Declining trust: governance and regulation innovations: Are financial services co-operatives such as co-operative banks, building societies and credit unions weathering the crisis better than their investor-owned counterparts? If so, what lessons can they teach governments about good governance and bank regulation? Can they provide a viable alternative, or will they suffer from over-regulation as governments that do not understand the ‘co-operative difference’ tighten up on all banking institutions?
Unemployment and social cohesion: With rising unemployment, what role can employee-owned and other co-operatives play in generating new jobs?
Declining state services: as the state faces dramatically increasing budgetary demands, and is turning more to market solutions, how can co-operatives help fill the gap and be both distinctive and competitive?
Support Needs: What is the role and potential of co-operative development agencies? How can federal bodies and consorzi strengthen the sector?
Housing crisis: With rising home repossessions, can housing co-operatives provide a people-centred alternative? What kinds of government policies are needed to enable housing co-operative sectors to expand to meet the affordability gap? Are there specific models such as limited or shared equity co-ops that can combine individual home ownership with collective security?
Local-global tensions: With a shrinking global economy, what is the role of co-operatives in sustaining local economies? Are there models that can be replicated, such as consumer/farmer partnerships in local food strategies, or shared service co-ops for local businesses?
North-South issues: With falling demand for products from developing countries, what is the role of consumer co-operatives in increasing fair trade? What can we learn from existing north/south partnerships, and can these be replicated?
