In this time when general assemblies are held in cooperatives, we thought it appropriate to recall and express our gratitude for the contribution they make to Mundukide’s work.
Twenty-five years ago, some Non-Governmental Organizations for Development and Cooperatives founded Mundukide.
In our society, we had overcome the most severe shortages and hardships of the dictatorship era and saw that our work in the cooperatives was taking us around the world. We were aware that we were among the wealthiest in the world and also knew that many others around the world were living in severe difficulty. And so, we realized it was time for us to take our share of responsibility for the world beyond our immediate surroundings.
And we decided to start cooperating. Cooperating in our own way.
There were NGOs working in health, education, human rights, and environmental issues. But our potential ‘added value’ was not there. Based on our history and experience, it was clear that we had to direct our activity towards the popular economy.
Indeed, any human community needs resources to sustain a decent life, including food, housing, education, health, and many other important things. And there are only three ways to obtain resources: to ask, steal, or create.
Asking, paves the way to dependency. Stealing forces one to be always on the run. The only long-term path is to create.
Whether with farmers in Mozambique, recyclers in Colombia, camped members of MST in Brazil, or with those in Cuba seeking to open up a space for popular initiative in the economy, that has always been our contribution: the organization of work to be able to obtain adequate resources.
Another fundamental idea that has been at the core of Mundukide has been that solidarity cannot be something we do occasionally, when it suits us or when we feel like doing it. If a meaningful change is truly desired, continuous work is needed. Not convenience, but commitment.
And in this, the commitment of everyone involved in Mundukide is noteworthy. Since Mundukide was founded, the economy has had many ups and downs and cooperatives also have had prosperous and lean years. Profits and losses. But every year, at least those who could, remembered our solidarity duty. And on average, the contributions from cooperatives have made up 35% of Mundukide’s budget. And it has been incredibly helpful to be able to work on long-term strategies.
And not just money. In all these years, one-third of the people who have worked at Mundukide have come from the cooperatives. In the Basque Country, Brazil, Mozambique, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba… there have been people coming from cooperatives.
In our work, we need people with different experiences and skills. Some who know cooperation, others with experience in different countries, and also those acquainted with cooperatives, businesses, production, sales, and similar areas. And, whatever is said, as most of the world’s knowledge is not on the internet; but in the people who put it into practice; having with us people with experience in the complex process of creating wealth is fundamental to our mission. In this too, congratulations to all.
And what and how do we use the money, people, and experience?
In Colombia, for example, we are collaborating with those who collect cardboard, plastic, and similar materials on the streets. And while the dignity of work has a psychosocial aspect, it also has very important material aspects; we are working on improving conditions and profitability: Under the protection of an association, getting the pay of municipalities for the work done on cleaning the streets, adding value to what is collected, etc.
In Brazil, we are collaborating with a very important social movement (MST). They gather people with neither employment nor home; and they obtain land so that they can live and work. They create new neighbourhoods and address all aspects of life: education, health, and many others. They have also created many cooperatives. But cooperatives cannot be managed like a political or social movement. They need a different kind of management. That is why they called us and we are working together on that. Organizing production, sales, workers, members, etc. So that the members of that social movement can generate the resources they need to improve their lives.
And in Mozambique, we are working with farmers. Immersed in extreme poverty where the annual family economy is only 200-300 euros. There, agriculture is the only sector that can provide some return to the labour of the vast majority of the population. Thus, we are looking for ways to get better returns from the work they do in the fields. Finding new products and markets, mastering new techniques to make them, and finding ways to sell the harvest as quickly as possible and at the best price. That is what we are working on.
Since 2002, tens of thousands of families have participated. And last year, for example, for every euro the program invested in creating those new opportunities, the farmers who took advantage of those opportunities earned 3 euros with their work.
Solidarity and responsibility. Making decisions, working, and enjoying the profits or facing the losses. Joining forces and organized facing challenges. Learning and using new techniques. Creating opportunities that can be useful for the majority, not just a few. For men and women. Imagining a better future and responding to everyday challenges in a practical way. Working rather than just talking. Making our way through contradictions as best we can. Practice, practice, and more practice. That is our way.
Thanks to everyone for the money, the people, and, above all, for our own ways of doing things. Congratulations and thank you to everyone.
Article published in TU Lankide