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International Co-operative Day The first Saturday in July In 1921, at the International Co-operative Congress of World Co-op Leaders wanted to identify and define the growing co-operative movements common values and ideals to help unite co-ops around the world. They decided to hold a special event to celebrate the movements growing diversity. In Essen, Germany in 1922, ICA leaders made plans for the very first international Co-operators Day which was held in July 1923. Since then, on the first Saturday every July, International Co-operative Day has been celebrated. The day is a chance for co-op members and supporters to work together and promote the co-op movements successes and ideals of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace. To celebrate the Centennialof the International Co-operative Alliance, the United Nations declared in 1995 that the first Saturday of July to be celebrated as the United Nations International Day of Co-operatives and requested all member governments to join with their co-operative movements to celebrate the day. Over several years various national movements were trying to register the Rainbow Flag as a trade mark, seeking ICA help in finding out arguments to prove that the flag is a distinctivesymbol, reserved to the co-op movement. For us, co-operators it is, but in fact, it has never been registered as the ICA symbol. | 
