The ECPMF's cooperative idea as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
by Katharina Mikulcak and Jane Whyatt
Germany's concept of cooperatives was included on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list on 1 December 2016. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/news/new-inscriptions-to-the-representative-list-of-the-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity-00217 According to UNESCO, cooperatives allow for community building through shared interests and values, based on the subsidiarity principle that puts personal responsibility above state action. Today, a quarter of Germany´s population participate in the practice, which makes Germany a leading European country for the cooperatives idea – although there are hundreds of cooperatives successfully working all over Europe.
The ECPMF's new legal status allows it to operate Europe-wide.
Reflecting the European idea of equality and close cooperation, another movement started…
