In recent months, many people associated with BCICS have been speaking at public events and giving papers at academic gatherings. Julia Smith, Kevin Wilson, Cheryl Lans and Delia Becker presented papers at the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation in Winnipeg, as did Ian MacPherson. Kathleen Gabelmann presented a paper at the National Community Economic Development conference in Trois-Rivières that she co-authored with Ian MacPherson. Ian MacPherson also presented papers at a conference on “The Social Economy ” in Trento, Italy; a HRD workshop on the “Social Economy” in Ottawa; a conference on “The Culture of Development, Globalisation and Cooperative Enterprise” in Genoa, Italy; and at “The Communitarian Summit”, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He made presentations/led workshops at a credit union meeting in Vancouver; a youth workshop in Prince George; a meeting of the BC Legislative interns in Victoria; and to the course on co-operatives sponsored by the University of Bologna, VanCity Credit Union and BCCA during the Vancouver phase of its programme. He made a plenary presentation at the annual meeting of the Association of Co-operative Educators in Montréal.

We've been explaining.

BCICS hosted B.C. provincial legislature interns one after noon this June. The informal seminar was designed to familiarize the interns with the many applications of the co-operative model, including the different forms of co-ops and their various activities. (Picture: Dr. Ian MacPherson addresses provincial legislature interns)

Ian MacPherson made a short presentation during which he discredited the stereotypes that co-operatives are either 'hippy' communes or groups of struggling prairie farmers. He went on to demonstrate how co-operatives operate around the world and in our local communities. After the presentation, over coffee and cookies, the interns joined in a general discussion on co-operatives, asking Dr. MacPherson questions and describing their own experiences and insights into the co-operative model.

After the discussion, the interns thanked Dr. MacPherson BCICS for hosting the meeting and suggested that future legislative interns would also benefit from such seminars.