{"id":12285,"date":"2023-07-18T14:57:08","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T06:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/?page_id=12285"},"modified":"2024-09-03T10:53:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T02:53:12","slug":"what-are-co-ops","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/?page_id=12285","title":{"rendered":"what are co-ops?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"12285\" class=\"elementor elementor-12285\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3853ac98 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"3853ac98\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-710b024d\" data-id=\"710b024d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ef3d71f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7ef3d71f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">what are co-ops?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3af9d30 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"3af9d30\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3bc0500c\" data-id=\"3bc0500c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf07428 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cf07428\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">SO\u2026WHAT ARE CO-OPERATIVES? \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47c6e089 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"47c6e089\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cf26a93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cf26a93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Co-operatives have a unique identity as enterprises that revolve around people, placing their needs and aspirations at the core of their existence. Owned, controlled, and operated by their members, co-operatives are a driving force in realizing collective economic, social, and cultural goals.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the heart of co-operatives lies a democratic ethos, bringing individuals together on an equal footing. Whether members serve as customers, employees, users, or community members, decision-making within co-operatives operates under the &#8220;one member, one vote&#8221; principle. This means that every member has an equal say in shaping the co-operative&#8217;s direction, regardless of their capital contribution.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike conventional profit-driven businesses, co-operatives are guided by a set of internationally recognized principles that prioritize values over mere financial gains. Co-operation is the key to building a better and sustainable world, with fairness, equality, and social justice forming the cornerstone of co-operative endeavors. This shared commitment empowers co-operatives worldwide to collaborate towards a common purpose, fostering sustainable enterprises that create long-term jobs and prosperity.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most significant advantages of co-operatives is that they allow people to seize control of their economic future. Unlike shareholder-owned companies, co-operatives are not beholden to external investors. Instead, the economic and social benefits of co-operative activities remain rooted in the communities we serve. Any profits generated are either reinvested in the co-operative toward further growth or redistributed among members, realizing their financial freedom.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Far from being a marginal phenomenon, the co-operative movement has garnered substantial global participation. Remarkably, at least 12% of the world&#8217;s population actively participates in one of the three million co-operatives that span the globe, according to the latest figures from the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Co-operatives embody the spirit of collaboration and solidarity, uniting individuals from all walks of life to create meaningful change. By placing people first and upholding principles that extend beyond profit margins, co-operatives stand as a testament to the potential of co-operation in building a more inclusive and prosperous world for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9b6b375 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"9b6b375\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-42f6b470\" data-id=\"42f6b470\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d4175ff elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon elementor-view-default elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"d4175ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-divider__element\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68ce2dc4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"68ce2dc4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">In 1995, the International Cooperative Alliance, \nbeing the global steward of the Co-operative Identity of the global movement, formally defines that:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38090c95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"38090c95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>what are co-ops? SO\u2026WHAT ARE CO-OPERATIVES? Co-operatives have a unique identity as enterprises that revolve around people, placing their needs and aspirations at the core of their existence. Owned, controlled, and operated by their members, co-operatives are a driving force in realizing collective economic, social, and cultural goals. At the heart of co-operatives lies a democratic ethos, bringing individuals together on an equal footing. Whether members serve as customers, employees, users, or community members, decision-making within co-operatives operates under the &#8220;one member, one vote&#8221; principle. This means that every member has an equal say in shaping the co-operative&#8217;s direction, regardless of their capital contribution. Unlike conventional profit-driven businesses, co-operatives are guided by a set of internationally recognized principles that prioritize values over mere financial gains. Co-operation is the key to building a better and sustainable world, with fairness, equality, and social justice forming the cornerstone of co-operative endeavors. This shared commitment empowers co-operatives worldwide to collaborate towards a common purpose, fostering sustainable enterprises that create long-term jobs and prosperity. One of the most significant advantages of co-operatives is that they allow people to seize control of their economic future. Unlike shareholder-owned companies, co-operatives are not beholden to external investors. Instead, the economic and social benefits of co-operative activities remain rooted in the communities we serve. Any profits generated are either reinvested in the co-operative toward further growth or redistributed among members, realizing their financial freedom. Far from being a marginal phenomenon, the co-operative movement has garnered substantial global participation. Remarkably, at least 12% of the world&#8217;s population actively participates in one of the three million co-operatives that span the globe, according to the latest figures from the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). Co-operatives embody the spirit of collaboration and solidarity, uniting individuals from all walks of life to create meaningful change. By placing people first and upholding principles that extend beyond profit margins, co-operatives stand as a testament to the potential of co-operation in building a more inclusive and prosperous world for everyone. In 1995, the International Cooperative Alliance, being the global steward of the Co-operative Identity of the global movement, formally defines that: \u201cA co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12285","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12285"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19460,"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12285\/revisions\/19460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mass-specc.coop\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}