ACCU shares a meaningful message on the 2025 International Day of Cooperatives: Lead with heart, serve with purpose

On the occasion of the International Day of Cooperatives (July 5, 2025), especially in the year designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Cooperatives, Ms. Elenita V. San Roque – Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU) – shared an inspiring message with all member organizations and credit union networks across the region.

Ms. Elenita emphasized that this is not just a day of celebration but a moment to reflect on the core mission of the credit cooperative movement: to improve members’ quality of life, promote sustainable development, and reinforce the role of the community. “The growth of credit unions doesn’t come from luck but from the vision and heart of leaders,” she stated.

According to her, the most important quality for credit union leaders is to serve their members with wholehearted commitment, not for recognition or fame, but for the people they serve. In the face of major global challenges such as geopolitical instability and climate change, credit unions must continue to do what is right: putting members before profits, and compassion before ego.

Ms. Elenita V. San Roque – CEO of ACCU shares messages on the International Day of Cooperatives

On this International Day of Cooperatives, Ms. Elenita V. San Roque – CEO of ACCU – issued six calls to action for ACCU members and credit unions’s leadership:

1. Serve members with heart: Reaffirm the commitment to serve in the interest of members, acting with compassion, understanding, and social responsibility.
2. Design inclusive financial solutions: Expand financial access for vulnerable groups, promote financial literacy, and build long-term stability for communities.
3. Lead for climate & community: Support member-led initiatives in clean energy, sustainable housing, and climate adaptation, especially for the most vulnerable.
4. Cultivate youth leadership: Encourage active youth participation in governance, fostering leaders with ideals, courage, and long-term vision.
5.  Democratize ownership: Enhance transparent and participatory governance so that every member has a voice and a role in shaping the credit unions’s future.
6. Align with Global change: Integrate sustainable impact into daily operations and amplify member voices in international cooperative forums.

Concluding her message, Ms. Elenita V. San Roque affirmed: The International Day of Cooperatives is not just a celebration, it is a declaration of our shared mission. It is a journey of leading with empathy, governing with understanding, and always putting members first. “We don’t build better lives from balance sheets alone. We build them through every act of care, every member we uplift, and every leader who dares to serve with heart,” she emphasized.

Leaders of Co-opBank attend the 43rd ACCU Annual General Meeting in Indonesia.

Reporter