Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party met a delegation of APEX, the organisation of Maltese co-operatives, in the latter’s premises yesterday. AD’s delegation was made up of chairperson Arnold Cassola and spokesperson for social and economic development Michael Briguglio.
Cassola expressed the Green Party’s appreciation of the work done by co-operatives. “As a Green Party, we support the egalitarian philosophy of co-operatives, whereby each of their members has equal say in the organisation. Malta should be proud of the fact that Maltese co-operatives can be found in various commercial and social fields, including fair trade, transport, media and communications, management consultancy, financial advisory services, art and architectural restoration, archaeology, handicrafts and specialised services for persons with special needs. Apart from creating work, co-operatives can also represent democracy within the economy.”
Michael Briguglio added: “A Green and social economy promotes practices such as that of co-operatives, as they can represent social justice, environmental protection, and fair trade. Locally based co-operatives also tend to leave much of their profits within the local economy, thus helping create sustainable development. Localised business tends to be beneficial not only from an economic aspect, but also results in less pollution from transport, and also helps enhance community life, as products and services are easily accessible for residents.
“AD also believes that co-operatives should explore the creation of green-collar work in areas such as production and distribution of alternative energy sources, which creates various types of employment, such as professional, administrative and technical. This will help ensure long-term economic viability of co-operatives whilst ensuring social equity and ecological sustainability.”
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