Vol. 46 Nr. 2/2012: Cooperatives
The cooperative model has been sidelined for many years now in development cooperation – for various reasons: On the one hand, cooperatives have been completely overestimated as an instrument and were expected to solve a whole bunch of problems at one stroke. On the other hand, they were long misused for state purposes and therefore regarded with mistrust. The fact that the United Nations has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives is a good opportunity to take a closer look at this special form of enterprise. In this issue of Rural 21, we wish to give you an idea of the range of manifestations that the cooperative model has taken worldwide and of the role cooperatives can play in overcoming rural poverty.
Focus
- Cooperatives - the magic bullet of poverty reduction?
- The political dimension
- A path of trial and tribulation
- A significant factor, but not a panacea
- Nicaragua: Cooperatives at the crossroads
- Between organic development and state control
- Community banks: A chance for agri-based African rural communities
- Beyond economic empowerment
- The Raiffeisen idea – a model for sustainable development?
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