One of the main mandates of BCICS is to communicate the results of its research and foster interest in its activities at academic, community and co-operative conferences and meetings. In May, Ian MacPherson gave an address to the annual meeting of the Cumberland Credit Union. He spoke on the roles and possibilities of credit unions to a lively annual meeting of this credit union, located in the historic and rapidly developing community of Cumberland in central Vancouver Island.

In May, Robin Puga and Ian MacPherson presented papers at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Co-operative Studies, held at the University of Saskatchewan. Robin explained the operations of the Co-operative Learning Centre, focusing particularly on how it would help Co-operative Studies researchers in Canada. Ian MacPherson presented a paper documenting some of the findings of BCICS’s New Economy research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He focused particularly on the Kootenays region and some of its innovative and important new co-operatives.

In August, Robin and Ian attended the meetings of the Committee on Co-operative Research of the International Co-operative Alliance, held in Cork, Ireland. Robin presented a paper explaining the international dimensions of the Cooperative Learning Centre, seeking advice and support for its development. He succeeded in fostering considerable interest among the researchers and co-operative leaders in attendance. Ian delivered a paper on the general issues confronting new co-operatives within the context of the New Economy in British Columbia, inviting comparisons with the experiences of new co-operatives emerging within what might be broadly called the “New Economy” in other countries. Both papers were very well received.

In September Robin and Ian, with the financial assistance of the ICA, attended the ICA’s Congress in Cartegena, Colombia. At the Congress, they presented an outline of the Co-operative Learning Centre (CLC) project to the ICA Human Resources Committee; conducting a two-day workshop on the subject. During the two-days, over 30 delegates participated in a workshop aimed at refining the CLC proposal and providing a project update report to ICA officials. Dr. Yehudah Paz from Israel (an ICA Board member), Jan-Eirik Imbsen from the ICA staff and Jürgen Schwettmann from the International Labour Organisation played important roles in the development of the CLC initiative and were prominently involved in the discussions. Robin and Ian also made a presentation introducing the CLC project to the ICA’s general assembly. Over 250 co-operators attended the presentation; many participating in a lively discussion period. The presentation and discussion were simultaneously translated into Spanish and Japanese. Ian made an inspiring presentation during the opening ceremonies of the Youth Conference – a major feature of the Cartegena meetings.

Joy Emmanuel