CICOPA  is the specialized world  organization for  producer cooperatives  of the  International Cooperative Alliance  (ICA),   headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.  The ICA  represents all types of  co-ops, and CICOPA represents worker or producer co-ops.  CICOPAÍs members are  national or regional  co-op federations.   Once formed,  the proposed  US federation of worker co-ops might join  CICOPA.  

A U.S. worker co-op federation would then be part of CICOPA Americas, which embraces both North and South  America. With its president in Sao Paolo, Brazil, it is one of  two new  regional bodies to integrate CICOPA members at the world level.  The other regional  group,  CICOPA Europe,  has 37 member groups representing 1.3 million ñself-managedî workers.  Regional groupings of Asian and African members are in a preparatory phase.

GEO is helping search for funds to defray costs to CICOPA of BrunoÍs participation. His knowledge of the types of national organizations and of the benefits of international inter-cooperation would be a valuable for US federation organizers.  Since 1990, CICOPA and its regional members, have helped development projects mainly in West Africa, South America, India, China and Central-Eastern Europe.

    Generating  a ñstrategic documentî was the first task given Bruno by CICOPAÍs Executive Committee.  

To help with drafting  this statement, Bruno sent a questionnaire to members.  In it, he  proposed other uses of CICOPA„besides development and lobbying„including:  an up-dated database listing the worldÍs self-managed enterprises, including  products and needs for inter-cooperative relations ; dialogue with trade unions at the world level,  already afoot in Europe;  a web-site partly open to non-members, partly a forum for members; video-conferencing for global and regional meetings; print and on-line information service with movement news;  follow-up on ILOÍs Recommendation Promoting Co-ops; and co-op law comparisons. Which services CICOPA will focus on will be based on questionnaire results.

     CICOPA will help a US federation wishing to put its co-ops in contact with foreign co-ops, either for movement solidarity or business or both.  As is shown by last JulyÍs Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy, collecting co-ops into a single data-base listing can have empowering results.  Results of a global listing, while unpredictable, will certainly also strengthen the  movement and open possibilities  for inter-cooperation.     Can CICOPA foster co-ops as an alternative to the present economic system? That will be CICOPAÍs choice.  Several  members  of CICOPA Europe had panels at the European Social Forum in Florence in November 2002.  For the present BrunoÍs aim is simply to help empower the global movement by making it aware of itself.    

CICOPA World Secretariat: Rue Guillaume Tell 59, B„1060 Brussels, Belgium Phone  32 2 543 81033 - - Fax + 32 2 543 1037.