XVIII ICA Americas Regional Conference

The International Cooperative Alliance for the Americas (ICA Americas), together with the National Confederation of Medical Cooperatives of Brazil (UNIMED), the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB) and the National Cooperative Learning Service (Sescoop), cordially invite you to the XVIII Regional Conference "Cooperative Decade: Scenarios and Prospects", to be held in Guajurá, Sao Paulo, from October 6 to 11, 2013. The purpose of this event is to "Unite and coordinate joint actions of the cooperative organizations of the Americas, in order to consolidate the cooperative business model in 2020 as the acknowledged leader in economic, social and environmental sustainability; the model preferred by the people and the fastest growing type of business organization." The Conference is an excellent opportunity for the representatives of various sectors of the organized civil society, mainly of cooperatives but also from academia, NGOs and representatives of international organizations as well as for Government institutions, legislators and Cooperative Promotion and Development Organizations, to meet and analyze the actions that may maximize the opportunities for the sector in this historic moment that brings along inevitable social and environmental challenges in which the arguments in favor of cooperatives have become more relevant. During the conference, the Plan of the Cooperative Decade will be analyzed and key information will be provided to facilitate a joint progress of the cooperative model so as to achieve that the conviction of its contribution to the security and wellbeing of persons will have taken root in 2020. In workshops and plenary sessions, the participants will be invited to examine the possibilities of a practical collaboration and the adoption of joint strategies, with the common goal of proposing the guidelines of the cooperative sector to continue to safeguard the defense of the collective interest and the democratization of the business management systems. The conclusions of the Conference must provide a clear orientation for the years to come and strengthen the foundations with concrete actions towards an ethical sustainable development to fulfill the plan for a cooperative decade and to receive the necessary support, sending a message to the institutions of the Americas and to the people in general about the role of the cooperatives as a cornerstone to mitigate social inequality. We look forward to your valuable participation as a part of the most important cooperative event in the Americas. Your contribution and input are fundamental. See the Programme http://www.aciamericas.coop/Programa-4729 .