International Year of Co-Operatives

The Mongolia 2012 coaches met for the first time this week in Ottawa. We spent three days with CCA learning about our role and what to expect when overseas.

We will be working in partners and have been assigned two different credit unions to visit in Mongolia. My partner Charlie and I will be spending one week at an urban credit union and one week at a rural credit union.

We have been provided limited material on the credit unions with a couple areas board or management has determined a concern. It was interesting for me to learn from previous coaches that the issues provided to us may not be the issues we end up discussing. This could be due to a few different reasons:

·         Internal politics may deter the person completing the report from writing their real concerns on paper for their superiors to see

·         The board chair may write the report but we are predominantly talking to the management and therefore they may perceive different issues

·         Management may pick up on the coaches area of expertise and want to learn more on that topic.

It is therefore our role as a coach to help spark ideas and get people thinking and conversations started.

The training and discussions that took place over the past few days have been invaluable to me. It was inspiring to be in a room full of like-minded people who shared CCA’s mission to ‘Promote, develop and unite co-operatives in Canada and around the world.’ A common theme was the belief that people working together can do more than people working alone.

I am excited to embark on the long journey to Mongolia to share my knowledge where I can. I am honoured to have been chosen to participate in this amazing program, especially in 2012 – The International Year of Cooperatives.

The Co-Operative Movement

The Canadian Co-Operative Association (CCA) runs a coaching program that enlists the help of skilled employees from Canadian institutions to provide technical expertise to partner organizations in various countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

This year, I have been selected as one of eight credit union professionals from across Canada to travel to Mongolia. We will visit urban and rural credit unions to share our skills and experience to help our partners succeed.

The CCA shares the experience and strength of the Canadian co-operative movement to form relationships with partners around the world sharing common values.

Co-operatives are an effective tool in helping people living in poverty in developing countries to make sustainable improvements to their lives and living conditions.

Credit unions are making a difference because they promote savings, are community owned, have a democratic structure and provide a range of services.

 Mongolia Fast Facts

·         Population: 3.2 million (27% < 14 years old, 69% between 15 – 64 years old & 4% over 65 years)

·         Horse to human ratio:  13-1

·         GDP per capita: $4,500

·         Literacy Rate: 98%

·         Voter turnout: 85%

·         Main exports: Copper, wool, cashmere, leather

·         Ulaanbattaar is the coldest capital city in the world

·         There are approximately 23,400 credit union members in Mongolia