28 – 30 NOVEMBER 2021

ICA Cooperative Research Conference
& 3rd International Forum on Cooperative Law

Within the framework of the 33rd World Cooperative Congress, two preparatory research-based events – the ICA Cooperative Research Conference (Research Conference) and the 3rd International Forum on Cooperative Law (Law Forum) will be organized in a hybrid format from 28 to 30 November 2021, with the aim to stimulate discussions during the Congress.
The Research Conference and the Law Forum will be organized physically in the Grand Walkerhill Hotel as well as virtually through the Congress online platform. Both research-based events will present about 180 research papers from 43 countries and organize 18 special panel sessions, all dedicated to the issue of the Cooperative Identity.

30 NOVEMBER

Global Cooperative Impact Fund – GCI

Presentation of a development fund project for the cooperative movement by the cooperative movement

Speaker

Bruno Dunkel, Director, Inpulse, Belgium


ICA G20 WG Promoting the Cooperative Identity in the G20

Presentation of the ICA G20 WG established in 2021 and its first successes

Facilitator

Danila Curcio, Head of International Institutional Relations at Confcooperative, Italy
Stefania Marcone, Chief of the International Relations and European Policies Legacoop (Alliance of Italian Cooperatives), Italy

Speakers

Howard Brodsky, Chair of the ICA G20 WG, CEO of CCA Global Partners, United States (pre-recorded)
Giuseppe Guerini, Vice Chair of the ICA G20 WG, President of CECOP-CICOPA Europe, member of the European Economic and Social Committee, Italy
Alessandro Hinna, Vice Chair of the ICA G20 WG, Italy


ICETT Seminar and the Launch of the 2021
and 10th Annual Issue of World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) – EURICSE

Presentation of the ICA G20 WG established in The International Cooperative Entrepreneurship Think Tank (ICETT), established in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2018 by the ICA, aims to strengthen cooperatives’ entrepreneurial performance by seeking and using innovative ideas, research, education, and cooperation to address the challenges that cooperative enterprises are facing. It acts as a strategic hub to offer strategic thinking on cooperative entrepreneurship to demonstrate that the cooperative business model is a key differentiator for entrepreneurial competitiveness and strengthen cooperatives’ business performance.

Facilitator

Karen Zimbelman, Senior Director of Membership and Cooperative Relations, National Coop Grocers (NCG), USA

Speakers

Martin Lowery, Chair, ICA 33rd World Cooperative Congress Task Force and ICA Identity Committee
Tarun Bhargava, Chair of the ICETT, IFFCO, India


Conclusions of the ICA Cooperative Research Conference
and International Cooperative Law Forum

Open to all Congress participants, the main findings of the two research events that took place from November 28 to 30 will be discussed. In particular, the importance of research on cooperative identity will be discussed and the impact of this research on the daily operations of cooperatives in all sectors will be discussed.

Facilitator

Martin Lowery, Chair of the Congress Task Force and ICA Identity Committee, ICA Board Director, United State

Speakers

Sonja Novkovic, Professor of Economics and Academic Director of the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada
Hagen Henry, Adjunct Professor, Research Director at University of Helsinki, Finlande
Patrick Develtere, Professor International Development Cooperation University of Leuven, Belgium
Rapporteurs on the various themes


Welcome to the ICA 33rd World Cooperative Congress Cocktail

Master of Ceremonies: Gwangseog Hong, Team leader of the NACF,
and deputy Secretary General of ICAO
Zuraidah Hoffman, World Cooperative Congress communications team.

Speakers

Seoul Mayor
ICA Asia-Pacific President


Celebrating Cooperative Identity

Atautsikut / Leaving None Behind – by John HOUSTON, film producer, Canada

A lived story of a humanitarian project based on trust and the duty to help people. The importance of cooperatives and their identity (the identity of Inuit cooperatives is intimately linked to the very identity of the people who make them up), the capacity of these cooperatives to unite individuals and communities for a common good. John and in Inuit friend will speak from the bottom of their hearts.

Speakers

John Houston, film producer, Canada

1 December


Opening Speeches by Dignitaries

Master of Ceremonies

Gwangseog Hong, Team leader of the NACF, and deputy Secretary General of ICAO
Zuraidah Hoffman, World Cooperative Congress communications team

Speakers

Ariel Guarco, ICA President, Argentina
Bruno Roelants, Director General, International Cooperative Alliance
Korean Dignitaries (TBC)


All Aboard for a Journey into Our Identity

Introduction to our journey

Speakers

Bruno Roelants Director General, International Cooperative Alliance)


Plenary 1
Examining Our Cooperative Identity

The cooperative identity unites us to work for the common good. Our values and principles give millions of people control of their own lives, their future, and serve as the strong foundation that sets cooperatives apart from other types of enterprises. How can our business model stay relevant in addressing today’s global challenges?

Speakers

Young Bum Park, Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea


Round Table 1
Examining Our Cooperative Identity – A Unique Opportunity

An expert panel will discuss the unique opportunities that our cooperative identity presents to us for meeting members’ needs and attaining expanded market share, taking the ongoing crisis as an opportunity.

Facilitator

Karina Lehoux, Professional facilitator, Canada

panelist

Young Bum Park, Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea
John Houston, film producer, Canada
Hector Jacquet, Cooperativa Obrera, Argentina
Hilda Ojall, Representative of the ICA-Africa Gender Committee on the ICA-Africa Board, former Vice President (Africa) of the ICA Youth Network, Kenya
Akira Kurimoto, Senior Fellow, Japan Co-operative Alliance, Japan

Parallel Sessions: Examining Our Cooperative Identity Through…


Plenary
What Emerges from the Plenary Session and Parallel Sessions?

An Interview with the Rapporteurs

Facilitator

Martin Lowery, Chair of the Congress Task Force and ICA Identity Committee, ICA Board Director, United States

panelist

P.1. Savitri Singh, Director, International Relations, Ational Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), India
S 1.1, Violetta Nafpakititi, Managing Director, DotCooperation LLC, UK
S 1.2, Tamala Blalock, NCBA Vice President for Cooperative Relations, United States
S 1.3, João Martins, OCB, Brazil
S 1.4, Santosh P. Kumar, ICA Director of Legislation, Belgium
S 1.5, Hyunwoo Kim, Senior Manager, National Agriculture Cooperative Federation (NACF), Republic of Korea


Plenary 3
Committing to Our Cooperative Identity

Inclusion and humanity are at the core of our identity, making cooperatives a valuable tool in the construction of positive peace. We respond to the needs of refugees, rebuild after natural disasters, look after the most vulnerable, and respond to the ravages of a global pandemic. These crises are constantly threatening an increasingly globalised economy. How can cooperatives work together to bring about positive and lasting change in the world?


Round Table
Committing to Our Cooperative Identity
for a Positive Global Change

The expert panel will discuss the present and future roles of cooperatives in affecting positive global change. Cooperatives have been very much involved and have very much to offer regarding peace construction and reconstruction, addressing the needs of refugees and manage natural disaster recovery.

Speaker

Ela Bhatt Founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA), India (Live from India)

Facilitator

Karina Lehoux Professional facilitator, Canada

panelist

Ela Bhatt Founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA), India (Live from India)
Giuseppe Guerini, Vice Chair of the ICA G20 WG, President of CECOP-CICOPA EUROPE
Pauline D’Amboise, Secretary General and Vice-president Governance and Sustainable Development, Desjardins Group, Canada (Pre-recorded)
Bill Cheney, WOCCU Worldwide Foundation Board member & SchoolsFirst FCU president, USA
Ana Aguirre, Co-Founder and Worker-Owner, Tazebaez Co-op, Vice Chair for Europe ICA Youth, Spain

Parallel Sessions: Committing to Our Cooperative Identity for…

Keynote speaker

Ela Bhatt founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA

3 December


Plenary
What Emerges from the Plenary Session and Parallel Sessions?

An Interview with the Rapporteurs

Facilitator

Martin Lowery, Chair of the Congress Task Force, and the ICA Identity Committee, ICA Board Director, United States

panelist

P.3, Sumi Cho, World Cooperative Congress Local Coordinator, Seoul, Republic of Korea
S 3.1, Danilo Salerno, Regional Director, Cooperatives of the Americas, Costa Rica
S 3.2, Diana Dovgan, Secretary General CICOPA, Belgium
S 3.3, Marc Noël, ICA International Development Director, Belgium
S 3.4, Ahyoung Kim, iCOOP Fellow Research Professor in the Department of Management of Co-operatives at Graduate School of Sungkonghoe, University, Republic of Korea
S 3.5, Sungsoon Park, Board member, CoopY Cooperative, Republic of Korea


Plenary 4
Living Our Cooperative Identity

The foundation of our identity drives cooperatives to pursue fundamental positive change in our world such as support for the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. As grassroots organisations led by their members, cooperatives are working strongly to offer effective approaches to sustainable development in the communities in which they are rooted. But how are UN global policies being turned into effective local actions?

speaker

Olivier De Schutter United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights (pre-recorded)
Nazik Beishenaly, Leuven University, Leader of the study of the impact of cooperating on SDGs, Belgium


Presentation of SDGs Study
Round Table—Living Our Identity for the Best of SDGs

Round Table—Living Our Identity for the Best of SDGs
Representatives of the ICA sectors will present their top three ideas for addressing the Sustainable Development Goals. Attendees will have the opportunity to comment and add ideas to the discussion.

facilitator

Karina Lehoux Professional facilitator, Canada

speaker

Nazik Beishenaly, Leuven University, Leader of the study of the impact of cooperating on SDGs, Belgium

panelists

Bhima Subrahmanyam, President, International Cooperative Banking association (ICBA),ICA,Brussels Managing Director/
CEO, NAFSCOB, Mumbai
Anders Lago, President, Cooperative Housing International (CHI)
Carlos Zarco President, IHCO, director, Fundacion Espriu, Spain
Shaun Tarbuck, CEO, ICMIF, UK
Giuseppe Guerini, Vice President, CICOPA, Italy
Ryota Koyama, Professor, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, representing ICAO Fukushima University, Japan

Parallel Sessions: Living Our Cooperative Identity with…


Plenary
What Emerges from the Plenary and Parallel Sessions?

An Interview with the Rapporteurs

facilitator

Martin Lowery, Chair of the Congress Task Force and the ICA Identity Committee, ICA Board Director, United States

panelists

P4 Robby Tulus
S 4.1, Sion Whellens, Client Services Director, Calvert Cooperative, UK
S 4.2, Jose Perez, Secretary-General, IHCO, Spain
S 4.3, Sifa Chiyoge, Regional Director, ICA-Africa
S 4.4, Julie Lapalme, Secretary General, Cooperative Housing International, Canada
S 4.5, Benjamin Jouannes, Global Social Economy Forum, Republic of Korea


Signature of the Charter of the International Coalition of the Social and Solidarity Economy

facilitator

Laurence Kwark, GSEF

panelists

Ariel Guarco, President, ICA
Pierre Hurmic, President of GSEF, Mayor of Bordeaux, France, President of GSEF
Sibylle Reichert, Executive Director of AIM, Brussels, Belgium
Elisa Carolina Torrenegra Cabrera, Co-president of the IFSSE / Executive director, Gestarsalud, Colombia
Shaun Tarbuck, CEO, ICMIF, UK


Congress Outcomes

speakers

Martin Lowery, Chair of the Congress Task Force and the ICA Identity Committee, ICA Board Director, United States
Bruno Roelants, Director General, ICA, Brussels, Belgium


Closing Ceremony

Master of Ceremonies

Gwangseog Hong, Team leader of the NACF, and deputy Secretary General of ICAO
Zuraidah Hoffman, World Cooperative Congress communications team

speaker

Yolanda Díaz Pérez, Second Deputy Prime Minister. Minister of Labour and Social Economy of the Government, Spain (pre-recorded)
Representatives of Korean Government (TBC)
Chairperson of Korea Cooperative Solidarity
Vice governor of Gyeonggi Province
Ariel Guarco, President, ICA, Buenos Aires, Argentina