ICA Response to Tsunami

International Co-operative Alliance: "uniting, representing and serving co-operatives worldwide"

Full details see the Weekly Digest Volume 1 Number 33, 10 January 2005
http://www.coop.org/ica/digest/33-digest.pdf  

Our first digest of 2005 is devoted entirely to the recent tsunami disaster.  [Contents list]

We have a two stage response to the tragedy.

Firstly, we launched both regional and global appeals as soon as possible after the tragedy. The President and Director-General wrote to all ICA members on 30 December asking them to support the global appeal. We also immediately appointed Gabriella Sozanski, sozanski@ica.coop  the ICA's Director of Knowledge Management, to coordinate our relief efforts.

We are also attempting to gather as much information as we can from members and others about how co-operatives and co-operators have been affected. Given the remoteness of some of the affected areas it has been difficult in the first few days after the tsunami struck to gain an overall impression of how cooperatives and their members have been impacted by this disaster. We will, however, regularly update you on this information as it becomes available.

Secondly, in the longer term we believe the ICA can provide a point of coordination for members in the countries directly affected by the tsunami and also assist co-operatives wishing to donate funds or expertise to the reconstruction. The ICA will be working with its members over the coming weeks and months to do whatever it can to assist with this coordination.

Contents list -