After the Angry Sea: Cooperatives rebuilding after the tsunami

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After the Angry Sea Co-operatives re-building
after the tsunami

• Co-operative Congress
• May 2006
• Stirling Smith

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Thank you!

• A generous response to the Tsunami Reconstruction
  Fund
• Your members deserve to know how the funds you
  donated have been spent
• This is a report back
• Glad to provide more detail, photographs, and
  speak at meetings

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26th December 2004
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Re-cap three severely effected countries

• Sri Lanka we decided not to work there
• India we decided to support co-operatives in
  Tamil Nadu and the Andamna Nicobar Islabnds
• Indoneisa- we thoguht we would support
• a baseline survey
• conusmer co-operatives
• workers co-operativce prodcuing mangrove seeds,
  and
• A feasibility study of co-operatuvemicroinsurance
  on Takfaul principles

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Sri Lanka

• A second tsunami
• Inappropriate aid more fishing boats than
  fishermen!
• Other movements already working on long term
  programmes (Sweden, Canada, Norway)
• Therefore no need to duplicate
• SANASA has 26 partners!

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India

• Two areas effected
• Tamil Nadu
• Andaman Nicobar Islands
• Indian government declined international
  assistance
• Good at relief, less good at long term
  reconstruction

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India 1

• Andaman Nicobar Islands the forgotten
  disaster
• Car Nicobar island very close to epicentre
  30,000 people in a co-op economy
• Indigenous people collecting coconuts, minor
  forest produce via 15 primary societies and a
  secondary co-operative
• An award winning co-operative
• Societies also distribute consumer goods

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What happened, what are we doing?

• All 15 villages destroyed all local warehouses
  and shops destroyed
• Shoreline permanently changed
• Coconut groves ruined by salt water
• Main warehouse so badly damaged, it had to be
  demolished
• Supporting new warehouse
• Purchasing two trucks that will collect produce
  from co-operatives and deliver supplies

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India 2

• Tamil Nadu co-ops started in 1904
• Multi-purpose cooperatives credit, consumer,
  marketing farmers produce
• Also Part of public distribution system of fair
  price shops 22,000 shops
• Re-construction of six co-operatives in district
  of Cuddalore a cyclone prevalent district
  also very badly effected by floods in 2005
  monsoon season one third of district covered in
  water
• Working through ICA New Delhi and Chennai ICM and
  state government

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Indonesia 1

• Destruction in Aceh was greater than anywhere
  else
• Problems compounded by long running conflict
  between army and the separatist movement, GUM
• Co-operative movement very subordinate to central
  government
• Much more difficult to get information, judge
  reliable partners

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Signs of progress

• DEKOPINWIL, provincial co-operative union, is
  good, independent minded
• The government is positive about co-operatives
  contribution to reconstruction. This is not about
  control, but about getting buy-in.
• The peace process is holding up well. GUM
  supports building up co-operatives and will not
  make any difficulties for DEKOPINWIL.

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Selected projects fishing co-ops

• We changed plans following baseline survey
• Already supporting consumer co-operatives, so
  selected
• Lembah Lhok Suedu Fishery Coop for boat
  construction, storage construction and drying
  equipment
• Bahari Karya Fishery Coop for material supply for
  fishing and Ice-manufacturing

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Indonesia 2

• Micro-insurance to mitigate risks
• Aceh a religious area, so financial products must
  be acceptable to Muslims
• Work in collaboration with ICMIF experts in
  Takaful
• ICMIF want to wait until strong co-operatives
  re-established

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How are we sure?

• Independent audits
• Photographs
• Multi agency committees to monitor and report
• Open tender process for supplies and work
• Follow-up visits

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What you can do

• Ensure we reach target of 500,000
• We have been asked for more help in Car Nicobar
• Think about next time
• Co-op Aid