Update: Press releases are posted up at the bottom of the page. I have also corrected a minor typo error: I had typed SNOF instead of SNCF in the last paragraph.

My friend, Amanda currently works in Singapore National Co-operative Federation. She managed to get me in for the press conference for the release of the new stamps by SNOC. Little did she know that I have some stamp books sitting somewhere in storage at home (My room has just gone through a makeover and almost all my stuff got shifted). It was pretty much interesting experience as it was the first formal press release I attended.

The purpose of the stamp release is to mark the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) 2012 with a series of day-long celebratory events on 9 June – starting with the launch that day, of five Limited Edition stamps to mark 86 yers of co-operatives in Singapore.

The first-of-its-kind stamp series will be launched by President Tony Tan at the Marina Barrage where the IYC 2012 will be celebrated by 15,000 members of the co-operative movement, their families and the public, at a large-scale event, ‘Cop-opalicouz’.

Singaporeans have been benefiting from the Co-operative Movement ever since Singapore’s first co-operative, the Singapore Government  Servants’ Co-operative Thrift and Loan Society (currently known as The Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-operative Society) in 1925. Co-operatives, such as NTUC’s Fairprice, have been moderating the prices of goods and services, providing loans and credit lines for Singaporeans at affordable prices and rates. In Singapore, more than 1 in 3 Singaporeans are members of co-operatives, benefiting in forms of rebates and/or dividends.

The stamps were released on 31 May 2012. However there is a second day when the public are able to purchase First Day Covers as well, 9th June 2012 during its official launch event at the Marina Barrage.

Stamps are not the only way that SNCF is raising awareness on the Co-operative Movement. Attendees of Co-opaliciouz will come together for a  mass reading of one of the Co-operative Children’s Book by Emily Lim, encouraging Singapore’s young to develop the character building value of co-operation. The children books will have post reading activities for the children to work on and the questions within the books will get both parents and children to come together and explore the spirit of co-operation while raising awareness of co-operatives.

Press Release:
Press_Release_Commemorative_Stamps_Series_310512
IYC – Media Release for Coopaliciouz

From Singapore Marks UN International Year of Co-operatives With Limit, posted by on 6/04/2012 (5 items)