Call for Peace Open Letter from Euro Coop President
25.02.2022 13:28:27

Brussels, 25 February 2022
Dear co-operators,
The European consumer co-operatives are very concerned about developments in eastern Ukraine and hope that a way can be found to stop the war and resolve this crisis through diplomacy.
Co-operatives and the way they work stand for peaceful coexistence, for co-operation, as explicitly stated by the General Assembly of the International Co-operative Alliance yet again in Kigali in 2019. Peace is an essential prerequisite for productive coexistence.1
Co-operatives, and consumer co-operatives, in particular, put individuals and their needs at the forefront of their activities. Consumer co-operatives connect people, regardless of origin, religion, gender or nationality. As a neutral non-governmental organisation, we are particularly concerned about the people who are threatened by further escalation. Life, health, property, the supply of essential goods is acutely threatened. Warlike conflicts always have a considerable impact on the civilian population, so war must be avoided.
As an organisation representing both the Ukrainian and Russian consumer co-operative movements, we call on all leaders not to slacken in their efforts to return to diplomacy.
Co-operatively,
Mathias Fiedler
President
1 https://www.ica.coop/en/media/library/ica-declaration-positive-peace-through-cooperatives
Latest Co-op Distinctiveness news

Declaration for Peace
At its meeting on 24 March in Sofia, the Board approved a milestone declaration for peace...

Supporting Coop Ukraine Directly
We can now support Coop Ukraine directly ...

Euro Coop Stands Against Child Labour
In a globalized economy, businesses source goods and services from complex chains of suppliers...
Latest Co-op Distinctiveness stories

S Gorup invests in Sarvisuo Wind Farm in Simo
The wind farm’s 27 wind power plants are new high-power stations developed by Vestas,...

Equal opportunities in COOP Jednota: almost half of management positions are held by women
The percentage of women working in retail sector is growing faster in recent years and COOP...

Coop cooperatives Estonia and Coop Pank support Ukrainians with €1 million
The Estonian Coop cooperatives and Coop Pank support the operations of the Red Cross in...