Mundukide Foundation

"Promoting community and co-operative production initiatives for sustainable development"

Mundukide Foundation website

 

1.- THE ORGANISATION

 

What is MUNDUKIDE

The Mundukide Foundation was created in 1999 as a result of a process of reflection carried out both within the Mondragón Co-operative Movement and MONDRAGON Corporation itself, with the aim of updating and revitalising the principles of solidarity upon which Co-operativism rests:

• Inter-cooperation: Involvement in the search for potential synergies derived from the common environment.
• Social transformation: Through the majority pooling of profits, the creation of new co-operative jobs and support for community development initiatives.
• Universality: Solidarity with all those working in favour of social democracy, sharing the objectives of peace, justice and development.

A number of local non-governmental organisations which work with the Developing World also participated in this process of reflection, reaching the unanimous conclusion that the Mondragón Co-operative Experience could become a valid point of reference for Inter-Cooperation Projects.

In order to adapt its fundamental value, solidarity, as well as those principles mentioned above to our modern, globalised world without ceasing to collaborate with its immediate environment, the Co-operative Movement needs to apply these concepts to the world at large.

 
At the same time, the ability to share the co-operative-community experience with other communities in the southern hemisphere wishing to work in accordance with the principles of self-management offers an exciting possibility for revitalising the co-operative social project. These new avenues for collaborative work have a lot of potential and there is much both to learn and teach in this field, particularly as regards the more practical-technical aspects, with all the adaptations that these require.

This process of reflection concluded with a commitment to work towards co-operation for development in poor countries, through the creation of an organisation and specific system designed for this purpose: the Mundukide Foundation.

 

Mundukide’s Mission

To promote solidarity in the field of collaboration with poor countries and to channel this solidarity towards using the ethos and know-how of the co-operative experience to aid their development, based on a willingness to learn and ensuring the active participation of the beneficiaries at all moments.
 

To this end, we focus our attention on two principal areas:

• Comprehensive Regional Development
• Inter-Cooperation with Popular Economy Co-operatives.

In order to fulfil its mission, the Mundukide Foundation aims to ensure the direct involvement of a number of different Basque co-operatives, from both the business world and the academic sector (i.e. universities). The idea is to create working networks not only in the southern hemisphere, but above all between the co-operative entities themselves: co-operating companies, co-operative technicians, researchers, voluntary workers and university students, etc. Our strategy is to aid the various processes and by embarking on long-term commitments and establishing a channel for mutual learning which will prove beneficial to all those involved, from both the northern and southern hemispheres, and which will pave the way for endogenous, sustainable and fair development.

 

2.- AREAS OF ACTIVITY

The Foundation has defined two working areas for the fulfilment of its mission: the Inter-cooperation System and Comprehensive Regional Development.

Inter-Cooperation System

Our aim is to collaborate with communities seeking to achieve comprehensive self-management, creating a bi-directional channel of co-operation. The aim is to ensure inter-cooperation based on equality and endogenous and sustainable development.

To this end, in collaboration with the Lanki Institute of Mondragón University (MU), we have set up our own Inter-Cooperation System consisting of a number of different mutually beneficial elements and collaborators.

These are the 5 elements:

• Community Development Experience Exchange Programme: Intensive exchange of experiences between those involved in community development projects linked to Popular Economy Co-operatives-Communities and the Mondragón co-operative environment (business, social, educational and university). These meetings take place once a year and the representatives from poor countries in the southern hemisphere remain with us for one month.
• Practicum Hegoa: Students from Mondragón University (MU) stay for two months with Popular Economy Co-operatives abroad. They write a report and complete their end-of-course project, within the framework of the Inter-Cooperation System, in which they outline the needs and general situation of the community and propose ideas and suggestions based on their own experiences during their stay.
• Inter-cooperation projects: Personalised projects involving a long-term commitment which aim to accompany the setting up of social-business processes in poor countries from the southern hemisphere. These initiatives are closely related to the creation of companies and involve tutoring, training, advice, relations and continuous information. The principal objective is to create self-managed companies with a multiplicative effect, since in our opinion, this is the best means of achieving sustainable development.
• The SAREA-NETWORK of Popular Economy Co-operatives: thanks to new information and communications technologies, a large flow of information has been set up between all those working with Popular Economy initiatives who are involved with this System. An exchange of information is enabled between diverse Co-operative Experiences, and the network is also used to provide basic data for use by NICEP (the Popular Economy Co-operative Research Centre).
• The Popular Economy Co-operative Research Centre (NICEP): has a twofold mission: firstly, to research the complex situations and needs of Popular Economy Co-operatives, and secondly, to oversee the uninterrupted knowledge and training exchange process carried out between the Mondragón Co-operative Experience and the Popular Economy Co-operatives (PECs) themselves.

Comprehensive Regional Development

This is the other of Mundukide’s main areas of activity. We work alongside key local figures in order to promote development, under the same philosophical umbrella as the Inter-Cooperation System.

Nevertheless, Comprehensive Development differs from the Inter-Cooperation System in a number of ways. The eligibility of the geographical area of activity is dependent upon a per capita income of less than 360 US dollars, and once the corresponding identification, definition and analysis tasks have been completed, then providing approval is obtained, a ten to twelve-year process comprising a number of different phases is set in motion.

The principal aim is to ensure comprehensive socioeconomic development for this area. To this end, the setting up of multiplicative production initiatives is used as the cornerstone and springboard for the development of the rest of the infrastructures required, such as educational, cultural and health systems, etc. This process is mutually beneficial and is carried out in a sustainable manner, providing opportunities for growth and improvement thanks to the wealth generated by the production initiatives.

 

3.- WHO MAKES UP MUNDUKIDE?

GOVERNING BOARD

MONDRAGON, Grupo Danobat, Grupo Fagor, Maier S.Coop., Mapsa S.Coop, Mondragón Unibertsitatea, Orkli S.Coop., Grupo Ulma, Orona S.Coop., ONGD Anelkar, ONGD Atxorrotx, ONGD Banoia, ONGD FISC, ONGD Harreman, ONGD Hiruatx, ONGD Setem, ONGD Gernikatik Mundura

COLLABORATING COMPANIES

MONDRAGÓN LINGUA, AIC, ALECOP, ALKARGO, BATZ, BIURRARENA, CAJA LABORAL, CIKAUTXO, COINMA, COPRECI, DOMUSA, EGURKO, ELKAR, EREDU, ERKOP, ETORKI, FAGOR ARRASATE, FAGOR AUTOMATION, FAGOR EDERLAN, FAGOR ELECTRODOMÉSTICOS, FAGOR ELECTRÓNICA, FAGOR INDUSTRIAL, GOIZPER, GRUPO DANOBAT, HERTELL, IDEKO, IKERLAN, IRIZAR, JMA, JOMA, KIDE, LAGUN ARO, LAN MOBEL, LANA, LKS, LKS Ingeniería, MAIER, MAPSA, MATZERREKA, MONDRAGON ASSEMBLY, MONDRAGÓN SISTEMAS, OIARSO, ONA PRESS, ORKLI, ORONA, ORTZA, SORALUZE, TAJO, ULMA, URIBESALGO SA.

VOLUNTARY WORKERS AND COLLABORATORS

Retired co-operative workers who once held technical posts in different co-operatives; those involved in the in situ co-ordination of the projects; university students; co-operative workers; and voluntary citizens...

PROFESSIONAL TEAM

Four people who currently take responsibility for the different areas.

 

4.- OUR FUTURE

Goals:

1. To have our own tool for developing solidarity, the cornerstone of Co-operativism, and for spreading this concept throughout the world.
2. To adapt, update and extend to the entire Co-operative Movement the principles upon which Mundukide is based:
   Inter-Cooperation, Social Transformation and Universality.
3. To offer our Co-operative Community the opportunity of participating in exciting development projects.
4. To help strengthen and improve the degree of satisfaction of the social contribution of Co-operativism.
5. To make that which our Co-operative Experience has to offer available to the entire world, acting with respect towards those countries in the southern hemisphere.
6. To gradually ensure a greater degree of identification with and commitment to our organisation by all those involved in our Experience (Co-operatives, Companies, University and People).
7. To enrich both our organisation and ourselves by that which we are able to learn from other Experiences.
8. To promote endogenous and sustainable development through co-operative production projects.