The seminar on the human rights of indigenous peoples and the
role of co-operatives, organised by the ICA Regional Office for
Central America and the Caribbean, included a series of study
visits to the indigenous co-operatives. Participants were able
to visit a successful dairy co-operative, Xelac, which collects
the milk of small farmers and makes fresh pasteurised milk
available to the local community as well as producing a variety
of Swiss-type cheese for sale to large hotels in the capital.
Participants also visited two artisanal co-operatives producing
traditional woven products for export, as well as a glassware
co-operative producing a wide variety of glass products from
recycled glass bottles.
A successful women's consumer co-operative, Nuevo Progreso, was
also one of the co-operatives which welcomed participants and
presented its aims and achievements.
Lastly, participants visited a village where a small-scale
women's project to raise poultry was being implemented. They
met the beneficiaries of the project and heard how it was
helping them better their lives.
From:International Co-operative Alliance Newsletter
See: Conf:gen.newsletter, Topic:ICA Newsletter #2/1994