Paraguay Internship in Minnesota

Maria del Carmen Gonzalez and Edgar Alejandro Viveros have just completed a two week internship on credit union IT operations. Maria and Alejandro work at Cooperativa Universitaria in Asuncion, Paraguay.

World Council of Credit Unions thanks Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, Postal Credit Union, SouthPoint Federal Credit Union and Twin City Co-ops Federal Credit Union for participating in the exchange program. Each credit union hosted one of the Paraguayans for a week. Additionally, employees from each credit union served as temporary host families exposing the interns to the daily American life.

Mr. Viveros and Ms. Gonzalez had the opportunity to work closely with credit union staff on a daily basis during their stay. The internship served as an opportunity not only for professional development, but also as an important cultural exchange between Paraguay and Minnesota.

Press release here
More pictures here

Branding brings together Bahamas and Massachusetts

Less than a year after officially signing the WOCCU International Partnership agreement, the Massachusetts Credit Union League and the Bahamas Cooperative League have already been successful at sharing branding, awareness and marketing materials in an effort to raise Credit Union profile in the Bahamas.

Representatives from both the Bahamas and Massachusetts have worked diligently to ensure the success of the partnership. Most recently, the Massachusetts Credit Union League hosted Francis Davis and Bruce Delancey, representatives of the Bahamas Cooperative League.

During their time in the U.S., Mr. Davis and Mr. Delancey were able to visit Boston Firefighters Credit Union and Harvard University Employees Credit Union. They gained valuable insight into credit union operations in Massachusetts, which they will be able to share with credit unions in the Bahamas, further promoting the goals of the partnership program.

In the photo, the Bahamian visitors chat with Marilyn Gambardella and Michelle Martin of Harvard University Employees Credit Union.

Press release here

Segovia Boltes addresses Minnesota Credit Union Network's 2006 Annual Meeting

Special guests from the Paraguayan credit union organization Central de Cooperativas del Area Nacional Ltda. (CENCOPAN) attended the Minnesota Credit Union Network’s 2006 Annual Meeting April 7-8 and were featured speakers at the business meeting. Dr. Modesto Segovia Boltes, Board President of CENCOPAN, spoke to attendees to increase awareness of the partnership that exists between CENCOPAN and MnCUN.


The two credit union trade associations began their relationship in 2004 through the World Council of Credit Union’s (WOCCU’s) International Partnership Program. The relationship was formed to exchange knowledge, information and experiences to benefit the credit union Movement in both countries. Technology and legislative/regulatory advocacy were identified as the major concentrations of the partnership.

In the pictures, the Paraguayan delegation visits the new offices of the Minnesota Credit Union Network.

Panama and Iowa sign partnership agreement

Pat Jury and Pat Drennen representing the Iowa Credit Union League along with Magda Arauz and Jacinto Villarreal from COFEP, Panama kick off a week of intense activity by signing the international credit union partnership agreement.

Read press release here
View pictures here

Rural Credit Union Development in Bolivia. Ohio partnership work in Bolivia.

In a recent trip to Bolivia, WOCCU Public Affairs Manager Molly Schar documented the development of a national shared branching network assisted by the Ohio-Bolivia partnership and talked with credit union staff, volunteers and members about the importance of the network to rural Bolivians.

Related press release here.