Manifest

The United Nations proclaimed the year 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting its important contribution to building a better world and encouraging the Member States and all persons and entities interested in promoting cooperatives and raise awareness about their contribution to economic and social development.

Making echo of his term, we join the United Nations, to show that the cooperatives help build a better world and by working in the creation and development of cooperatives, we are looking for a better Galicia, fairer and more supportive, and we called all people, the social partners and the public and private institutions, to intensify the efforts in favor of outreach and promotion of cooperatives.

 Cooperatives based on the values ​​of self-help, responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, are able to provide solutions and alternatives for creating wealth and welfare. Acting under the principles of voluntary and open membership, democratic management, economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information, inter-cooperation and interest in community, cooperatives contribute to achieving a more just, equitable and attentive to meeting the needs of people.

The cooperative company is a magnificent tool for developing professional projects and life projects of the people, particularly young people, and represents a dynamic element of first importance for local development. His contribution to the maintenance of social cohesion and welfare take on special importance in times of crisis, for his actions of maintenance of activities and employment in adverse circumstances.

Its role is essential in organizing, structuring and integration of the productive sectors, especially in the processes of change, being a vehicle of modernization, technological development and innovation, as well as a stimulus to entrepreneurship. The cooperative companies committed to people and to the territory, have a main role in upgrading human resources, in setting populations and in the sustainable use of resources. The presence of cooperatives in 1 of every 11 households shows the range and potential that the cooperatives have in Galicia to achieve common goals.

Whenever faced with a problem or starting a project, we analyze the benefits of undertaking the solution of problems, meet challenges and take risks, in a collective and participatory way, rather than individually, possibly, if we opt for the cooperative way, we can move forward in improving individual and collective, in improving the quality of life of every person in our community and throughout the world.

The institutions and people that join this initiative,  want to express our support to cooperatives as a way of economic and social development, in order to promote a reflection on the whole of the Galician society, that highlights this different and peculiar form of doing business and building the country.