By Barb Kachelski, CAE
Jamaica Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen 
Jamaica Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen has a personal link to credit unions. When he and his wife married in 1975, they became members of a credit union. “All we had was what we were able to borrow from the JTCU.”
Cooperatives light the path to growth. Without the international cooperative movement, life would be worse. He called cooperatives the “largest NGO (non-governmental organization) in the world.” The reach of cooperatives does not receive anywhere near the status it deserves and desires. The impact of the cooperative movement remains strong.
“We live in a world of gross inequalities,” he explained to a small group gathered for the Cooperatives Awards Dinner held in conjunction with the CCCU and CUES International Convention in Jamaica. “The cooperative movement shines brightly, representing human solidarity, inclusiveness, volunteerism and trust.”
“Some are skeptical. They believe people are selfish or untrustworthy. The most current scientific research proves human beings are, by nature, cooperative.
“There is nothing wrong with Jamaica that can’t be fixed with what’s right with Jamaica. The cooperative movement is part of what’s right with Jamaica,” Allen said.
Barb Kachelski, CAE, is SVP/chief operating officer for CUES and a former newspaper reporter.
Read two more articles from CCCU & CUES International Convention.
