Yemane Teweldemedhin

Cooperatives: Performances and Challenges Yemane Teweldemedhin

The interdependence and mutual help among human beings have been the essentials of social life. History shows that man cannot successfully live by himself and for himself alone. The spirit of association is important to human progress. Since the beginning of human society man hascooperated first in foraging and then in hunting, later in agriculture and still in manufacturing. There is practically nothing which a man by himself alone can achieve but much acting together with others. Collective action of cooperatives is more effective than separate action of individuals. Through cooperatives, individual households and communities can create opportunities for themselves, find a safe heaven and productive work that not only facilitate their well being and stability but also give them the support they need to improve their lives and remain active in civil rights and political arenas. Data compiled by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) indicated that cooperatives have increasingly become the sources of secured employment and income for millions of the world?s population. Over 800 million people are members of different cooperative societies in the world.