On July 7, 2018, cooperators around the world will celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives. According to Wikipedia:

International Co-operative Day is an annual celebration of the co-operative movement observed on the first Saturday in July since 1923 by the International Co-operative Alliance.

On December 16, 1992, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in resolution 47/90 “the first Saturday of July 1995 to be International Day of Cooperatives, marking the centenary of the establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance.”^[1] Since 1995 the United Nations‘ International Day of Co-operatives has been observed jointly alongside International Co-operative Day.

The aim of this celebration is to:

• increase awareness of cooperatives,
• highlight the complementary goals and objectives of the United Nations and the international cooperative movement,
• underscore the contributions of the movement to the resolution of the major problems addressed by the United Nations,
• and to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other actors.

Whether or not you agree with this approach, we can use this day to think about what our part might be in the international cooperative movement. Are you planning something to celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives on July 7th?