Department of Cooperative Development

   Mission

Share the Socio and Economic Resources amongst the people through co-operative values and ensure upgrading their quality of life.

   Objectives

Provide inspiration for development of Co-operative Movement to stand as peoples’ enterprise and intervene in broad lines to build up co-operative societies having good governance.

   Introduction

The origin of co-operation is perhaps as old as early civilization itself. As a movement, however, it is about two centuries old. It was the chaotic situation in the political and economic spheres of the European life which gave rise to co-operative as a movement. The credit for starting the first set of co-operative institutions goes to England under Owner’s Initiative. The first workable model society was founded by the Rochadle Pioneers, a group of weavers. The policies and organization they adopted had become the principles of theoretical co-operation. Thus Rochdales became founder of a worldwide, self-help movement viz.

The Co-operative Movement, while others were only fore-runners. The pioneers, however, had no intention of launching an economic movement nor did they know that they were laying the foundation of a practical economic concept. The Rochdales’ success crossed the boundaries of England, and the concept was adapted under every economic system in diversified economic fields and activities to eliminate exploitation which was a common feature all over the world.

   Need of Co-operative

The Co-operative Society is established for serving the common needs of the people in the world. The International Co-operative Alliance Conference held in Manchester in 1995 declares thus, Co-operative institution is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

A Co-operative society is a form of organization where members join together as human beings to satisfy their common economic, social and cultural needs. Co-operatives were conceived in Sri Lanka as an answer to the small man to the money -lender - trader nexus, and it was seen as an instrument of self-help among the poorer segments of the population.

The co-operatives are expected to attend more services with less profit. They are also expected to supply essential goods on the one hand and credit facilities and marketing their products on the other. The emphasis is not on profitability, and the co-operatives should work on a “non -profit-no loss basis”. In case they make some profit; they should plough it back into expansion of the business and improve quality of service. Other than the provision of economic services in terms of cheap availability of goods to the co-operative community, the co-operatives are conceived as social organizations, which educate the people in economic management. They also spread a sense of togetherness among co-operators and generate loyalty to the co-operative movement.

   Co-operative Ethics

   Principles of Co-operative