Background

In 2004, BCICS joined forces with the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to develop a collaborative online resource. This virtual resource centre will be a valuable tool for the international co-operative community called The Co-operative Learning Centre (CLC).

The CLC is a multilingual, multimedia, online resource containing valuable information on the effective use of the co-operative model. It provides access to information, training, research, resources and networks in order to facilitate co-operative education and development for anyone with access to a web browser. All resources on the CLC are classified according to type, themes, and geographical regions, making it easy to navigate and search for information. The CLC website prototype, which has received much positive feedback, can be viewed at: www.learningcentre.coop The completed version of the CLC will be managed by BCICS through the University of Victoria’s Internet facilities, ensuring a reliable, secure and fast Internet connection, as well as solid security for the CLC data.

Project Pilot Funding for 2006!

The CLC development team has been very busy in securing funding for the project. Several revised proposals have been submitted to a variety of potential funding sources. In May, we received $10,000 USD in a one-time project grant from the ILO. This funding is committed to developing a preliminary version of the Co-operative Learning Centre website geared at youth interested in co-operatives. The new version of the CLC will be available in English and Spanish. It will provide introductory information on co-operatives for youth and others seeking to learn about the co-op model. Additionally, it will contain resources for youth interested in co-operative training. The CLC will also provide bilingual communication tools for establishing an online learning community for those using the site. The CLC development team is currently working on the new site design and translating the introductory materials into Spanish. This revised version of the CLC will be officially launched in January 2007.

ICA Human Resource Development (HRD) Meeting, Victoria, BC – June 2007

Following closely on the heels of the BCICS’ Co-operatives and the Pursuit of Peace conference, the members of the ICA’s HRD Committee met over two days to review the progress of the CLC project and to discuss further avenues of funding. During this meeting, the CLC partner organization VAMNICOM, an education and networking centre in India, made a contribution to the CLC project. VAMNICOM is in the process of creating a website which will help co-op training and educational institutions add information about their institution’s courses and training programs. The ICA HRD meeting gave the CLC team an opportunity to have productive one-on-one discussions about funding opportunities. This time was taken to refine the vision for the CLC and how it can effectively collaborate with its partners in India and in other countries around the world. Unfortunately, no further funding was secured as the result of this meeting. The Co-operative Learning Centre project will not be fully realized until further funding is secured. To this end, the BCICS and its partners continue to pursue funding leads.

New CLC Team Members!

The CLC development team is pleased to welcome Sol Kinnis and Debbie Dergousoff who are helping with the collection and refinement of the CLC website content. Sol is a long time associate of the BCICS and is fluent in Spanish. Debbie is just completing a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Victoria and has worked with BCICS since January this year.

Robin Puga, BCICS Technology Director