Cooperatives and Community Development

The year 2012 is the United Nation's Year of the Cooperative, noting the importance these community based organizations have served over time and are now enjoying a resurgence of interest. Why? Because they are effective means of bringing together people and organizations to accomplish desirable community development processes and outcomes. Today, as in the past, cooperatives serve as a valuable means of protecting communities against poor living and working conditions. Arising in the 19th century as both a remedy for market failure and a social movement for greater equality, cooperatives continue to react against social and economic injustices by fostering economic productivity, democratic accountability, mutual benefit between members and their respective communities and on-going education. The impact of cooperatives can be seen in this collection that chronicles the diverse ways coops are used in an array of community contexts. This book is a compilation of articles published in the journal Community Development.