5 July 2026 – Every year, cooperatives around the world celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives (#CoopsDay), highlighting the important role they play in building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies.
This year’s theme, “Cooperatives for a peaceful world”, reminds us that peace is built not only through dialogue, but also through trust, solidarity and cooperation.
For more than 160 years, the Raiffeisen movement has demonstrated that when people come together to help one another, they create economic opportunities while strengthening social cohesion and resilient communities. At a time when many societies face increasing uncertainty and division, the cooperative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity remain more relevant than ever.
To mark this year’s International Day of Cooperatives, the IRU – International Raiffeisen Union invited several member organisations to share their reflections on what peace, cooperation and the Raiffeisen idea mean in their daily work.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to:
- Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg
- Austrian Raiffeisen Association
- Cera (Belgium)
- FECOPROD (Paraguay)
- Raiffeisenverband Südtirol (Italy)
for contributing their inspiring messages and demonstrating how cooperative values are put into practice every day across different countries and cultures.
Although our members operate in diverse economic, social and cultural environments, they are united by one common belief: cooperation creates lasting value for people, communities and future generations.
🎥 Watch the video below and discover what the International Day of Cooperatives theme means to members of our network:
About the International Day of Cooperatives
The International Day of Cooperatives (#CoopsDay) has been celebrated since 1923 by the international cooperative movement and has been officially recognised by the United Nations since 1995. It is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July to raise awareness of the vital contribution cooperatives make to sustainable development, social inclusion, economic resilience and peace.
