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Idea and practice of organizing shared interests in cooperatives

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Inscribed in 2016 (11.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

© cine plus Leipzig GmbH 2015

A cooperative is an association of volunteers that provides services of a social, cultural or economic nature to members of the community to help improve living standards, overcome shared challenges and promote positive change. Based on the subsidiarity principle that puts personal responsibility above state action, cooperatives allow for community building through shared interests and values creating innovative solutions to societal problems, from generating employment and assisting seniors to urban revitalization and renewable energy projects. Anyone can participate, with members also able to acquire shares in the association and have a say in its future direction. The system makes available low-interest loans to farmers, craftspeople and entrepreneurs. Today, about a quarter of Germany’s population are members of a cooperative, which besides farmers and craftspeople, includes 90 per cent of its bakers and butchers and
75 per cent of its retailers. Some cooperatives have also been set up specifically for students to gain experience. Associated knowledge and skills are transmitted by cooperatives, universities, the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation, The Akademie Deutscher Genossenschaften, the German Hermann-Schulze-Delitzsch Society and the German Friedrich-Wilhelm-Raiffeisen Society.

The 'Delitzscher Gespräche' (Delitzsch talks) are a series of symposiums about cooperative issues and developments
Housing Project Jutiapa - members of the ACAMS, 'Associación Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Solidarias' de Responsabilidad Limitada
The inhabitants of the WOGENO-house in Munich's Westend district are proud of the cooperative model and participate in protests against the development of rents in Munich
The cooperative 'Marktgenossenschaft der Naturland-Bauern' grows organic carrots
The cooperatives Raiffeisen Hellweg Lippe and Raiffeisen Sauerland pooled their forces
Interview with members of a pupils cooperative
Members of the pupils cooperative 'Coole Schule'
Annual general meeting of the energy cooperative Vogelsberg in D-36341 Lauterbach, Posthotel Johannesberg
Inside Schulze-Delitzsch-House. German Cooperative Museum
View into Schulze-Delitzsch-House. German Cooperative Museum
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