The ILO and the Bolivian Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy strengthen mining cooperatives for economic recovery with decent work

More than a thousand cooperative members will get in-depth knowledge of the values of solidarity and equity of the cooperative business model and will be trained in the design of viable cooperative business plans to improve working conditions in the mining sector.

News | 25 March 2021
La Paz - More than 60 Bolivian cooperative members from the mining sector participated in the first group of the virtual course "Training of members of mining cooperatives using ILO Think.COOP and Start.COOP methodologies", that was inaugurated yesterday.
This initiative to strengthen mining cooperatives in the country has been organized by the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy, through the Vice Ministry of Mining Cooperatives, and the ILO.

In Bolivia there are more than 2000 mining cooperatives. It is essential to strengthen associative models in the context of economic recovery, which should serve to build more decent work opportunities.

“Cooperatives offer a resilient, democratic and sustainable business model. Based on values such as self-help, equality, equity and solidarity, they put people at the center of their business”, said John Bliek, ILO Enterprises, Cooperatives and Rural Development specialist. "With the ILO's Think.COOP and Start.COOP methodologies, mining cooperatives will be able to launch viable business initiatives, with decent work conditions, that improve the quality of life of members and their families," added Bliek.

The new ILO Think.COOP and Start.COOP methodologies offer useful resources to learn about the cooperative business model, value the benefits of collective action and, from there, identify business ideas, research their feasibility and prepare successful action plans.

As a result of the three months of training, each cooperative will design its Action Plan to be implemented.

The new ILO Think.COOP and Start.COOP methodologies offer useful resources for learning about the cooperative business model, identifying business ideas, researching their feasibility and preparing successful action plans."

In this first group of the virtual course, there were 62 participants of mining cooperatives belonging to the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (FENCOMIN), the Regional Federation of Gold Mining Cooperatives (FERRECO) and the Federation of Gold Mining Cooperatives of the North of La Paz (FECOMAN). The training program will include four more groups of cooperative members and will allow for strengthening the capacities of 1,200 members of 400 cooperatives affiliated to these federations.

The inauguration was led by John Bliek from the ILO Office for the Andean Countries, Edwin Guzmán, from the Strengthening Unit, and Benjo Herrera Murillo, Director of Mining Cooperatives of the Vice Ministry of Mining Cooperatives.