Back Issue

Monthly Headlines, July 2004

Front Page: Creating Opportunity Beyond Our Boarders
Co-ops Help Countries Transition From Aid to Development
The establishment of cooperatives has proven to be one of the most efficient and durable development tools for impoverished communities and countries.

Often as not, co-ops become sturdy building blocks that enable communities to meet a myriad of other needs such as health care, access to markets and capital, and infrastructure.

Page Three: House Cuts $1 Million from Key Cooperative Grant Program
'3-Year Set Back' Seen
Rural America suffered a blow in July when the House of Representatives voted to cut $1 million from a key Agriculture Department grant program that helps start and expand cooperatives in rural areas.

Acting on the agriculture appropriations bill for the 12 month s starting October 1, the House approved $5.5 million for the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program. The program provides grants to approximately 20 cooperative development centers around the country.

Governance: Co-op Boards and Conflict of Interest: A Broad View
A 1974 court decision set a precedent by confirming that board members can be held legally liable for conflict of interest because it constitutes a breach of their fiduciary responsibility. - Article reprinted with permission from www.boardsource.org.

.Coop: Co-ops Gain .Coop Option in Japan
Cooperatives in Japan now have an option for registering or renewing .coop Internet addresses. Firstserver, Inc., based in Tokyo, has signed a contract to begin offering .coop names in addition to other popular Internet domains like .com, .net, .org and .jp

Development: Co-op Development on Tribal Lands in a Word: Challenging!
With poverty rates among native Americans nearly twice those for the general population, some cooperative developers are looking to provide income and employment opportunities to Indian tribes. But cultural, structural and legal issues can make cooperatives tough to develop on tribal lands.