A British university has recognised a former Director-General of the International Co-operative Alliance for his contribution to co-operative development.
Iain Macdonald, who was Director-General between 2002-2010, received the doctorate from Stirling University. Delighted to receive the award, Dr Macdonald told Stirling business students that co-operatives were an egalitarian model concerned with social justice.
“This university is one of the few which understands that co-operation is a different but equally successful business model — indeed some, like me, would say it is a better business model than its investor owned counterpart,” he said.
Dr Macdonald gained an MA in History and Race Relations from the University of Edinburgh and went on to work for the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. He began his co-operative journey in 1979, when he started working as a Scottish Education Officer for the UK's apex body the Co-operative Union, now Co-operatives UK.
“I was quite political back in 1979 and I felt the co-operative movement offered a balance which allowed me to work for a business, but one that was democratically controlled."
He added that at the time he was concerned with the effects of capitalism and thought co-operative enterprises offered a much better solution to world problems.
He joined the Co-operative Wholesale Society in 1986 and later on started working for the Co-operative Group in Manchester in 1996, where he had various positions, including Head of Co-operative Strategy.
In 2002 he became ICA’s Director-General. While working for the ICA, one of his key aims was to enhance the role of members in running the organisation. Throughout his mandate the ICA increased its membership, establishing closer links between the various sectoral organisations.
As ICA’s Director-General, Dr Macdonald played a major role in developing the Global 300 report, which raised the profile of co-operative enterprises by revealing the size and scale of the movement and has led to the development of the World Co-operative Monitor.
The main challenge for the co-op movement remains getting the message across, thinks Iain Macdonald. “Due to our diverse nature, people don’t see us as one,” he explained.
He said that although co-operatives operate across various sectors, from retail to banking, housing or agriculture, they should all strive to have a single co-operative identity.
Dr Macdonald said he welcomed ICA’s initiative to create a global brand for co-operative enterprises and said the Blueprint is a step in the right direction. “We’ve got to consolidate on achievements and advantages that the International Year of Co-operatives gave us, we need to work hard on raising our profile and insisting on being considered at the highest level of government,” he said.
Most importantly, co-operators must not let the IYC momentum go, argued Dr Macdonald.
Photo: Iain Macdonald at the Stirling's awards ceremony.
