This is what a researcher Hassan Ghazaly said during the commemoration of the Global South International Day, “conversations on global solidarity”
To this end, as part of the commemoration of the Global South International Day, “conversations on global solidarity”, one of the programs of the global solidarity network, organized a cultural fair entitled: “Cooperatives in the Global South”.
This event was held in concomitance with the proclamation of the theme of the International Year of the United Nations 2025 Cooperatives, under the slogan: “The cooperatives: the United South Global Voice for a sustainable future”
The show welcomed Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hakim Ibrahim, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Economy and Cooperative Economy Network in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the book “Cooperatives and development issues”, as a principal intervener.
The event took place in the presence of researcher Hassan Ghazaly, founder of the global solidarity network, and Dr Sally Saad, an international communication and public relations consultant, as well as public relations teacher at the Al Jazeera Institute of the Media andCommunication.
The session was moderate by Dr. Mohamed Sayyaf, assistant professor and principal researcher at the Research Institute in Agricultural Economy and at the Agricultural Research Center.
Cooperatives: towards a more human economic science
The show started with an intervention by Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hakim, who asked participants the following question: “Why do we need cooperatives and in what forms should we consider them?” ».
He stressed that any development work is not limited to economic dimensions linked to yield and growth, but also extends to cultural, intellectual and scientific development, by emphasizing the need to distinguish between economic growth and theglobal development.
Considered an attempt to answer this central question, Abdel Hakim Ibrahim explained the definition of the social and cooperative economy by asking: “Can we imagine a more attached economy to human beings? “, What the thinker of the economy Samir Amin called” humanization of economic science “.
He added that the objective of the social and cooperative economy is to meet human, social and environmental needs, rather than seeking maximum profit.
In this context, Abdel Hakim clarified that this economy is based on values of solidarity, mutual responsibility and democratic governance, and that it can take various forms, in particular:
- agricultural cooperatives, workers’ cooperatives and housing cooperatives
- Charitable associations and non -profit organizations
- Community companies
He also pointed out that the implementation of this model requires measures integrated into political, legislative and societal levels, claiming that the social and cooperative economy can become an essential engine of sustainable development, create jobs, improve living conditions andreduce social inequalities.
Cooperatives: a humanitarian response to the challenges of the industrial revolution
Abdel Hakim Ibrahim retraced the birth of the international cooperative movement, stressing that it was not only an economic idea, but a direct humanitarian response to the challenges imposed by the industrial revolution in Europe. He added that the rural exodus, combined with the rise of capitalism focused on profit to the detriment of the social dimension, dug a deep gap between capitalists and workers.
He said that the capitalist economy of the time failed to meet the needs of the large number of workers, which led to the spread of poverty, exploitation and degradation of living conditions. Faced with this situation, an economic model placing human beings at the center of their priorities was necessary.
Cooperatives then emerged, establishing solid principles and values such as open and voluntary membership, democratic control, economic participation of members, autonomy and independence, education and training, cooperation between cooperativesas well as the attention paid to the community.
He insisted that these principles were not simple slogans, but constituted a real roadmap to create economic entities capable of serving their peoples and their communities in a lasting way.
Dr. Abdel Hakim also addressed the question of forms of property, indicating that cooperatives represent a unique model of collective property, distinct from both public (state) and private (individual) property. As such, he presented several local experiences in Egypt in the field of agricultural cooperatives, which have demonstrated their success by improving the lives of farmers and increasing their productivity.
Cooperatives: a development engine
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Siyaf, assistant professor and principal researcher at the Research Institute in Agricultural Economy and at the Agricultural Research Center, as well as coordinator of the South South South School, insisted, in his intervention, on the major importance of cooperativeseconomic and social, by evoking their various forms in Egypt.
He then said that agricultural cooperatives alone marked the lives of nearly 12.5 million people, to which are added craft cooperatives, consumption and other types.
Siyaf has expanded his remarks to cover international experiences in the countries of the Global South, stressing that many of them were inspired by the Egyptian experience of the 1960s, in particular the countries of the Movement of Non-Aligned which sought to eradicate the colonial hegemonyand capitalist.
In this context, he presented the experience of Tanzania in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, which was a real breakthrough in terms of development thanks to his approach based on cooperatives.
He also put forward the attention paid by President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi to the laws relating to cooperatives and their creation methods, specifying that the real guarantee of sustainability of projects covering twenty-three different sectors lies in the existence ofstrong and effective cooperatives.
Media cooperatives: a united voice from the Global South
In his intervention, Dr Sally Saad stressed the importance of creating what she called “media cooperatives” between the countries of the global southern, describing them as “unified votes from the global South”.
It presented them as a tool intended to fill the media gap and strengthen the visibility of the challenges of the South in the face of acceleration of world interconnection dynamics
Dr Sally also indicated that cooperatives offer the possibility of producing original and credible content, which reflects the realities of local communities without distortion.
They also constitute a space of exchange between media professionals and a means of pooling resources to strengthen collective media capacities.
It has also highlighted several challenges that this model faces in the countries of the Global South, such as the media gap and the marginalization of certain causes, the influence of external agendas, lack of resources and technological obstacles.
She concluded her intervention by presenting the experience of the network of African climate journalists (ACJN), considered as a successful model of regional media cooperation on climatic issues.
She added that the creation of such cooperatives represents a strategic step to regain control of the media narrative and strengthen the presence of the countries of the South on the international scene.
For his part, the researcher Hassan Ghazaly stressed that the global solidarity network has been a platform encompassing several projects launched in a cumulative manner since 2012, aimed at strengthening the spirit of collective work and anchoring the values of solidarity in all itsforms.
Ghazaly also said that among the most emblematic projects, which illustrate the diversity of activities and the vision aimed at promoting dialogue and communication, are: the Simulation model of the African Union, the “AFOMEDIA” initiative, the “Bozoor” project for thePopular culture, the South South Global Solidarity School, the national awareness campaign for the African Free Trade Agreement, the Solidarity Project of the Peoples of the Nile, as well as the “Global Solidarity Conversations” program.
It should be noted that the fair has aroused a large interaction of the public, marked by various interventions and questions, as well as by the sharing of cooperative experiences coming in particular from China.
The meeting ended with a ceremony in which researcher Hassan Ghazaly honored Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hakim Ibrahim, before the commemorative group photo.
Alpha Nyembo/ Cellcom