International Co-operative Alliance
The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) is a non-governmental co-operative federation or, more precisely, a co-operative union representing co-operatives and the co-operative movement worldwide. It was founded in 1895. The ICA maintains the internationally recognised definition of a co-operative in the Statement on the Co-operative Identity. ICA represents 248 co-operative federations and organisations in 92 countries (7 October 2010).
In 2006 the ICA published the first major index of the world's largest co-operative and mutual enterprises, the ICA Global 300, which demonstrated the scale of the co-operative movement globally.
On the first Saturday of July each year, the ICA coordinates celebrations of International Co-operative Day.
In December 2009, the United Nations declared 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives.
Read more about International Co-operative Alliance: Structure, The Flag
Famous quotes containing the word alliance:
“Ah! how much a mother learns from her child! The constant protection of a helpless being forces us to so strict an alliance with virtue, that a woman never shows to full advantage except as a mother. Then alone can her character expand in the fulfillment of all life’s duties and the enjoyment of all its pleasures.”
—Honoré De Balzac (1799–1850)