SANASA Movement celebrates Int’l Co-operative Day under patronage of founder Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya

Saturday, 21 August 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SANASA founder Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya

The Co-operative Movement, one of the world’s leading social welfare organisations, celebrated its 99th anniversary on 3 July. Coinciding with the event SANASA Societies, SANASA Life Insurance, SANASA General Insurance, SANASA Development Bank and other institutions belonging to the SANASA group marked the occasion.

This year’s International Co-operative Day was held under the theme ‘Rebuild Better Together.’ Today 112 countries are members of the International Cooperative Alliance. The co-operative movement was started primarily with the aim of uplifting farmers and workers who were oppressed by the social and economic changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. In 1923 a declaration was made to celebrate International Co-operative Day for the first time. Accordingly, the first Saturday in July of each year was designated as International Co-operative Day.

The SANASA movement was launched in Sri Lanka under the leadership of Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya and has a membership of nearly three million. It operates at primary, district, national and international levels. Its key functions at the primary level are to promote thriftiness among the members, to provide financial resources for economic growth, and to provide education to its members.

“The co-operative movement was created at a time of global crisis. Therefore, the co-operative movement has always functioned as a strong enterprise capable of making a significant impact in the most critical of situations. We are ready to provide the necessary guidance to solve the problems caused by the current Covid crisis and ensure the success of our people,” SANASA founder Dr. P.A. Kiriwandeniya said on the occasion.