A study of the activities of i.c.a

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p><strong>1.1 INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>&nbsp;INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE ALLIANCE REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC .</strong></p><p>The major thrust of this chapter x-rayed the emergence of todays’ co-operative.</p><p>Principles. The international co-operative alliance (ICA) came into being in 1895 in London, England. The ICA roap is the regional office for Acia and the pacific of international co-operative Alliance (ICA) the world body of all co-operative with its head office in Geneva founded in London on 13 August 1895. &nbsp;I C A is a member ” based organization with national and international co-operative organizations in over 102 countries. &nbsp;It serves more than 241 member organizations, including &nbsp;five international organizations, representing well over 780 million individual members around the world.</p><p>Besides the head office in Geneva, Switzerland, there are five regional offices vis:</p><blockquote><p>a) Regional office for Asia and the &nbsp;pacific.</p><p>b) Regional office for East Central and Southern Africa.</p><p>c) Regional office for West Africa.</p><p>d) Regional office for central America and the Canibbean.</p><p>e) And Regional office for Europe.</p></blockquote><p>The I C A enjoys category ” 1 consultative status with the united Nations Economic and social council (UNECOSOC) and has active working relations with UN and other international organizations.</p><p>The I C A &nbsp;Regional for Asia and the pacific (ICA ROAP) is also located in New Delhire India, serves 54 national level organizations from 22 &nbsp;countries and one international organization Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU), representing over 48 million individual &nbsp;members of co-operatives in Asia pacific region. &nbsp; It is the apex body charged with co-operative development. &nbsp;Over time, I C A came to realize the inadequacies of the Rochadale co-operative principles.</p><p>Many factors gave rise to I C A revisiting the Rochdale principles. &nbsp;Over the years, all co-operatives the world ever adopted these principles just to be recognized as co-operatives. &nbsp;With the passage of time practitioners recognized that these Rochdale principles were grossly inadequate to all types of co-operatives.</p><p>Many reasons accounted for this. &nbsp;They include:</p><blockquote><p>i) The Rochdale principles were essentially for consumer retailing and therefore could not apply to other types of co-operatives like credit, marketing, farming, etc.</p><p>ii) The Rochdale principles were not only philosophies but contained some trade practices which were not typically principles. &nbsp;For instance, cash trading at market price and sale of pure and unadulterated &nbsp;goods were trade practices, which can apply to other business organization.</p><p>iii) Some of the principles of Rochdales, like we pointed out before, were mixture of owenites, chartist and Christian socialist, which in the real sense were not co-operative in character, and finally</p><p>iv) Some environmental factors found their way into the principles. &nbsp;For instance, the principle of cash sale at market price found its way into the principle because of the failure of the pre-Rochdale co-operatives. &nbsp;Today, however in the world of business, credit salts is the in thing. &nbsp;In advanced societies, &nbsp;the use of credit card out weigh the use of physical cash.</p></blockquote><p>Hence, &nbsp;the introduction of the modern trends in the co-operative principles otherwise known as the International Co-operative Alliance principles. &nbsp;In 1966, the International co-operative Alliance produced its own principles of co-operation and continued updating them from time to time. &nbsp;The statement on co-operative identity was adopted at the 1995 General Assembly of the International Co-operative Alliance held in Manchester on the occasion of the Alliance’s centenary.</p><p>International Co-operative Alliance (I C A)</p><p>Meaning: &nbsp;This is the highest Co-operative body world-wild. &nbsp;It is not only an international organization but a non-governmental organization whose foundation it &nbsp;is to unit, represent and serve co-operatives world-wide.</p><p><strong>1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY</strong></p><p>According to Dr. Onuoha (1986) the history of the listing of co-operative principles fall into two major periods. &nbsp;The first period is from 1840’s to as late as the 1960’s. &nbsp;during this period co-operators all over the world only ascertained what they recognized as Rochdale principles and accepted them as co-operative “commandments”. &nbsp;Since the Rochdale principles contributed to the success of the pioneers, they must be observed. &nbsp;Major thrust of this chapter is to X-tray the emergence of todays’ co-operative principles. &nbsp;The International Co-operative Alliance (I C A) came into being in 1895 in London, England. &nbsp;It is the apex body charged with co-operative development. &nbsp;Over time, I C A came to realize the inadequacies of the Rochdale co-operative principles.</p><p>These principles were received world over as the co-operative Alliance until in 1966 when the International Co-operative Alliance at a congress held in Vienna, Austria, first questioned the validity of the principles. &nbsp;In 1966, the International Co-operative Alliance produced its own principles of co-operative and continued updating them from time to time.</p><p><strong>1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY</strong></p><p>We appreciate IFRIC Draft Interpretation D8 on members share in co-operative Entities.</p><p>We support this interpretation as an interim method. &nbsp;However, final interpretation should be so formulated that it is based on nature purpose and principles of co-operative entity.</p><p>We suggest these subjective in view while formulating the final interpretation:</p><p>a) Unlike investor- oriented companies, members are owners of her co-operatives and members should use the services of co-operatives.</p><p>b) Members contribute share capital to provide corporate shape to conduct economic activities in co-operative way to fulfill their common economic needs.</p><p>c) Members share capital is main source of capital of their co-operative. &nbsp;It determines financial strength of a co-operative.</p><p>d) Co-operative institutions in almost all the countries of Asia-Pacific region are prohibited by law to raise capital from open market. &nbsp;In other words, their equity capital comes only from their members.</p><p>e) In Asia-Pacific region, in most of the countries share capital contributed by members cannot be redeemed during the life of a co-operative law/bye-laws permit to transfer the share capital at par value to some other person, if member wants to resign from a co-operative.</p><p>f) To promote the world co-operative movement based upon mutual self-help and democracy.</p><p>g) To work for political stability of all co-operative in the world.</p><p>h) I C A shall not associate itself with any political or religious organization and shall maintain such independence in all &nbsp;its activities.</p><p><strong>1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES</strong></p><p>The International Co-operative Alliance statement on the co-operative identity.</p><p>In 1966 the international co-operative alliance produced its own principles of co-operation and it continues updating them from time to time. &nbsp;The statement on co-operative identity was adopted at the 1995 general Assembly of the International co-operative alliance held in Manchester on the occasion of the Alliances’s Centenary. &nbsp;The statement problem was the product of a lengthy process of consultation involving thousands of co-operators around the world.</p><p><strong>1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS</strong></p><p>A Co-operative is 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.</p><p>The International Co-operative Alliance (I C A) defined as an umbrella organization that promote co-operative all over the world.</p><p>The I C A was founded in London on 23rd August, 1895. &nbsp; it is an association of National Union of co-operatives societies which seek to promote a non-profit system of production and trade organization in the interest of the whole community and based upon voluntary and mutual self-help.</p> <br><p></p>