The early origins of cooperatives

CEBU, Philippines - Ang makapalig-on ug makapahuyang sa kooperatiba, dili primarily ang leadership sa nagpadagan niini, kundili, ang mga sakop mismo. Kapin na sa tulo ka tuig ang existence sa United Senior Citizens Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc., apan, hangtud karon, gumikan sa kabugnaw sa mga sakop niini, wala gayud kini motunhay.

Dugang pa, dakung mayoriya sa senior population ning dakbayan wala manumbaling  ug wala magpakabana sa kahimtang sa isig-nila ka senior citizen. They can stand alone. Mahimo nga mag-inusara sila, wala nila kinahanglana nga magpasakop sa pundok sa mga senior citizens. Hinoon, nagkinahanglan sila sa OSCA ID aron maka-discount sa tambal, ug aron makadaginot sa cash assistance. Wala sila magkinahanglan sa kooperatiba. Alang nila samoksamok lang ni.

After all, makadawat man sila sa cash assistance ug makapahimulos sa mga discount, bisan kun dili magpasakop sa pundok ug bisan og dili mosalmot sa kooperatiba. Unsa kaha ning  klaseha sa senior citizens no?

Anyway, kun magkahiusa lang ta, kun magtinabangay lang … molambo ang atong kooperatiba, ug makahatag kini’g tabang ngadto sa mas nagkinahanglan og tabang. Aron mo-appreciate kita pag-ayo unsa kining kooperatiba, ang early origins of cooperatives … ania kining gikan sa Yahoo News, akong ipaambit ninyo, uban sa panghinaut nga magpasakop namo sa atong kooperatiba ug kadtong naka-loan, mobayad na sa ilang mga utang:

“In early human societies people learned to cooperate and work together to  increase their success in hunting, fishing, gathering foods, building  shelter, and meeting other individual and group needs. Historians have found  evidence of cooperation among peoples in early Greece, Egypt, Rome and  Babylon, among Native American and African tribes, and between many other groups.

Early agriculture would have been impossible without mutual aid among farmers. They relied on one another to defend land, harvest crops, build barns and storage buildings, and to share equipment.  These examples of informal cooperation – of working together – were the precursors to the cooperative  form of business.

First Cooperatives

The earliest cooperatives appeared in Europe in the late 18th and 19th centuries, during the Industrial Revolution. As people moved from farms into the growing cities, they had to rely on stores to feed their families because they could no longer grow their own food. Working people had very  little control over the quality of their food or living conditions. Those with money gained more and more power over those without. Early co-ops were set up as a way to protect the interests of the less powerful members of society – workers, consumers, farmers, and producers.

In England, consumers were frustrated by the abuses of storeowners, many of whom adulterated products to increase their profits. In many cases, workers’ wages were paid in company “chits” – credit that could only be used at the company’s stores. The average consumer had very few choices and little control.

Groups of these people began experimenting with various methods of providing for their needs themselves. They decided to pool their money and purchase groceries together. When they purchased goods from a wholesale dealer and then divided them equally among themselves, they were surprised at the savings and higher quality of products they were able to obtain.  (BANAT NEWS)