You cannot be developed; you can only develop. This is a saying heard many times in the context of Business Brigades, but what does it look like from the community’s perspective? Through knowledge exchange, personal development and growth can become a reality.
Savings accounts, capitalization, persona juridica, and leadership were the topics of discussion at the first Business Brigades Regional Cooperative conference held in Guacuco in our focus region of eastern Panama. On April 28th, more than 30 community leaders from four Business Brigade came together with the Business Brigades team to discuss, share stories, and 
engage in an open forum on all things “cooperative”. Cooperatives Campesinos Unidos al Progresso, Jehova- Jehri, and Raices de Mi Tierra, from the communities of Tortí Abajo, Guacuco Guna, and Platanilla, respectively participated in the conference. Members from the community of Piriati Embera also attended to learn from the other up-and-running co-ops.
Elicia Cano, Business Brigades Technician, facilitated the discussion and knowledge exchange. She kicked off the conference by welcoming everyone with an icebreaker asking participants to introduce themselves. In the morning the group discussion focused on the official legalization process of IPACOOP (cooperative oversight agency in Panama), along with the roles and responsibilities of board members and committees. Challenges and success stories were shared throughout the day. Greg Clark, Business Brigade Program Lead, was on hand to answer questions about book keeping and accounting processes.
After lunch and a coffee break, a representative from each cooperative explained the loan and savings products 
offered by his/her community co-op. No one cooperative offers the same products and it was a learning experience for all! Jehova-Jehri and Campesinos Unidos al Progresso compared their different loan application and guaranty (collateral) processes. The comparison of models allowed for each cooperative to analyze its fellow cooperatives; understanding that there is not just one road to economic development.
The icing on top of the cake came at the end of the afternoon when Greg presented Señor Demetrio, the president of Campesinos Unidos al Progresso, with a $2,000 CIF disbursement check. These funds are investments from Texas A&M, Columbia, Indiana University, and Santa Clara University Business Brigade volunteers. The funds will be used as general seed capitalization to back business investment loans – generating more economic opportunities for the under-resources communities of the region.
The power to learn from one another is immense and we are hoping to host a knowledge exchange like this one at least bi-annually in the future! It is through this knowledge exchange and joint effort that mutual benefits and sustainable economic development solutions can be attained. If not for Brigade volunteers coming to Panama with a passion for international development these communities would still not have access to basic financial resources – a conference of this nature would never have existed. Thank you to all past, present and future Business Brigade volunteers!
By: Maggie Filipow, Business Brigades Program Advisor
