2015 Rochdale Pioneers Award goes to Dame Pauline Green

The 2015 Rochdale Pioneers Award has been awarded to Dame Pauline Green in a ceremony before co-operators from around the world, who convened in Antalya, Turkey, for the Alliance’s 2015 Global Conference and General Assembly. The International Co-operative Alliance’s Rochdale Pioneers Award is the highest honour that the Alliance bestows. The purpose of the Award is to recognise, in the spirit of the contribution ofthe Rochdale Pioneers, an individual who has contributed to innovative and financially sustainable co-operative activities that have significantly benefited co-operative members. Dame Pauline Green has been a committed co-operator from her time as a local leader in the Woodcraft Folk. She was Assistant Parliamentary Secretary of the Co-operative Union from 1984 to 1989; Co-operative Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 2000; President of the Co-operative Congress 1997; a member of the Co-operative Commission in 2000; and ChiefExecutive of Co-operatives UK, from 2000 to the end of 2009. In 2003 Pauline Green was appointed as a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the Co-operative Movement and to the development of the European Union.  In 2009 Dame Pauline became the first woman to serve as President of the International Co-operative Alliance in its then 114-year history. Elected on an agenda of change, she reoriented the Alliance to focus on three key elements: offer the opportunity for business synergies for co-operatives around the world; enhance representation in global institutions; and develop a centre of excellence for global co-operative knowledge and information. Capitalizing on the momentum of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives in 2012, Dame Pauline's leadership saw the launch of the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade. Approved by co-operators in over 100 countries, the Blueprint establishes the strategic goals for the co-operative movement towards 2020.  Pauline Green lives near London in the United Kingdom and is a mother of two. Photo: Dame Pauline receives the award from Stanley Muchiri, Vice-President of the Alliance.