Phony co-ops

New Internationalist, June, 2004 by Kate Whittle

Your article 'Sugar daddies' (The sugar trap, NI 363) on how sugarcane production has fuelled political corruption in some states of India left a sour taste. To me these are phony co-operatives and they bring shame on the international co-operative community. A true co-operative is guided by basic principles. The first principle, clearly breached in the Ambejogai co-operative, refers to open and voluntary membership--a co-operative is open to all, regardless of political affiliation, and should not be used as a political fiefdom. Second, democratic ownership and control should be in the hands of the members, not one family. Third, economic participation--members should benefit economically and this was clearly not the case for Uttam Siserao, who worked for free in the 2001-02 season. Finally a co-operative should be autonomous--and not run by politicians or 'those who have no stake in it at all'. Has the International Co-operative Alliance (www.ica.coop) no power or influence over these so-called co-operatives?

Kate Whittle Shrewsbury, England

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

The NI is doing a magazine on women's rights which will look at what has changed for women since the UN Conference on women in Beijing in 1995. We are seeking short comments, thoughts and ideas from readers--both male and female--about the changes there have been and what still needs to happen. Please email: nikkivdg@newint.org by 31 July 2004.