On a foreign tour to attend the OMIFCO Board meeting IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi used the opportunity to go to London and meet the top international cooperative leadership. He met President Ms Monique Leroux and Director General Charles Gould of International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
In his tweet that followed the meeting he talks of wide-ranging discussions he had with the leaders on how to strengthen the cooperative movement in the present difficult times globally. His tweet read “discussed wide ranging issue 4 coop rejuvenation in uncertain global economy.”
The international body ICA is seized of the challenge of making the cooperative model –a preferred choice for governments of the world. It has its offices spread around the world guiding and helping local cooperatives find their feet.
Its regional office catering to the needs of the Asia- Pacific countries is headquartered in N Delhi. An Indian born American Balu Aiyer is heading the office.
Indian cooperators in general and Awasthi- Chandra Pal in particular played a crucial role in the election of Ms Monique Leroux as the President of the global cooperative body. There is chemistry of understanding between Awasthi and Leroux, commented those privy to the international cooperative politics.
A Canadian national and Chief of Desjardins Group, Ms Monique is as popular in her country as Dr US Awasthi is in India, said observers. It is natural for them to have a good rapport, they felt.
There is also striking similarities. Ms Leroux presides over Desjardins Group, a federation of 400 credit unions and numerous subsidiaries claiming 7 million members and clients in Canada and operating in more than 30 emerging and developing countries. IFFCO on the other hand is federation of more than 40 thousand cooperative societies with crores of farmers connected to it.
Having proved the superiority of the cooperative model over the corporate one in their respective countries by offering able leadership, the cooperative sector looks up to them as icons, they argued.
The details of their consultations are not clear yet. Dr Awasthi would return to Delhi on Friday and you could talk to him to find out, said Harshendra Singh Vardhan IFFCO Media Head to this correspondent.
