In a world often divided by borders, cooperatives continue to weave threads of solidarity and shared prosperity through daily life-a truth captured vividly in the new global video, “A Day in the Life with Coops,” released by the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP).
Launched on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the film traces how cooperatives quietly power communities from sunrise to sunset- from the morning cup of coffee that supports a farmers’ collective to the evening light powered by a renewable energy co-op. The video, a joint effort of all four ICA regional organizations-Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe- offers a moving testament to how the cooperative model transforms ordinary lives while advancing sustainable development goals.
Produced under the #coops4dev partnership between the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the ‘European Union, the project features protagonists from Cebu (Philippines), Lindi (Tanzania), Valletta (Malta), and Bahia Blanca (Argentina)-each living a day deeply intertwined with their cooperative.
In Asia-Pacific, the spotlight falls on Queanna Camaso, Chairperson of the Cordova Catholic Cooperative School’s Youth Laboratory Cooperative and Board Member of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO). Her story reflects the transformative role of youth in shaping the future through financial literacy and collective action. By empowering students to save, plan, and lead, Queanna and her peers embody the cooperative principle of building prosperity from the ground up.
The video’s creative structure follows the rhythm of a single day-seamlessly connecting time zones to show how, despite vast cultural and geographic diversity, the spirit of cooperation unites people everywhere. Whether through farming, education, renewable energy, transport, or digital platforms, each protagonist exemplifies how ‘cooperatives convert shared values-equity, participation, and solidarity-into tangible action’.
By highlighting these interconnected lives, “A Day in the Life with Coops” celebrates the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, reinforcing that cooperatives are not just economic entities but community builders. They foster decent work, nurture local enterprise, and sustain livelihoods- all while reinforcing the idea that progress need not come at the cost of inclusion.
The video, now available across ICA-AP’s social media platforms, invites everyone- members and non-members alike-to witness how cooperatives keep communities thriving, one collective act at a time.
Watch the video here:
