The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) and its partners has launched the new International Co-operative Registry (ICR), a new on-line database of researchers and co-operative publications. Its purpose is to help researchers and others learn what research is being done on co-operatives around the world and to provide a forum for discussion. It will be an essential component in the further development of co-operative studies as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry.

BCICS was founded in January 2000 and is based at the University of Victoria. Its Founder-Director Dr Ian MacPherson, who visited Australia in 1995, has kept in touch with ACCORD. The aim of the Institute's research is to understand how the co-operative model functions within different contexts and how it contributes to meeting economic and social needs. Application of the co-operative model to empower people and communities in controlling the forces that shape their lives, is the Institute's ultimate objective.

In an effort to build a rich resource base designed to facilitate and enhance a comprehensive understanding of co-operative models used worldwide. The Institute developed the concept of the ICR as a co-operative venture between BCICS and its partners, including:

• Australian Centre for Co-operative Research and Development (ACCORD)
• Center for Co-operatives, University of Wisconsin (Madison): An educational organisation established in 1962 to study and promote domestic and international co-operative action.
• International Co-operative Alliance (Geneva): An international non-governmental organisation that unites, represents and serves co- operatives worldwide.
• Consumers' Co-operative Institute of Japan (CCIJ): Established in 1989, the CCIJ is a think tank for the consumer co-op movement in Japan. It aims to research changing lifestyles, co-operative organisations and management, and the positioning of co-ops in the community and in civil society.
• United Kingdom Society for Co-operative Studies: The Society, an independent voluntary organisation, registered as a charity, is based in the United Kingdom. It's membership comprise co-operative members, employees, managers, specialist practitioners, academics and others who share an interest in the UK and world co-operative movement.

The website of ICR is located at http://web.uvic.ca/bcics/registry.

Co-operative researchers and practitioners are invited to register their research publications to the database and take part in a discussion forum. Further details about the registry can be obtained from Chris Pritchard, Webmaster, BC Institute for Co-operative Studies at e-mail: rochdale@uvic.ca.