CoopStar: Empowering research and the cooperative movement in Africa
06 Dec 2023
The Cooperatives for a Sustainable Transformation in Africa (CoopStar) workshop - held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 3-6 December - has marked a crucial step forward in the journey towards establishing a project that will support the African cooperative movement to play a key-role in the transition towards a circular, green and sustainable economy in the light of the UN Agenda 2030 and to boost sustainable cooperative entrepreneurship in Africa.
The project partners include the Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives (KFCC), Cera/BRS, the Belgian university KU Leuven, and the Global and African Regional Offices of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA and ICA-Africa).
The workshop was opened by the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMES Development in Kenya, Hon. Simon Chelugui, EGH who pledged government’s support towards the establishment of the CoopStar project.
This workshop has brought together cooperative experts and researchers from 19 African countries aiming to better understand the current dynamics of cooperatives on the African continent. It also aims at identifying the main impact drivers to recognize and build upon the positive impacts that cooperatives can have on local economies, employment, and environmental sustainability. Lastly, it seeks to address key issues, opportunities, and challenges faced by cooperatives.
