International Co-operative Day（国际合作节）

In1921,attheInternationalCo-operativeCongressofWorldCo-opLeaderswantedtoidentifyanddefinethegrowingco-operativemovement’scommonvaluesandidealstohelpuniteco-opsaroundtheworld.Theydecidedtoholdaspecialeventtocelebratethemovement’sgrowingdiversity.

InEssen,Germanyin1922,ICA（国际合作联盟）leadersmadeplansfortheveryfirstinternational"Co-operators’Day"whichwasheldinJuly1923.Sincethen,onthefirstSaturdayeveryJuly,InternationalCo-operativeDayhasbeencelebrated.Thedayisachanceforco-opmembersandsupporterstoworktogetherandpromotetheco-opmovement’ssuccessesandidealsofinternationalsolidarity（团结）,economicefficiency,equality,andworldpeace.TocelebratetheCentennial（百年纪念）oftheInternationalCo-operativeAlliance,theUnitedNationsdeclaredin1995thatthefirstSaturdayofJulytobecelebratedastheUnitedNationsInternationalDayofCo-operativesandrequestedallmembergovernmentstojoinwiththeirco-operativemovementstocelebratetheday.

OverseveralyearsvariousnationalmovementsweretryingtoregistertheRainbowFlagasatrademark,seekingICAhelpinfindingoutargumentstoprovethattheflagisadistinctive（与众不同的、有特色的）symbol,reservedtotheco-opmovement.Forus,co-operatorsitis,butinfact,ithasneverbeenregisteredastheICAsymbol.

AftertheBaselCongressin1921,whichwasthefirstcongresstobeheldafteraninterruptionofeightyearscausedbytheGreatWorldWarandfacingthenewchallengesinEurope,theICAExecutiveCommitteedecidedtodevotesometimetoCo-operativePropaganda.Themembershiphadgrowndramatically,thus,theideawastofindapointofrally（集合、集会）whichwouldgiveanidentitytomovementsscattered（分散）fromJapantoCanada.

Thepoliticalmap,andmostsingularly（特别地，异常地）Europe’spoliticalmap,changedtosuchanextensionthatitbecomeurgenttofindsomecommondenominator（共同特性）forallthedifferentco-operativetraditions.Atthesametimetheestablishedco-operativessufferedattacksfromfascistandcommunist
partiesbothofwhichclaimed"propertyrights"onco-opdoctrine（主义、学说）andincidentallyonco-opassets.

Inthesetroubledtimes,theICAPresident,G.J.D.C.Goedhart,questionedhimselfonthecauseswhichhinderthedevelopmentoftheco-opmovement.Hedetectedthree:lackofinformationamongthegeneralpublic,lackofknowledgeamongmembersandfinallylackofideologicalcommitmentamongmanagers.

"Whatcanbedonetoremedy（治疗、矫正）theseevils?Thebestmeansseemstobebygeneralpropagandawhichmustbringtothemindsandheartsofoutsiders,asinaflash,vividpicturesoftheCo-operativeMovement,theidealsforwhichitstands,therealsignificanceofitsaims,andhowitmustnecessarygiveusamuchbetterhumansocietythanthatinwhichwelive."

Andalreadyin1922thebestsupportforpublicityappearedtohimtobeafilm.However,sincenotmanysocietiescouldhavesupportedsuchafinancialinvestment,hesuggestedchildren’sbooks,lanternslides（幻灯片）andothermeansofvisualpropagandasuchasexhibitions.

"Arrangementsshouldalsobemadetoholda"PropagandaDay"or"Evening"ineverycountry,townandvillageonthesamedayinordertodrawtheattentionoftheuniversetowhatwearedoing,andalsotothewholeworld"

Aspecial"Co-operators’Day"isnecessaryforthispurpose.Youare,therefore,calledupontorallytotheStandardof"Eachforall,allforeach"inagreatInternationalDemonstrationontheFirstSaturdayinJulynext,whenthefirstorganizedattemptwillbemadeto"broadcast"ourrejoicings（欢庆）,ourideals,oursuccesses,andourdeterminationtopursuethemtotheirultimategoal.