Last November, Suara had the opportunity to participate in the International Workshop entitled "International Experiences in the provision of care services: lessons for Cuba", invited by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Cuba, together with the Italian cooperatives Alpi and Kaleidoscopio and the social enterprise Ilunion of the ONCE group.
In this framework we had the opportunity to participate and explain Suara's experience in three workshops:
- Legal and regulatory framework for the provision of services for the care of children, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as public-private partnership models.
- Organization and functioning of social cooperatives.
- Transversal approaches in the provision of care services.
For three days we were discussing and collaborating with different ministries of the Cuban government to support them in the construction of a new regulatory framework for social cooperatives to provide care services to children, the elderly and the disabled.
From our point of view, being able to promote the development and growth of social cooperatives in other parts of the world is also one of our objectives and commitments in the dissemination of cooperativism as a necessary, effective and efficient instrument for the development of business management models where the person is the center of everything, and where the role and commitment of each of the worker-members is key to ensure the success of the cooperative.
Of all the learnings and reflections during these workshops, one of the reflections that appears permanently and that makes one feel proud, is how to manage the participation in a cooperative with more than 900 working members and at the same time how to ensure an executive governance model that is up to the speed with which decisions have to be taken in the XXI century. Day to day life really makes us forget the importance of this issue.
In our case, with different training courses for members depending on the development of the cooperative, the different general assemblies together with the spaces for their preparation, the transparency of information through newsletters, intranet or thematic debates have become today a model of reference at international level.
Undoubtedly, more can always be done, there is always room for improvement, but our daily effort to ensure that each of the members feel part of this business and social project, is undoubtedly the first of our successes that we must show, show and explain with pride in any corner of the world.
Sergi Morales. Director of International Expansion of Suara Cooperativa
