以合作社建设和平：来自巴勒斯坦与土耳其的经验

侯赛因·波拉特（Hüseyin Polat）　联合国/国际劳工组织合作社发展专家

在冲突加剧、社会日趋撕裂的时代，合作社仍是世界上最受忽视的和平建设力量之一。本文回顾巴以和平进程中一项鲜为人知的合作社倡议，并结合土耳其的最新进展指出，合作社能够培育社会信任、经济包容与民主参与，而这些正是持久和平赖以存在的根基。

国际合作社联盟（ICA）已宣布2026年7月4日国际合作社日的主题为"合作社共建和平世界"。这一主题与2026年9月15日将在巴拿马举行的ICA全球大会主题"架设桥梁——合作社对和平世界的贡献"相互呼应。ICA对本年度主题的阐释如下——

"当今世界许多地区正经历冲突、社会碎片化、不平等加剧、经济不安全与信任衰退，人们愈发需要架设桥梁，支持那些能够增进社会和谐、重建信任、修复社会联结的路径。九月在巴拿马举行的这次大会，将考察合作社如何通过在人与人、社区与社区、观念与观念之间架设桥梁，通过创造包容的参与空间，为和平作出贡献。"

为什么是合作社

合作社不仅是社会经济组织，更是和平的制度载体。

• 合作社在原本可能彼此隔阂的群体之间创造共同经济利益与相互依存关系。
• 合作社促进民主参与和民主决策。
• 合作社通过创造就业与机会减少社会排斥，尤其惠及妇女和青年。
• 合作社增强社会凝聚力与信任，而这是可持续和平不可或缺的基础。
• 和平不止于没有冲突，还需要经济正义、社会包容与地方发展，这些恰是合作社大有可为的领域。
• 各国经验表明，在紧张或冲突之后，合作社可以成为促进和解、重建社区的务实机制。

《关怀社区》——合作社与和平的关系

已故加拿大著名合作社学者伊恩·麦克弗森（Ian MacPherson）教授曾主持设计1995年ICA大会通过的"新"合作社身份声明；已故耶胡达·帕兹（Yehudah Paz）博士则是以色列基布兹运动的先驱之一、内盖夫和平与发展研究所（NISPED）的创始人。两位学者合著的著作认为，合作社模式旨在对和平建设作出根本性贡献。两人均于2013年辞世。我在1990年至2006年任职国际劳工组织期间，有幸与这两位可敬的前辈相识并共事，那段经历至今难忘。

本文想特别提及一部关于合作社与和平的重要著作，即《关怀社区：合作社与和平的关系》（Concern for Community: The Relationship between Cooperatives and Peace）。这本书集中呈现了两位学者的核心论点，那就是和平建设居于合作社商业模式的核心。他们凭借数十年在合作社领域的亲身实践与理论积累，系统阐述了对合作社与和平关系的见解。

从梳理历史文献到参与起草1995年《合作社身份声明》，两位作者证明，和平始终是国际合作社运动中反复出现的主题。他们指出，合作社运动围绕"关怀社区"发展出一套价值观与实践方式，天然构成通向更公平、更和平世界的桥梁。书中考察了合作社如何赋能成员应对本地社区的不平等与社会张力，又如何在饱受战乱之苦的地区促进族群间关系的重建。

麦克弗森写道："和平建设不发生在战场上，而发生在社区之中。正是在这一意义上，合作社能为建设一个更和平的世界作出最大贡献。"

帕兹则说："和平建设居于合作社运动成长的中心。在社区、地区乃至国家的内部与相互之间，合作社对邻里层面的和平建设与冲突化解至关重要。"

两位学者共同强调，合作社培育对话、民主参与、相互依存与共担责任的习惯，而正是这些习惯让和平得以持续。

国际劳工组织的一项提议——以合作社支持巴以和平进程

首先需要说明，以下观察基于SHIFT项目的实践经验，或可为那些在脆弱环境中设计和实施合作社发展项目的人提供参考。

1999年底至2000年代初，我在国际劳工组织于耶路撒冷主办的一次研讨会上宣读论文，与会者包括约二十家巴勒斯坦和以色列合作社的代表，议题是发展两地合作社之间的合作。研讨会在联合国开发计划署（UNDP）耶路撒冷办事处举行。与我一同从日内瓦前来的国际劳工组织代表马克·莱文（Mark Levin）向我引荐了同样在会上宣读论文的耶胡达·帕兹博士。帕兹是以色列学者，多年来为促成两个民族之间的和平不懈奔走，在巴勒斯坦人中也享有广泛敬重。

研讨会结束时，与会者提议编制一个双方合作社之间的合作项目，以支持当时正在奥斯陆进行的巴以和平谈判，并请国际劳工组织起草项目文件。由于会议的背景文件出自我手，起草项目草案的任务也交给了我，供与会者进一步讨论。我们约定，草案完成后再次聚首，共同定稿。

可以这样概括，在奥斯陆进程期间，我参与设计了一项以合作社为基础的巴以和平倡议。

SHIFT——共塑未来

我从日内瓦回安卡拉休年假时，把全部时间都投入项目文件的编写，完成了草案。约一个月后，我们在耶路撒冷再次会面。我提交草案后，巴以双方与会者一致称许项目名称起得尤为贴切。项目建议书的核心，是阐明合作社作为来自两个社会的草根组织，如何为正在进行的和平谈判作出贡献，主要路径是通过联合培训与创造就业支持和平进程。

会上双方都提出了很有价值的意见。两个社群的合作社都渴望和平，也相信合作社能在实现与维护和平方面发挥重要作用。帕兹博士介绍了以色列合作社的建议，巴勒斯坦劳工部合作社总局局长加齐·阿布·达希尔（Ghazi Abu Daher）介绍了巴勒斯坦合作社的建议。国际劳工组织巴勒斯坦/耶路撒冷办事处主任穆尼尔·克莱博（Mounir Kleibo）也出席了会议。

会议结束时，SHIFT项目文件大体形成如下框架——

• SHIFT首先召集巴以两地的合作社管理者，说明项目宗旨，强调双方合作社在和平进程中团结一致、共同行动的重要性；
• 双方合作社优先为青年和妇女创造就业机会，并联合举办培训研讨；
• 巴以合作社管理者定期会面，表达对和平谈判的支持，制定维护和平的共同策略，并向本国政治人物通报双方的合作进展；
• 优先发展合作社间贸易，探讨联合生产、加工与营销的可能。起步阶段计划"救治"此前被毁坏的橄榄树，并合办一座橄榄油厂；
• 宣读并散发合作社会议达成的、支持两个社会之间和平谈判的共同声明；
• 双方合作社向国际组织，特别是ICA、联合国和国际劳工组织，通报联合工作并寻求支持；
• 成立联合委员会，向主持奥斯陆和谈的代表团通报合作社为促进和平所开展的各项活动。

令人扼腕

耶路撒冷会议之后，项目文件的工作在日内瓦国际劳工组织总部继续推进，其间又与帕兹博士举行了数次会谈。在合作社处，主要由马克·莱文、于尔根·施韦特曼（Jürgen Schwettmann）与我这位项目起草人一道商讨融资问题。最终决定，由莱文和帕兹前往对该项目和和谈抱有兴趣的北欧国家，争取各国政府支持。走访的结论是，须待奥斯陆和谈有了结果，再决定项目融资。

后来，奥斯陆和谈以失败告终，寄托着巴以合作社厚望的SHIFT项目也随之流产。这实在令人惋惜。对于那些为之付出心血、寄予厚望的人而言，SHIFT始终是一段以失败收场的伤心往事。

2023年10月31日，ICA发表声明呼吁和平，谴责针对以色列和巴勒斯坦平民的袭击，并发起面向巴勒斯坦人的资金援助行动。以色列政府未允许ICA成员基布兹运动与巴勒斯坦农业合作社组织开展合作，不过基布兹运动仍与国际组织合作，参与了对加沙的援助。

一个重要教训由此浮现。当对话、合作与公民社会参与的渠道全面坍塌时，暴力便更容易发生。过去一年加沙经历的巨大人道苦难，正是政治进程失败、公民社会声音被边缘化之后果的悲剧性提醒。

我不禁设想，倘若合作社机构当年获准建立起持续的经济与社会合作渠道，巴以关系的走向是否会有所不同。答案无人知晓。但更牢固的草根合作，或许能培育出足以抵御暴力循环的和平支持力量。

合作社能为土耳其的"和平建设"进程做什么

SHIFT倡议的经验教训，对正迈入新阶段的土耳其同样具有参考价值。这一阶段旨在巩固和平、扩大民主参与、增进社会凝聚。当前进程提供了一个契机，让人们探索合作社如何通过立足本地的经济与社会行动服务于上述目标。

2025年7月25日，土耳其向议会各政党发出书面邀请，国家团结、兄弟情谊与民主委员会随后于8月5日正式启动工作。委员会报告的引言部分对形势作了如下概括——

"要永久解决土耳其的恐怖主义问题，所需政策不能局限于安全层面，而必须是多维度、多面向、多层次、多边参与的；必须同时强化政治合法性、社会认同与民主能力……"

"我们的委员会体现了这样一种意愿，即以新的视角审视一个数十年来消耗着国家精力、被离间兄弟之人反复挑动的问题。我们迈出的每一步，都旨在巩固这片古老土地上的和平与兄弟情谊。在此框架下，一个和平的土耳其，本质上意味着一个没有恐怖的地区。这一目标也已成为聚焦地区和平与福祉的愿景。"

委员会报告还讨论了联合项目问题。联合项目应将发展、教育、就业、地方经济、文化生活、社会支持机制、城市化与公共服务能力共建等领域中能够产生包容且可衡量成果的各项计划，统合于同一目标之下。

委员会强调，持久和平不仅需要安全措施，还需要民主参与、经济机会、社会包容与立足本地的发展行动。

委员会报告经土耳其大国民议会讨论通过后，随着报告所列法律与行政安排的落实，该地区有望开启一个新时代。人们普遍期待，这一进程不会像以往那样再度失败。

关于这项新安排，《氧气报》（Oksijen，2026年5月22—28日，第27版）的贝基尔·阿厄德尔（Bekir Ağırdır）援引民意调查指出，社会极化正逐渐从意识形态层面转向情感层面。"我们想要和平。但土耳其人理解的和平是一回事，库尔德人理解的和平是另一回事。对于和平所要求的东西，我们或许尚未准备好。过去是政治在说话，国家在说话，组织在说话，而社会说得不够。我们知道，任何未能社会化的政治工程都不会长久。"

因此，在这个新阶段，合作社既能在地方社区内部及社区之间促进和巩固持久的和平与兄弟情谊，更能帮助社会开始就解决之道展开讨论。

为什么需要合作社

合作社不只是经济企业，更是让不同社会群体基于共同利益走到一起的民主参与机制。正因如此，在冲突后社会重建信任、培育共同生产的文化、让和平在日常生活中制度化等方面，合作社可以发挥独特作用。

首先，在推进报告所述联合项目、营造兄弟情谊与和平氛围、创造就业、壮大地方经济等方面，合作社肩负重要责任。这些责任可包括——

1. 包容性的社员制度。 在该地区的合作社社员中，应首先确保"完全恪守平等这一合作社价值"，并在吸收社员时不加歧视地落实第一项合作社原则，即"向所有人开放的社员资格"。
2. 社会包容与平等。 合作社应本着"社会责任"意识，把迄今因各种原因遭受排斥的群体组织起来，让他们同样享有合作社服务，从而帮助全体公民，包括曾受歧视者，获得平等机会和充分参与。
3. 社群间合作与民主参与。 正如合作社定义所载，合作社管理层应尊重来自不同文化的社员的身份认同与文化传统，并保障他们保存自身文化的机会。
4. 妇女经济赋权。 众所周知，在该地区部分农村，妇女参与经济社会生活面临种种结构性障碍。合作社可以制定专门计划，增强妇女在生产、参与管理、创收和决策过程中的能力。
5. 青年就业与技能发展。 合作社应带头为青年创造新机会，尤其是在库尔德人聚居地区开展职业教育与技能培训。

从经验到机遇

SHIFT倡议虽未能付诸实施，但其立足的原则至今依然适用。凡是希望通过民主参与和共享经济机会重建信任的社会，都能从中获得启示。

这段经历提供了一次难得的机会，让人们得以探索合作社机构如何通过为对话、经济合作与社群互信搭建务实框架，直接服务于和平建设。尽管更大范围的和平进程最终停滞，这一倡议仍展示了合作社作为和平工具尚未开发的潜力。如果得以实现，土耳其的实践有望在这方面为世界提供范例。

如果合作社能够助力巩固土耳其的和平与民主参与，它们将再次证明，持久的和平不仅建立在政治协议之上，也建立在让人们共同劳动、共同生产、共同决策的制度之上。

---

侯赛因·波拉特曾任国际劳工组织（ILO）高级合作社发展专家，在日内瓦总部任职，并主持亚洲和中东地区的合作社发展项目。他参与起草了国际劳工组织第193号建议书《促进合作社建议书》，长期为各国政府和国际组织提供合作社政策与冲突后发展咨询，著有合作社与可持续发展方面的著作三十余部。

---

英文原文｜English Original

Building Peace through Cooperatives: Lessons from Palestine and Türkiye

Hüseyin Polat — UN/ILO Cooperative Development Specialist

In an era of growing conflict and polarization, cooperatives remain among the world's most overlooked institutions for peacebuilding. Drawing on a little-known initiative developed during the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and recent developments in Türkiye, this article argues that cooperatives can help build the social trust, economic inclusion, and democratic participation upon which lasting peace depends.

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) has announced the theme for the International Day of Cooperatives, to be celebrated on July 4, 2026: Cooperatives for a Peaceful World. This theme is also aligned with the theme of ICA's 2026 Global Conference, to be held in Panama on September 15: "Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions to a Peaceful World." The ICA explains the rationale for this year's theme in the following words:

"At a time when many parts of the world are experiencing conflict, social fragmentation, rising inequalities, economic insecurity, and declining trust, there is a growing need to build bridges and support approaches that strengthen harmony among societies and rebuild trust and restore social connections. This conference, to be held in Panama in September, will examine the contributions of cooperatives to peace by building bridges between people, communities, and ideas, and by creating inclusive spaces for participation."

Why Cooperatives?

Cooperatives are not merely socio-economic organizations; they are institutions of peace.

• Cooperatives create shared economic interests and mutual dependence among groups that might otherwise be divided.
• They promote democratic participation and decision-making.
• They reduce social exclusion by creating jobs and opportunities, especially for women and young people.
• They strengthen social cohesion and trust, which are essential foundations for sustainable peace.
• Peace is more than the absence of conflict; it also requires economic justice, inclusion, and local development—areas where cooperatives can make a significant contribution.
• Examples from different countries suggest that cooperatives can serve as practical mechanisms for reconciliation and community rebuilding after periods of tension or conflict.

Concern for Community: The Relationship between Cooperatives and Peace

According to the book prepared by the late Prof. Dr. Ian MacPherson, the renowned Canadian cooperative scholar who designed the "new" cooperative identity adopted at ICA's 1995 General Assembly, and the late Dr. Yehudah Paz, one of the pioneers of the Kibbutz movement in Israel and founder of NISPED, the cooperative model aimed to make a fundamental contribution to peacebuilding initiatives. These two cooperative scholars passed away in 2013. Having had the chance to meet and work on projects together with these two valuable individuals during my years at the ILO between 1990 and 2006 remains an unforgettable memory for me.

In this article, I would like to refer to a very important work on cooperatives and peace: Concern for Community: The Relationship between Cooperatives and Peace. This book captures the central argument of these two prominent cooperative scholars' belief that peacebuilding lies at the heart of the cooperative business model. Drawing from their decades of direct experience in the cooperative sector and their contributions to cooperative studies, the authors present their views on cooperatives and peace.

From examining historical records to the development of the 1995 Statement on Cooperative Identity, the authors demonstrate how peace has been a recurring theme in the life of the international cooperative movement. They explain that the cooperative movement has developed a set of values and practices based on concern for community, which naturally form a bridge towards building a fairer and more peaceful world. This is demonstrated through their examination of how cooperatives empower their members to address inequalities and social tensions in local communities, and how they can play a role in building intercommunal relations in war-torn regions.

Dr. Ian MacPherson says, "Peacebuilding does not happen on battlefields, but in communities. And cooperatives can make the greatest contribution in this context to building a more peaceful world."

Dr. Yehudah Paz also says, "Peacebuilding lies at the center of the growth of the cooperative movement, and cooperatives are important for neighbor-to-neighbor peacebuilding and conflict resolution within and among communities, regions, and nations."

Both cooperative scholars highlight that cooperatives create the habits of dialogue, democratic participation, mutual dependence, and shared responsibility that make peace sustainable.

An ILO Proposal to Support the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process through Cooperatives

First, I have to point out that the observations presented here are based on practical experience from the SHIFT project and may provide useful guidance for those designing and implementing cooperative development initiatives in fragile contexts.

At the end of 1999 and the beginning of the 2000s, I presented a paper at a seminar in Jerusalem organized by the ILO, attended by representatives of around twenty Palestinian and Israeli cooperatives, on developing cooperation between cooperatives in both countries. At this seminar, held at the Jerusalem Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Mark Levin, who participated with me as an ILO representative from Geneva, introduced me to Dr. Yehudah Paz, one of the pioneers of the Israeli Kibbutz movement and founder and director of NISPED (Negev Institute for Peace and Development), who also presented a paper. Dr. Paz was an Israeli scholar known for his persistent efforts over many years to establish peace between the two countries and was widely respected by Palestinians.

At the end of the seminar, it was proposed that an inter-cooperative cooperation project be prepared for cooperatives from both sides to contribute to the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks then ongoing in Oslo, and the ILO was asked to prepare this project draft. Because I had presented the background paper at the seminar, I was asked to prepare the draft project document for further discussion by the participants. We dispersed with the understanding that we would meet again to finalize the draft together after it had been prepared.

In conclusion, I can say that I helped design a cooperative-based peace initiative between Palestinian and Israeli cooperatives during the Oslo period.

SHIFT – Shaping the Future Together

When I came to Ankara from Geneva to use my annual leave, I devoted all my time to preparing the project document and completed the draft. About a month later, when we met again in Jerusalem, I presented the draft, and all the Palestinian and Israeli participants congratulated me for finding the project title especially appropriate. The project proposal essentially described how cooperatives, as grassroots organizations from both societies, could contribute to the ongoing peace negotiations. The main aim was for cooperatives to contribute to the peace process through joint training and job creation.

Very useful contributions were made at the meeting from both sides. Cooperatives from both communities wanted peace and believed cooperatives could play an important role in achieving and help sustain peace. Dr. Yehudah Paz explained the proposals of the Israeli cooperatives, while Ghazi Abu Daher, Director General of Cooperatives at the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, presented the proposals of the Palestinian cooperatives. Mounir Kleibo, head of the ILO Palestine/Jerusalem Office, was also present at the meeting.

By the end of the meeting, the SHIFT project document had generally taken the following shape:

• SHIFT would initially bring together cooperative managers from Palestine and Israel, explain the purpose of the project, and emphasize the importance of solidarity and joint action by cooperatives from both sides in the peace process;
• Cooperatives from both sides would prioritize creating employment opportunities for youth and women and organize joint training seminars;
• Managers of Palestinian and Israeli cooperatives would meet frequently to express support for the ongoing peace talks, develop joint strategies to contribute to sustaining peace, and inform politicians in their countries about their joint work;
• Priority would be given to developing inter-cooperative trade, and explore opportunities for joint production, processing and marketing would be addressed. Initially, plans would be made to "treat" olive trees that had previously been destroyed and establish a joint olive oil factory;
• Statements agreed upon at cooperative meetings and supporting the peace talks between the two societies would be read and distributed;
• Cooperatives from both sides would inform international organizations, especially ICA, the UN, and the ILO, about their joint work and seek support;
• A joint committee would be formed to inform the delegation conducting the Oslo peace talks about cooperative activities aimed at contributing to peace.

What a pity…

After this meeting in Jerusalem, work on the project document continued at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, and several more meetings were held with Dr. Paz. In the Cooperative Branch, particularly Mark Levin and Jürgen Schwettmann, together with me, who prepared the project, discussed how the project would be financed. As a result, it was decided that Mark Levin and Yehudah Paz would visit Scandinavian countries interested in the project and the peace talks to request support from their governments. The conclusion from these visits was that the outcome of the Oslo peace talks should be awaited before deciding on the project's financing.

Ultimately, the Oslo peace talks ended in failure, and the SHIFT project, in which Palestinian and Israeli cooperatives had placed great hopes, also fell through. It was a great pity, and the SHIFT initiative remained a tragic story of failure for those who contributed to its preparation and had high hopes for it.

Meanwhile, on October 31, 2023, the ICA issued a statement calling for peace, condemning attacks against civilians in Israel and Palestine, and launching a financial aid campaign for Palestinians. The Israeli government did not allow cooperation between the ICA-member Kibbutz movement in Israel and the Palestinian agricultural cooperative organizations. Nevertheless, the Kibbutz movement cooperated with international organizations in providing aid to Gaza.

One important lesson nevertheless emerges: when channels of dialogue, cooperation, and civil society engagement collapse, violence becomes more likely. The immense human suffering witnessed in Gaza over the past year stands as a tragic reminder of the consequences when political processes fail and the voices of civil society are marginalized.

I wonder: Would the trajectory of Israeli-Palestinian relations have evolved differently if cooperative institutions had been allowed to develop channels of sustained economic and social cooperation? While no one can know the answer, stronger grassroots cooperation might have helped create constituencies for peace capable of resisting cycles of violence.

What can cooperatives do to ensure the success of the "peace building" process in Türkiye?

The lessons drawn from the SHIFT initiative may also be relevant to Türkiye as it enters a new phase aimed at strengthening peace, democratic participation, and social cohesion. The current process offers an opportunity to explore how cooperatives can contribute to these objectives through locally driven economic and social initiatives.

The National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission officially began its work on August 5, 2025, following written invitations sent on July 25, 2025, to political parties represented in the Parliament. In one section of the introduction to the Commission Report, the situation is summarized as follows:

"The permanent resolution of the terrorism issue in Türkiye requires policies that are not limited solely to the security dimension, but are multidimensional, multifaceted, multilayered, and multilateral; it requires the simultaneous strengthening of political legitimacy, social acceptance, and democratic capacity…"

"Our Commission reflects the will to look at an issue that for decades has consumed our country's energy and been provoked by those trying to distance brother from brother, from a new perspective. Every step we take will aim to strengthen peace and brotherhood in this ancient geography. In this framework, a peaceful Türkiye essentially means a terror-free region. This goal has also emerged as a vision focused on the peace and well-being of the region."

The Commission Report also discusses joint projects. Joint projects should encompass linking programs that produce inclusive and measurable results in areas such as development, education, employment, local economy, cultural life, social support mechanisms, urbanization, and shared public service capacity to the same goal.

The Commission emphasizes that lasting peace requires not only security measures but also democratic participation, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and locally driven development initiatives.

After the Commission Report is discussed and adopted in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, it is expected that a new era will begin in the region with the implementation of the legal and administrative arrangements mentioned in the report. There is widespread hope that this process will not fail as previous ones did.

Regarding this new arrangement, Bekir Ağırdır from the Oksijen Newspaper (22-28 May 2026, p. 27) referring to public opinion surveys, observes that polarization is gradually becoming emotional rather than ideological. "We want peace. But Turks understand one thing by peace, Kurds understand another. Perhaps we are not yet ready for what peace requires. In the past, politics spoke, the state spoke, and the organization spoke. But society did not speak enough. We know that no political project that fails to become socialized can be long-lasting."

Therefore, in this new era, cooperatives can contribute to creating and strengthening lasting peace and brotherhood both within local communities and between communities, and moreover, help society begin talking about solutions.

Why cooperatives are needed?

Cooperatives are not merely economic enterprises; they are democratic participation mechanisms that enable different social groups to come together on the basis of common interests. For this reason, they can have a unique role in rebuilding trust in post-conflict societies, developing a culture of joint production, and institutionalizing peace in everyday life.

First of all, cooperatives have major responsibilities in developing the joint projects mentioned in the report, ensuring an atmosphere of brotherhood and peace, creating employment, and strengthening the local economy. These responsibilities may include:

1. Inclusive membership. First, among cooperative members in the region, "full adherence to the cooperative value of equality," one of the cooperative values, should be ensured, and the first cooperative principle, "open membership for all," should be applied without discrimination in member admissions.
2. Social inclusion and equality. Second, cooperatives should act with a sense of "social responsibility," organizing groups that have been excluded and ensuring they also benefit from cooperative services, in order to contribute to help ensure equal opportunities and full participation for all citizens including those subjected to discrimination for various reasons until now.
3. Inter-community cooperation and democratic participation. As included in the definition of cooperatives, cooperative management should respect the identities and cultural traditions of members coming from different cultures and ensure they are given opportunities to preserve their cultures.
4. Empowering women economically. It is known that in some rural areas of the region, women face various structural barriers to participating in economic and social life. Cooperatives can develop special programs aimed at strengthening women in production, participation in management, income generation, and decision-making processes.
5. Youth employment and skills development. Cooperatives should lead efforts to create new opportunities, especially in vocational education and skill development, for young people, particularly in predominantly Kurdish regions.

From Experience to Opportunity

Although the SHIFT initiative was never implemented, the principles on which it was built remain highly relevant wherever societies seek to rebuild trust through democratic participation and shared economic opportunity.

This experience provided a rare opportunity to explore how cooperative institutions might contribute directly to peacebuilding by creating practical frameworks for dialogue, economic cooperation, and mutual trust between communities. Although the broader peace process ultimately stalled, the initiative demonstrated the untapped potential of cooperatives as instruments of peace. If realized, the Turkish experience has the potential to provide an international example in this respect.

If cooperatives can help strengthen peace and democratic participation in Türkiye, they may once again demonstrate that lasting peace is built not only through political agreements but also through institutions that enable people to work, produce, and decide together.

Hüseyin Polat is a former senior cooperative development specialist with the International Labour Organization (ILO), where he served at headquarters in Geneva and managed cooperative development programs across Asia and the Middle East. He contributed to the drafting of ILO Recommendation No. 193 on the Promotion of Cooperatives and has advised governments and international organizations on cooperative policy and post-conflict development. He is the author of more than 30 books on cooperatives and sustainable development.