Recognizing Cooperatives' Contributions to Economic and Social Development during the International Year of Cooperatives.

WHEREAS, The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 64/136 proclaims the year 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC); and

WHEREAS, The theme of the International Year is “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”; and

WHEREAS, Cooperative organizations help build and sustain healthy communities in Philadelphia, promote jobs and enhance the quality of life for those in our city, state, country and the world; and

WHEREAS, The cooperative business model has empowered people around the world to improve their lives through economic and social progress; and

WHEREAS, Millions of cooperatives operate in every nation of the world, owned and governed by more than 1 billion members and employing 100 million people; and

WHEREAS, More than 29,000 cooperatives operative in United States generating 2 million jobs, and making a substantial contribution to the U.S. economy with annual sales of $652 billion and assets of $3 trillion; and

WHEREAS, There are over 800 cooperatives in Pennsylvania with more than 3.6 million members, generating wages of $488 million for 14, 500 employees; and

WHEREAS, Cooperatives had their American beginnings in Philadelphia in 1752 when Benjamin Franklin initiated the first successful cooperative in America, “The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire”; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia was the site of one of the first modern cooperative in the United States, the Union Cooperative Association No.1, that was started on Federal Street in South Philadelphia in 1862; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia area cooperatives now have thousands of members in a variety of sectors such as grocery and consumer goods, credit unions, housing, day care, and utilities; and

WHEREAS, Cooperatives in Philadelphia help to stimulate economic activity, generate employment, build local wealth and address some of the most pressing social and economic issues of our times; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize the contributions of cooperatives to the economic and social development in our city, state, country and the world and encourages all citizens to recognize and support cooperative organizations in our City.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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