Tehran: Minister of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare Ahmad Meydari has emphasized that the power is on strengthening co-operatives, describing the recognition and promotion of co-operatives as essential actors in inclusive economic transformation and community resilience. Meydari delivered a speech at the Second International Conference on Iran’s Co-operative Economy late on Wednesday.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Minister’s speech highlighted the significance of co-operatives, referencing the United Nations’ proclamation of 2025 as the International Year of Co-operatives under the slogan ‘Co-operatives Build a Better World’. The UN resolution calls for the establishment of national committees to foster coordination between government and non-governmental sectors to realize this vision.
In his address, Meydari posed a critical question: despite years of emphasis by the UN and other organizations, why has significant success in developing cooperatives been elusive? He underscored the necessity of advancing co-operatives, a shared goal among participants at the conference.
Drawing from the ancient text, Kalila wa Dimna, Meydari illustrated the principle of cooperative development. He recounted a story where pigeons, trapped by a hunter’s snare, were only able to free themselves through collective cooperation. This allegory served to emphasize that all should prioritize mutual salvation and strengthen themselves through cooperation to ‘lift the snare from its place’.
Meydari identified three key lessons from the story. First, there is no room for dispute, as humanity is ensnared in a global predicament marked by regression and conflict. Second, freedom is intertwined with the freedom of others; only coordinated collective action can lead to a better future. Third, the power of cooperatives lies in pooling resources, ideas, and capacities to effect change.
Until the culture of cooperation is embraced and these lessons internalized, Meydari noted, conventional policies alone cannot achieve meaningful transformation. He advocated for recognizing and promoting cooperatives as vital to economic transformation and community resilience, strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems, fostering leadership within the cooperative movement, and promoting partnerships to enhance cooperative impact.
The government, he said, acknowledges the need for cooperation with the private sector and civil society institutions, urging these entities to actively participate as the true owners of cooperative development policies. He concluded with a call to embrace the spirit of cooperation, believing that through this shared commitment, a better world can be built with co-operatives.