International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: New Video Spotlights Cooperative Impact

Brussels, 17 October  2025 – Cooperatives Europe is proud to be part of the global video “A Day in the Life with Coops”, a visual journey across continents that celebrates cooperatives’ daily footprint in our communities  – from morning coffee to evening conversations. Released on 17 October for the International Day of Eradication of Poverty, the video is now being disseminated across all five continents to raise awareness  beyond the cooperative community of the cooperative difference.
The video was developed in the framework of the #coops4dev🌍 partnership between the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the European Union. Europe along with the other  ICA regions – Africa, the Americas and Asia and Pacific– contributed to the creation of this cooperative live portrait. Each region documented a local protagonist living their day with and through cooperatives, respectively, in Cebu (Philippines),Lindi (Tanzania), Valletta (Malta) and Bahia Blanca (Argentina).

Europe’s contribution features Jas Odusanya, a young linguist and member of the language and interpretation cooperative “No Barriers” in Valletta, Malta. Her story illustrates how cooperatives offer not only employment but also a space for inclusion, democratic decision-making, and community support. The viewer follows Jas as she commutes to her coop, facilitates meetings with colleagues, and engages in cooperative-led projects for her local community.

The video’s format simultaneously mirrors the rhythm of a full day, linking cooperator lives across time zones. This simple framing reveals a powerful truth: while lives, cultures and landscapes may differ, the cooperative model turns shared values into action – equity, participation, and solidarity – across sectors and societies. Cooperators are connected all over the world!

“The cooperative journey is still an untold story to many – through this collective effort, we want to break the ‘cooperative wall’ and reach a wider audience,” said Annalisa Vallone, International Development Coordinator at Cooperatives Europe. “It’s also a reminder that cooperation is not just a principle – it’s something that each of us practices every day, often without even realising it. ”

With protagonists working in different cooperative sectors such as education, renewable energy, transport, language services, and digital platforms, the video reflects the adaptiveness of cooperatives to today’s challenges, ensuring economic inclusion.

This collective exercise honours the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and the International Day of Eradication ofPoverty, showing cooperatives’ active commitment towards  UN Sustainable Development Goal 1 (UN SDG 1 – No Poverty) and the other 16 SDGs as part of the UN Agenda2030.

The full video and teaser are available to view and share via Cooperatives Europe’s and ICA’s social media platforms.

Watch the video.
Go to our website for information on the ICA-EU Partnership

This article has been co-funded by the European Union. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of  Cooperatives Europe and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.