And the research to prove it
Thursday 17 October is International Credit Union Day, with the theme of ‘Local Service. Global Reach’. #ICUDay celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement through festivities worldwide. This international spirit is evidenced by the co-operation between co-operatives – the many and varied relationships that credit unions have with their counterparts around the world, conducted through and also independently of the global trade association, the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU).
At CFCFE, we believe strongly in the benefits of international relationships and learning. Our members are from Britain and Ireland, our directors have US, Irish and British passports, and we have links with co-operative finance sectors in Canada, Greece, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Czech Republic. Many of CFCFE’s credit union members have twinning arrangements with peers overseas, or have been on exchange visits. The ILCU Foundation has a programme of support for credit unions in the global south.
So we thought we would conduct ask some of our members what they see as the benefits of these international links, and what they would suggest to credit unions contemplating this step. We are conducting some interviews and will publish these case studies later in the year. Watch this space and enjoy #ICUDay!