U.S. cooperatives present plan for helping Cuban colleagues

U.S. cooperatives present plan for helping Cuban colleagues
Published March 10, 2015 EFE

Members of American cooperatives from different sectors of the economy
announced Tuesday the launch of the U.S.-Cuba Cooperative Working Group
to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences with their Cuban
colleagues and to promote its role in boosting the Cuban economy.

The goal is to help strengthen the cooperative sector on the island at a
time when both countries are beginning a new phase in their relations,
Michael Beall, president of the National Cooperative Business
Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA), told a press conference.

Beall said they wanted to work to make sure that cooperatives grow in Cuba.

The association believes that the U.S. government's decision last
December to normalize relations with Cuba "creates a unique environment
in which to expand cooperative business between the two countries."

The organization offers to be a "technical resource" and contribute its
experience in different sectors in order to provide access to markets,
technology and financial services.

"We want to know the challenges they're coming up against and share best
practices," Amy Coughenour, operations director of NCBA CLUSA, said in a
statement to Efe.

The group made an exploratory trip to Cuba in July 2014 to study the
co-op movement and the current economic situation following the reforms
promoted by the Raul Castro government.

This year they are planning another two trips to Cuba - the first could
be in the summer, though no date has yet been set - and they want to
organize a forum in that country that will allow them to have "a more
substantial exchange" of ideas and information.

Coughenour noted that Cuba already has experience with agricultural
cooperatives and, with the help of NCBA CLUSA, co-ops could be
established in other sectors, as is being done in countries like
Mozambique. EFE

Source: U.S. cooperatives present plan for helping Cuban colleagues |
Fox News Latino -
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2015/03/10/us-cooperatives-present-plan-for-helping-cuban-colleagues/