PAUL HAZEN TO ADDRESS U.N. ON HOW COOPERATIVE BUSINESSES GENERATE EMPLOYMENT: NCBA CEO to Showcase How Cooperatives Reduce Poverty Through Job Creation

Paul Hazen, president and CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association, will speak at a United Nations panel on Monday, February 11, 2008 regarding the role of cooperatives in reducing poverty through employment generation.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, February 08, 2008 ) Paul Hazen, president and CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association, will speak at a United Nations panel on Monday, February 11, 2008 regarding the role of cooperatives in reducing poverty through employment generation.

Hazen will address the 46th Session for the Commission on Social Development in New York City. “At NCBA, we have a clear history of doing cooperative development work that results in significant employment opportunities in communities where cooperatives exist,” says Hazen.

In East Timor, NCBA has helped create employment for more than 150,000 farmers selling coffee through assisted entities. Cooperativa Café, which sells its coffee to Starbucks, is now the largest private employer in the country since this project began in 1995.

Hazen will cite this as just one of several examples for the Commission on Social Development as part of his discussion. “At NCBA, we have a consistent track record of showcasing why cooperatives are a better business model; one obvious benefit is the amount of jobs they create in local communities to allow people to improve the quality of their lives,” says Hazen.

Hazen will speak on behalf of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)—an independent, non-governmental association, which represents socially responsible co-operatives worldwide. Hazen is a member of the organization’s Board of Directors and also plans to showcase how both the ICA and NCBA have helped leverage business opportunities to create jobs in impoverished areas.

“Both of our organizations are committed to building a better world,” Hazen says. “By bringing the cooperative enterprise to more communities both in the United States and around the rest of the globe, we give some of the world’s poorest people the keys to a better life.”

To learn more about the cooperative business model and NCBA’s development projects, go to www.ncba.coop or contact NCBA at 202 638-6222. For more information on the ICA, visit www.ica.coop.

About the NCBA:

Headquartered in Washington, the National Cooperative Business Association represents cooperatives across all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, food distribution and retailing, childcare, credit unions, housing, healthcare, energy, and telecommunications. In addition, NCBA’s CLUSA International Program has helped develop cooperatives and other sustainable businesses in over 50 countries since 1953. CLUSA currently runs projects in 13 countries.

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