Men in black plundering estates was how newspapers depicted the Swedish funeral industry in 1944. So outrageous was the price of burying your dead that the debate reached as far as the Swedish parliament. Moving into action the Church of Sweden approached the Swedish Cooperative Union, the KF, hoping the popular movement could help. And […]
Beyond Rural Electrification
A casual visit sometime in the summer of 2007 in Purok Cadanlaan, Dahican, a secluded and quiet village in the shoreline of the Pacific at the eastern part of the City of Mati was the start of a dream come true for the residents of the village and its neighboring ones. No more was this […]
Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DORECO)
Since 1977 the DORECO has been not only a mere catalyst, but a strong pillar of progress and economic development both in the urban areas and in the countryside of the Province of Davao Oriental. With just a loan from the government as its sole capitalization, DORECO has grown to deliver electric service even to […]
N.Y. Co-op Helps Preserve Jobs
An electric cooperative in New York has helped state and local officials keep more than 1,000 jobs in an area ravaged by storms and flooding last fall. The co-op will use low-cost hydroelectric power to serve a new industrial account that will triple its overall commercial and industrial load. We were ground zero for Hurricane […]
Delaware County Electric Cooperative
Serving more than 5,200 consumer-members in four upstate New York counties, the small co-ops service territory primarily consists of the rural areas surrounding 21 towns. Organized in the months before the United States entered World War II, a lack of materials and power prevented it from beginning service until June 29, 1944, when just over […]
Keeping Water Flowing in Chile
Fresh, clean, affordable water. It is difficult to imagine anything more important. Throughout rural Chile small cooperatives manage regional sanitation. Driving through the countryside, one sees occasional lagoons and water tanks glinting in the distance. Dedicated community members maintain these reservoirs and the pipes and drainage systems that keep them functioning. However, groups often work […]
Federacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Servicios Sanitarios Ltda. FESAN
FESAN, the National Federation of Sanitary Services Cooperatives, is an organization representing small and medium organizations providing water and treatment services. Our mission is to contribute to professionalization; management, administrative and technical capacity building; and collaboration among cooperatives and other organizations in the sector. We aim to increase the capacity of these organizations to contribute […]
Electricity a catalyst for development
It may be the national day and offices across the country are closed, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find Jim Ford at his desk. The development expert who has worked in the field for the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA) of the United States for decades, spent many years in Bangladesh directing technical assistance […]
Weavers Way Food Cooperative
Weavers Way Cooperative Association exists to provide commercial and community services for the greater good of its members and community, to champion the cooperative model and to strengthen the local economy. We currently operate two grocery stores, Urban Farms focused on production and education, within the city limits of Philadelphia, and a non-profit arm that […]
Myths, death and insurance
Many Salvadorians believe in myths. When it comes to insuring against death it is a difficult concept for these people because taking out this kind of insurance is seen as wishing someone will die. Nevertheless, for the many individuals from El Salvador who move north to the United States, death and, for some, the repatriation […]