FSCT Vice President consists of Pol.Lt.Gen. Mongkol Kamolbutra, Dr. Samakkee Detkla, Dr. Somnuk Boonyai and Mr. Chaiyut Massupong led and conducted Board of Directors, Advisors, Supervisors and Staffs, totally 29 persons for the international cooperative study visit from November 18-25, 2016 in Italy and Switzerland.

        The FSCT Delegation had the study visit at International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) on November 22, 2016 in Switzerland. The International Co-operative Alliance was founded in London, England on 19 August 1895 during the 1st Co-operative Congress. In attendance were delegates from co-operatives in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, India, Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, and the USA. Representatives established the Alliance's aims to provide information, define and defend the Co-operative Principles and develop international trade. The Alliance was one of the only international organizations to survive both World War I and World War II. Overcoming all the political differences between its members was difficult, but the Alliance survived by staying committed to peace, democracy, and by remaining politically neutral.

        The International Co-operative Alliance is a non-profit international association established in 1895 to advance the co-operative social enterprise model. The Alliance is the apex organization for co-operatives worldwide, representing 292 co-operative federations and organizations across 95 countries and a voice to 1 billion individuals. The members of the Alliance are national level co-operative federations, individual co-operative organizations and government offices concerned with co-operatives.

        The International Co-operative Alliance works with global and regional governments and organizations to create the legislative environments that allow co-operatives to form and grow. Visit the Global Influence section to learn more about the Alliance global advocacy. Towards the public, the Alliance promotes the importance of co-operativesโ€™ values-based business model. The Alliance has made available its global strategy for co-operatives to become the fastest growing form of enterprise by 2020, in the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade.

Vision
        The Alliance aims to be prized as the organization of reference which provides an effective and efficient global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about co-operatives.

Mission
        The International Co-operative Alliance unites co-operatives worldwide and is the custodian of the co-operative values and principles and makes the case for their distinctive values-based economic business model which also provides individuals and communities with an instrument of self-help and influence over their development. The Alliance advocates the interests and success of co-operatives, disseminates best practices and know-how, strengthens their capacity building and monitors their performance and progress over time.

Credit: ica.coop