Anthill
Newsletter of the British Columbia
Institute for Co-operative Studies

BCICS is hosting a forum for young people, May 24-27, 2003. The word “young” has been used as an operative term, and although the conference was originally intended for people aged 18 to 25, those who have registered range in age from 17 to 44. Participants will take part in Plenary Sessions, Workshops, and listen to “True Stories” about Canadian co-operatives. Participants’ active participation and interaction during presentations and in workshops will contribute to the overall success of the forum. Facilitators include Greg MacLeod, of the University College of Cape Breton; John Restakis, General Manager of the Canadian Co-operative Association, BC Region; and Linda Shaw and Mervyn Wilson of the Co-operative College, United Kingdom. So far, conference participants from a variety of co-op backgrounds will be coming from across Western Canada, Ontario, and the United Kingdom.

On the heels of the Youth Forum, BCICS is hosting “Mapping Co-operative Studies in the Millenium,” an international conference at the University of Victoria from May 28 to 31, 2003 sponsored by the Research Committee of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and the Canadian Association for the Study of Co-operation. International in scope, the conference will be attended by over 100 presenters from over 25 countries including Argentina, Nigeria, Ghana, India, France, Japan, Bulgaria, United States, and Iran. Topics covered reflect the interdisciplinary nature of Co-operative Studies. Key features of the conference include defining and exploring the theoretical aspects surrounding Co-operative Studies as a field of inquiry and exploring the roles Universities play in this process.