THE SEVEN

PRINCIPLES OF
COOPERATIVES
a.voluntary and open membership,
b.democratic member control,
c.member economic participation,
d.autonomy and independence,
e.education, training and information,
f. cooperation among cooperatives, and
g.concern for the community.
THE SEVERAL TYPES OF
COOPERATIVES, DEPENDING
ON ITS SPECIFIC FUNCTION
AND PURPOSE.
A credit cooperative provides financial services to its members, including securing savings
and creating funds to be used for issuing loans.
A consumer cooperative operates mainly to obtain and distribute products and commodities
to its customers, both members and non-members.
Producer cooperatives aids those in the sector of production, either agricultural or industrial.
A subtype of a producer cooperative is agricultural cooperatives which help producers or
farmers in marketing their crops as well as in purchasing supplies needed for further
production.
A service cooperative (or a worker cooperative) concentrates on helping workers in the
service-oriented occupations (i.e. health care, transportation, labor) by creating employment
opportunities and other benefits to its members.
A multi-purpose cooperative undertakes two or more functions of different cooperatives. For
example, multi-purpose cooperative could act as a consumer cooperative and establish a
supermarket. At the same time, it could also provide financial services like a credit cooperative.
Trade Unions
Part of the universal human rights of every individual is his right to organize and form associations
that would protect his rights as a worker; the embodiment of this right is trade unions. A trade
union or labor union is an organization with a membership composed of workers or employees
from related fields, which aim to represent the interests and rights of its members, both in the
workplace and in the society.
While an individual has the capacity to demand better conditions from his employer, trade unions
recognize that a unity of several employees would act as a more powerful tool in advancing these
interests. This is how trade unions became the voice of the workers to the management; they serve
as link between employees and their employers. Trade unions work to improve certain issues like
wage adjustment, good working environment, and rewards and other benefits.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRADE
UNIONS ACCORDING TO ITS
MEMBERS.
A general union represents workers with a range of jobs and skills, from different industries and
companies. An example of this type of union is a trade union of drivers, janitors and office workers.
Industrial unions are composed of workers from one particular industry, across different levels of
the hierarchy. A trade union of all employees who work in the
mining industry (with different levels and positions) is an example of an industrial union.
A craft union seeks to represent skilled workers doing the same work who may be
employed in different industries. A craft union of carpenters is one example.
A white-collar union is composed of professionals doing similar jobs across different industries. A
trade union of teachers and professors is an example of a white-collar union.
UNIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
WHICH ARE COMPOSED OF
SEVERAL WORKERS FROM
DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
Defining Transnational Advocacy Groups
To have a general understanding of what a transnational advocacy group is, it is better to first
individually define terms that make of it. The word ‘transnational’ denotes something that goes beyond
one’s national borders. ‘Advocacy’ can be defined as issues or causes that are being defended or
supported by a certain group of people known as advocates. A ‘group’, as you were familiarized in
previous lessons, is generally defined as a collection of individuals with significant relations among each
other.
Combining these terms and definitions, we may define a transnational advocacy group as a
collection of actors (individuals or groups) characterized by their fluid and open relations with each
other, united by their commitment to work on and defend certain issues and causes that are relevant
across several nations.
Roles of Development Agencies
As mentioned earlier, development agencies have a range of tasks. It is, however, important to note that it is up to
the organization to decide which among the wide array of tasks they will pursue. Normally, specific tasks of a
development agency are dependent on the aspect of development it focuses on. In a research commissioned by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the roles of development agencies may include;
A. strategic roles, such as coordinating with local actors and international donors, monitoring the local economy,
and strategic planning for economic and local development;
B. asset and investment roles, such as land and property management, funding and investing in local
development projects, income generation, and provision of grants or donations for other organizations;
C. innovation, enterprise, skills, and employment roles, which include workforce and skills development,
employment creation, and support of small and medium scale businesses;
D. promotional roles, like foreign investment promotions and project management; and;
E. capacity building roles which include providing technical assistance to other local development organizations
and informing them of good practices and models.
The word international organization is an umbrella term used to refer to institutions established by three or
more states as voluntary members, formed through a formal agreement or treaty, in order to promote cooperation
and coordination among them. Members of an international organization work together for the development and
management of their common interests.
The main feature and characteristic of an international organization which distinguishes it from other
non-state institutions, is that its membership is entirely composed of national states or governments. These
member states give power to the international organization which gives the institution some degree of authority to
manage and govern the same member states. These member states give power to the international organization
which gives the institution some degree of authority to manage and govern the same member states.
International organizations tend to focus on different agendas. The decision of what agendas to pursue by an
organization exclusively depends on the interests of its members. Some agendas may be economic (e.g. finance
and investments), humanitarian (e.g. human welfare, human rights), or environmental (e.g. global warming,
climate change, biodiversity) in nature.
Significance of International Organizations
International organizations provide an avenue for different countries and states to connect. This connection
among countries help form international laws, norms, and ideas, which in turn strengthen the relationship
among member states. These norms also serve as guides on how to regulate and manage these member
states. Through the development of these norms, states are guided in their actions both locally and
internationally. Due to the presence of an independent international institution, issues that are present
across different national borders will be addressed and recognized. There will be a body to monitor actions
of member states and investigate those actions against humanity (e.g. human rights violation). In the end,
we can claim that international organizations have been embedded in the lives of people, as they perform
multiple functions— tasks that aim to improve the lives of people by pursuing different development
agendas.