협동조합의 지역사회 참여 강화 : 아이쿱생협의 공정무역마을 코디네이터 액션러닝 사례

This study analyzes the learning experiences and achievements of participants in action learning designed to expand the Fair Trade Towns movement. Participants are members of a consumer cooperative. Since the early 2000s, Korean consumer cooperatives began supplying Fair Trade products to their members, and have been continuously conducting education and campaigns to spread Fair Trade awareness. However, recognizing that Fair Trade towns cannot be created through these Fair Trade activities, iCOOP consumer cooperative and Consumer Climate Action opened an action learning course to train Fair Trade Towns coordinators for its members. This study applied the action research method to learners who participated in 2019. First, the participants learned the method of action learning through the process of writing and discussion, and gained confidence. Second, they recognized that the effects of collaboration were understood through team learning, and that group competency was improved in this process. Third, through the process of planning and implementing activities to create Fair Trade Towns, they recognized themselves as the subjects of creating Fair Trade Towns. Fourth, even after completing action learning, the learners are making achievements through network formation. 13 of the 19 participants fully or partially achieved their own plans and four of the six who did not achieve them made other achievements related to the Fair Trade Towns. This study aims to contribute to diversifying cooperative education methods. This study implies that in order for citizens to lead changes in their community with a specific purpose, personal development must take precedence, and that action learning methods can be useful.