International Co-operative Alliance calls for assistance for co-operatives in Haiti

Friday, January 15, 2010

The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) is mobilising its members and partners around the world to provide emergency relief and reconstruction assistance to co-operators in Haiti following the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010.

Much of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city has been destroyed leaving millions without homes and workplaces. The death toll is estimated to be high touching not only the capital but all part of the country.

ICA is working with its members and partners to contact the ICA member, Conseil National des Coopératives –CNC– (National Co-operative Council) located in Port-au-Prince to determine the relief and future needs of Haitian co-operators for longer-term reconstruction of the co-operative movement. Information will be available on the ICA website as it becomes available.

Given the extent of the damage provoked by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake and numerous after shocks, a number of ICA members have already taken action.

• ICA co-operative development partner, NISPED (Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development) of Israel has provided IsraAID ( the Israeli Forum of international humanitarian aid) contact information for the CNC and its Director-General, Mr. Frantz Prinvil, as they are sending a search and rescue team and are working with local partners in Port-au-Prince. They are calling on ICA members and partners for co-operation and donations in the first stage of medical aid. Please contact, Mully Dor, Chairperson of the Board, NISPED by tel. +972-3-6078923, fax: +972-3-6945772, or by e-mail: mullydo@gmail.com">mullydo@gmail.com">mullydo@gmail.com or mullydo@walla.com">mullydo@walla.com">mullydo@walla.com.

• ICA member, the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) launched a three-year programme in July 2009 to extend financial services to Haiti's rural poor. Their staff in Portau- Prince is safe but report that there has been significant destruction to the island. WOCCU is making an appeal to support Haiti's credit unions and their members through the international credit union disaster relief fund. Donations can be made to the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, Inc., 5710 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705, USA. Online donations can be made at www.woccu.org /give. For wire transfer information, contact: Valerie Breunig, Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, tel. + 1 608- 395-2055 or
via email at vbreunig@woccu.org">vbreunig@woccu.org">vbreunig@woccu.org. Please indicate that your donation is designated for the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund. See  www.woccu.org/newsroom/releases?id=1651 for more information.

• The US co-operative movement’s Co-operative Development Fund (CDF) is mobilizing support through the Co-operative Emergency Fund. This facility raises funds for co-operative relief and rebuilding efforts. Donations are being accepted until July 2010 to help the rebuilding efforts in Haiti. CDF will collaborate with international co-operative relief efforts and with rebuilding. Donations and information can be made at www.cdf.coop.

ICA Director-General, Iain Macdonald said, “The ICA has developed a framework for co-operative response to disaster reconstruction. It involves assisting to co-ordinate responses during disaster relief with agencies operating in the disaster areas which we have initiated now. It will be followed by a mechanism to co-ordinate co-operative reconstruction among the co-operative development partners to help ensure optimum response and a co-ordinated approach to the no doubt many initiatives that will be undertaken to help our Haitian co-operative colleagues.”

The ICA is also appealing to its member and partners to make donations to finance the longer-term cooperative reconstruction efforts. The funds that are collected will be used exclusively for co-operative reconstruction in Haiti and will complement other initiatives.

Donations may be sent to the International Co-operative Alliance at one of the accounts below. Please indicate that your donation is designated for the Haiti Co-operative Reconstruction Fund.


Beneficiary:
International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
15 Route des Morillons, CH-1218 Grand Saconnex / Geneva, Switzerland
Reference:
Haiti Co-op Reconstruction

Name of Bank:
BANK COOP
Address:
6-8, Place Longemalle
CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
SWIFT:
COOPCHBB12A
IBAN / Account Number: CH73 0844 0284 0434 5009 0

Name of Bank:
MIGROS BANK
Address:
Rue des Terreaux 23
CH-1002 Lausanne, Switzerland
SWIFT:
MIGRCHZZ80A
IBAN / Account Number: CH05 0840 1016 1881 8210 8

We thank you in advance for your co-operative solidarity.

 2010-01-haiti.pdf