling

Topics

Identity	Rochdale Principles ICA Statement on the Cooperative Identity

Political and economic theories	Co-operative economics Cooperative federalism Distributism Economic democracy Mutualism Neo-Capitalism Owenism Social enterprise Socialism Socially responsible investing Solidarity economy

Key theorists	G. D. H. Cole Charles Gide David Griffiths William King Robert Owen Friedrich Raiffeisen David Schweickart Rochdale Pioneers Beatrice Webb

By region	Canada Ukraine United Kingdom United States

Organizations	List of cooperatives Worker Energy Federations International Co-operative Alliance Co-operative Party

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