The Center for Labor and Grassroots Initiatives (CLGI) of the University of the Philippines’ School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) would like to invite you to participate as a paper presenter and/or participant to the Asia-Pacific conference on: 

“Putting a Human Face to Globalization – the Cooperative Model”

July 6-7, 2006; Bayview Hotel, 1118 Roxas Boulevard corner U.N. Avenue, Manila.

            The conference hopes to bring together cooperators from the region to discuss how cooperatives can face the challenges of globalization even as they strive to serve member needs and interests and adhere to the traditional values, equitable economic and democratic parameters that cooperatives are known for.

            Since the beginning, Cooperatives have shown their enormous capacity to make a difference in the lives of peoples everywhere through their distinct advantage as a people-driven, people-empowered vehicle for social change and economic development. 

Capitalizing on its distinctive identity and purpose, Cooperatives have found a social  niche in their natural home base and environment by way of their  integral capacity to promote democratic and equitable values and mechanisms while addressing the broad dimensions of employment, working conditions, income and social protection.

In this era of globalization, Cooperatives are being challenged to face up to the demands of the marketplace which are driving the human and productive forces to a relentless pace and breaking down rules and old barriers in the process.  Can cooperatives with their age-old values and democratic parameters survive the onslaught of competition?

            CLGI is organizing this conference for the very first time, to harness cooperative lessons and experience and to bring to the fore the best minds and talents that cooperation has produced in this part of the world.