GENEVA — The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), in coordination with the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), has officially announced the theme for the upcoming 104th International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay): "Cooperatives for a Peaceful World." Scheduled to be celebrated globally on the first Saturday of July, the annual initiative aims to highlight how the people-centered, democratic cooperative business model naturally acts as a vital bridge-builder in an increasingly fragmented and multipolar world.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened global friction, positioning the cooperative movement as a practical blueprint for cross-border unity and economic resilience. According to the ICA’s Director-General, Jeroen Douglas, cooperative enterprises do not retreat during geopolitical or economic crises. Instead, they actively foster "positive peace"—a concept defined not just by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of local trust, expanded access to vital services, and long-term economic stability. By focusing on community needs over short-term capital maximization, cooperatives remain uniquely anchored to the regions they serve.
This year's theme is tightly intertwined with upcoming high-level international milestones. It directly sets the stage for the ICA Global Conference in Panama, which operates under the closely mirrored mandate: “Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World.” Furthermore, organizers emphasized that the 2026 campaign strongly reinforces United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). By leveraging a grassroots democratic framework that encompasses roughly 12% of humanity, the global cooperative network continues to demonstrate how equitable economic participation can systematically dismantle structural inequalities and cultivate lasting regional peace.