Every year on the third Thursday of October, workers of all types of consumer cooperatives celebrate their professional holiday — International Credit Union Day (.
This world holiday has been continuously celebrated since 1948 and since then has been an occasion for numerous events: open days of credit unions and branches, charity events, fairs and competitions, thematic radio – and television programs. Moreover, every year the events held as part of the Day are devoted to a specific topic.
The credit union is the organization of financial mutual assistance of citizens. This is one of the most massive and most attractive financial organizations for the population, which is a non-profit alternative to banks. Since people can pool their funds to give each other loans.
The concept and ideas of cooperation ( cooperation — joint activities ) have been on the sidelines since the mid-19th century and have gained great popularity in Europe. The founders of cooperative philosophy are Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, Louis Blanc. They explained the economic benefits of cooperation as an economic form, and considered it an organization of the future, devoid of contradictions and shortcomings of the world of capitalist competition.
Interestingly, 1948 was the repeated date of the establishment of Credit Union Day. And for the first time, the idea of the holiday was announced in 1927, and on January 17, 1927, the League of Credit Unions of the American state of Massachusetts organized the first official holiday for shareholders of credit unions and workers. The date was chosen due to the fact that on January 17, the Americans honor the memory of one of America's greatest figures, Benjamin Franklin, born in Massachusetts.
In the 30s of the 20th century, credit unions in America developed rapidly. But, nevertheless, the proclaimed Day of Credit Unions was not popular with either employees or shareholders and was abolished over time. « The second life of » was given to the holiday in 1948, when the National Association of Credit Unions of the United States decided to resume the celebration of National Day of Credit Unions, but already in October. Today, credit unions operate in 88 countries of the world in which International Day of Credit Unions is recognized as a necessary holiday.
In Russia, the League of Credit Unions, founded in November 1994, is a voluntary association of credit consumer cooperatives of citizens and other non-profit organizations of financial mutual assistance. One of the main goals of the League — is to promote the formation of real economic democracy in Russian society.
In addition, the League is entrusted with the tasks of developing the regional and national infrastructure of the Movement of Credit Unions of Russia; entering the world cooperative Movement as an integral part of the cooperative movement of Russia; ensuring equal opportunities for the participation of credit unions and their associations in the Russian and international movement of credit unions.
The League of Credit Unions represents the movement of credit cooperation of Russia in the World Council of Credit Unions ( World Council of Credit Unions ).