Ever since people have been organising to achieve mutual goals, co-operation has existed. With its roots in combatting inequality and exploitation brought on by the industrial revolution throughout Europe in the the 1700 and 1800s, the co-operative has come into its own as a recognized legal corporate form, growing to directly employ 250 million people in 2.6 million co-ops worldwide. The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) defines a co-op 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”. The emphasis on autonomy and democracy – as well as a focus on members’ needs and not necessarily profits – is what draws many young […]
