People Before Profit

2012 has been recognized as the International Year of Cooperatives by the United Nations. This is an acknowledgement by the international community that cooperatives drive the economy, respond to social change, are resilient to the global economic crisis and are serious, successful businesses creating jobs in all sectors. The International Year of Cooperatives celebrates a different way of doing business, one focused on human need not human greed, where the members, who own and govern the business, collectively enjoy the benefits instead of all profits going just to shareholders.

Visit the IYC official website

The world's 300 largest co-ops = $1 trillion in sales annually
Worldwide, co-ops = 100 million jobs
Learn more about your electric cooperative with this video

Watch this to learn more about the International Year of the Cooperative

And click here to see a short video from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association that embodies the spirit of co-ops in America and around the world

The Year of Cooperatives Facebook page is a fascinating look into how co-ops work throughout the world. It has many, many interesting updates and links to follow that are windows on how our unique business model is re-shaping economies across the globe. www.facebook.com/CoopsYear

Now watch video stories about the co-op spirit!
You can be a part of the celebration by exploring the cooperative world in stories and video. Stories.coop is a website where people from all cultures share stories about how cooperatives make a difference in the lives of millions all across the earth. There are stories of cooperation from every corner of the globe; from the smallest cooperative to the biggest.

Stories connect people through the power of words and the power of pictures. Stories tell the facts and they connect to our emotions. So drop in and share the cooperative experience. And maybe contribute some words. Your stories will paint a picture of the enormous diversity of t

Join in the Fun
People from around the world are using their cameras to tell their co-op's story! Who are the people that make co-ops rock? How do co-ops make your community a better place?

Now you can see these creative videos and photos. Then you can vote for your favorite. Voting ends on Nov. 30. Winners in each category are determined by popular vote and you can vote daily for your favorites! Just click on the Co-op Rocks image to visit the website.