In honor of the International Cooperative Day:
Cooperative: A Motherly Presence
July 6th, the International Day of Cooperative, is celebrated by cooperatives worldwide. Accompanied by the slogan “Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All,” the Rah-E-Roshd cultural and educational cooperative also commemorated this day.
During the ceremony, Anahita Eslapazir, CEO of the Rah-E Roshd cultural and educational cooperative, discussed the identity of cooperatives in relation to Rah-E Roshd. By highlighting the collective power that has contributed to the cooperative’s growth in recent years, she explained: “The concept of cooperatives materialized in Rah-E Roshd and has been with us since — an achievement attained through the participation of all its members. In the beginning, it was important to establish a clear identity, and during my research, I kept wondering about a cooperative’s individuality: who is a cooperative?”
Further clarifying: “When we first started, there was no one to explain this issue to us. While creating an educational thesis and looking for an identity capable of reflecting our thirty-year efforts, we came across cooperatives, a concept akin to family.”
Emphasizing: “The cooperative identity was like a nurturing mother; we redefined ourselves in its image and founded our shibboleth on its principles.”
Referring to Rah-E Roshd’s unique traits, she stated: “There is a collective force at the heart of this cooperative that propels it forward; the cooperative principle will always be a prominent presence among us. Knowing that the term ‘cooperative’ is scarcely used, whether globally or in Iran, we aimed to advocate a locution that would preserve the identity of the cooperative, and so, we arrived at the terminology of ‘collaborative work,’ as it’s that very partnership that highlights the value of cooperatives, and I’m joyed to see all who work with us have been affected by this notion. The cooperative identity of Rah-E-Roshd gifted us with a sense of camaraderie that has been our lifeblood since.”
During the event, the second stage of ‘CoopTalk’ was revealed: a project inspired by the “Teacher Talk” event held in 2021 by the Rah-E Roshd cooperative. After the successful implementation of the first stage of this event and its introduction in international seminars, the second stage of CoopTalk was presented. Coinciding with the International Day of Cooperatives, the event included presentations by Anahita Eslahpazir, the CEO of Rah-E Roshd cultural and educational cooperative, Samiramis Shahesmaili, a member of the cooperative and executive officer of CoopTalk, Somayeh Sanei, the principal of Rah-E Roshd elementary school, Mehdi Nilash, principal of Rah-E Roshd secondary school, and Azadeh Ashoori, the head of Rah-E Roshd’s educational department.