Taking the cooperative spirit to Montego Bay
On October 20, 2016, credit unions nationwide will join together for International Credit Union Day (ICU Day), a global celebration of the movement’s history, values and achievements. On top of being a fun commemoration to our impact on the financial services industry, ICU Day is a reminder of our cooperative spirit, of the capacity of credit unions around the world to work together.
Another such reminder will appear January 15-18, 2017, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, during CUNA Volunteer Conference. A venue for volunteers to catch up on industry developments, network with their peers and discuss key issues in the movement, this conference embodies cooperative values every year.
For the first time, CUNA Volunteer Conference will be held in cooperation with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU), a trade and development organization for financial and non-financial cooperatives that represents more than 200 credit unions in the Caribbean Diaspora with more than $4 billion in assets.
CUNA, WOCCU and CCCU are working together on this event to address a serious, pressing need in the Caribbean region: To provide vital training opportunities to Caribbean credit union volunteers.
“By virtue of its location, the Caribbean doesn’t have the same quantity of live training events that credit unions in the states enjoy,” says Ralph Wharton, General Manager at Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions. “This means that volunteers do not have as many opportunities to engage with fresh ideas, new perspectives and innovative approaches—or, essentially, to grow.”
Through the collaboration, CUNA, WOCCU and CCCU will aggressively raise awareness for the CUNA Volunteer Conference in the Caribbean and actively work to bring volunteers from the region to the event. Caribbean volunteers will receive a rare opportunity to update their knowledge in expert-led sessions on major topics, including economics, regulations, millennials, and governance, risk and compliance (GRC).
They’ll also have the chance to network with stateside credit union volunteers, creating professional connections that will help them stay connected to the industry developments long after the conference ends.
The benefits of this cooperation, however, aren’t only heading the Caribbean’s direction.
“For American volunteers, this is a unique opportunity to learn about a seldom-examined corner of the credit union movement and see the challenges of cooperative finance for those outside of the U.S.,” notes Victor Miguel Corro, Vice President Member Services, Education & Training at World Council of Credit Unions. “It’s a mutually beneficial international collaboration.”
Events like the 2017 CUNA Volunteer Conference make the movement more integrated, more united and stronger. When we all stay connected to the global fraternity of credit unions, everyone—from America to the Caribbean and beyond—is better for it.
To learn more about the CUNA Volunteer Conference, visit training.cuna.org/cvc.
