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Is it possible to build a giant cooperatives or cooperative-owned conglomerate? This question is, can mean "the possibility of building a giant cooperative that (only) is owned / member conglomerate", but can also mean "the possibility to build a giant cooperative" and / or "the possibility to build a cooperative owned / member conglomerates", in 2 sense separately. To be able to understand about the various possibilities that we need to understand one of the universally accepted cooperative principles.

One of the principles of cooperatives according to Law No. 25/1992 regarding cooperatives are "voluntary and open membership." This principle is similar with the first principle of ICA Cooperative Identity (ICIS = 1CA Cooperative Identity Statement) in 1995 which states "voluntary and open membership" (Voluntary and open membership) with the explanation: "Cooperatives are voluntary associations / open to all who are able to use association services and are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership / without gender, social, racial, political or religious. "

People can not be forced into cooperatives, but the will of its own (voluntary). In addition there is a need that is felt (felt needs) in general terms of the economy (but also in terms of social / cultural), who are members expected to learn and understand the values ​​and principles of cooperatives, so that when a member can be involved in full, whether as owners, financiers, service users or supervisors. In addition, cooperative membership is also open to anyone and can utilize the services of cooperatives, and on the other hand those who become members must also be willing to accept responsibility, as owner, among others, participate in decision making and overseeing its implementation, providing capital and using services -services cooperatives. Thus anyone who is willing to use the services of the cooperative and has fulfilled its obligations should not be denied membership, on the grounds of religion, social, racial or political.

With the provisions / principles of the membership is not a problem that the cooperative had become the property tycoon, in the sense that co-founded / consisting of conglomerates, and then a giant one, as long as their activities remain in the "corridor''Cooperative, which among other states: i) Only cooperative that aims to serve the needs of its members and made great efforts to prove / implement the objectives was
called, is a cooperative that is in the corridor of the cooperative. ii) The relationship of business / customer transactions with non-members can only be accepted, if the transaction is a business side and its main purpose, namely to serve members, as well as to attract new members. In this connection the cooperative goal is to make customers are not a member become a member (Munkner/2001).

Although the principle of "voluntary and open membership" is open to conglomerates to set up a cooperative, but there are some records that need attention: i) In principle it is open whether the conglomerate is also willing to accept members of the group rather than a conglomerate? ii) If willing, if the conglomerate also willing if their rights are not equated with conglomerates. For example, the voting rights of "one member one vote" as a reflection of "democratic supervision"?

Yet more than just a reason related normative principle of "voluntary and open membership", which allows the conglomerate to form cooperatives, need to be questioned more substantive reasons, about their motivation for cooperatives. In general, people latarbelakangi by the limitations of cooperatives in its access to sources of economic / financial, which are difficult to overcome alone, so need an organization that unites the power of small / weak to be able to overcome the obstacles: What to obtain sources of capital, obtain raw materials for production processes, or market their products. Even the motivation of members of cooperatives are not only limited to ekonorni, but also thrive on political motivation. With a membership large enough to affect the cooperative (as a pressure group) government policies, even the world organization, as indicated members of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and South Korea. So what motivated the conglomerate set up a cooperative, while they already have everything: access to capital sources, marketing (not at the national and international) technology, even to the centers of policy / political state.

Cooperative For Giant Company
About the cooperative can develop into a giant company, the answer is clear: it is possible. In October 2007, in his General Assembly in Singapore, ICA has launched its list of 300 world-class cooperative (Global 300 List, 2007) which contains 300 giant cooperatives, the business volume (turnover) of IDR 654 million and with assets of IDR 467 million to turn over IDR 63 449 million and assets of IDR 18 357 million (Zen Noh). Cooperatives that included a list of 300 cooperatives are generally cooperative world-class national level that operates internationally, some of whom are older than a century. However, their main target was fixed at the individual service member. Go-300 cooperatives comprising various types: financial services (banking, insurance, credit union) as much as 40%, agriculture (33%), retail / wholesale (25%) and the rest of the cooperative health care, energy, manufacturing, media and so on. Some of them are, even the giant company's list of world-class version of Forbes or Fortune with pemsahaan multi-national companies, among others, cooperative bank Credit Agricole (France) and Rabobank (Netherlands), Land O'lake (dairy cooperative, United States) .

At the level of developing countries, in equal opportunities in Singapore, the ICA also launched a large list of cooperatives in developing countries, (Developing 300 Project) with the size of the business volume of IDR 512,000 and assets of  IDR 399,000 to USD 504.681 million in business volume and asset amounted to IDR 222,893,000. In this list each developing country in Asia, Africa and Latin America donated five large cooperatives. Unfortunately, co-operatives from Indonesia do not have a go, but if viewed from the volume of business and its assets, there are some decent cooperatives included in this list. Such Pekalongan Services Cooperative, its business volume reached IDR 5 trillion and assets of Rp 1.25 trillion, which equates to IDR 500,000,000 and IDR 125,000, so it can go 3 great. In addition, there are still some cooperatives, such as: Cooperative Citizens Semen Gresik (IDR 970.472 billion). Cooperative Nusantara (IDR 926.847 billion), Cooperative Indosat (IDR 647,207,000,000). (PIP Magazine July 2009)

In this outstanding group of cooperatives, credit cooperatives have also become examples of cooperation that is developed correctly, initiated since 1969/1970 have to be a social economic force that is large enough. Kopdit now has spread across Indonesia with the structure of 3 levels: primary Kopdit (950), Puskopdit (30) and Inkopdit at the national level. Total members 183,227 people, the cumulative volume of business which only serve these members, in 2008 reached Rp 4.6 trillion and assets of Rp 5.6 trillion.

Thus the question: whether the cooperative could become a giant company, the above description has been answered. The problem is, how big cooperatives / giant is still in the "corridor cooperative" in the sense remains grounded in values ​​and principles that make the members as its main strength (member based organization), as subject as well as its service object.

Cooperatives large / giants such as agricultural cooperatives in South Korea or Japan, dairy cooperatives in Denmark, U.S. or New Zealand, consumers' cooperatives in the UK, Sweden or Singapore, cooperative financial services in France or Holland, or worker cooperatives in Spain, built in time tens of years, even some that have been a century, so it is not instant. Cooperatives are built by farmers, laborers, workers, traders, consumers, etc., is really from the bottom, supported by management and modern technology. After becoming too large cooperatives will still be theirs.

Similarly, large cooperatives in Indonesia such as Kospin Services, Credit Cooperatives, Cooperative Citizens Semen Gresik, Cooperative Nusantara, Cooperative Indosat, Kodanua and so on, they remain the property of members, there are small traders / medium enterprises, employees, civil servants, street hawkers and forth. With this background, to the question: "Is it possible to build a giant cooperative owned / members consisting of conglomerates?", I tend to give an answer: difficult to imagine cooperatives that rely on large capital-owned conglomerate, will be able to be cooperative a big, strong and healthy, in meaning still remains grounded in the values ​​and principles.

Whatever their good intentions to get involved in cooperative development, which means come leveling of development, create jobs, reduce poverty and create a democratic civil society, we deserve respect, all still follow the applicable provisions in the cooperative society.
(By Djabaruddin Djohan, Practitioner Cooperative)