OTTAWA, Canada—When Poland’s Grzegorz Bierecki accepted the chain necklace that is customarily worn by the chairman of the World Council of Credit Unions, it was symbolic in a way never before seen when a new WOCCU chairman took office.
In the 1980s Bierecki was imprisoned by Poland’s then communist government while he was a member of that country’s Solidarity movement.
“I did not know this would be so light,” said Bierecki as the WOCCU chains were placed around his neck by outgoing WOCCU Chair Manuel Rabines of Peru during the group’s World CU Conference here. “I did my time in chains. And it was a long time ago I also chained myself to credit unions.”
In a steady but passionate remarks delivered in English, Beirecki said he did not begin in credit unions in management or accounting or technology. “I began with the most important question: the question of purpose of credit unions,” he said. “That purpose is worth all our efforts and all our hearts. It is the only way to achieve results.”
Beirecki reminded those on hand that credit union people are a “special” kind of people who do not “turn a deaf ear to calls for help from distant corners of the world. These are people who do not ask themselves why they should help someone far away when there is so much poverty in their own country. They are moved by every cry for help. I am happy this conference brought together almost 2,500 of these people. People from rich countries, who came here to make sure they did not lose the things money cannot buy. People from less wealthy countries, who know that we are never so poor that we cannot afford to help another member.”
Bierecki said WOCCU’s most important role is to develop guidelines for best practices in credit unions and in government regulations.
“We must find a way to use the credit union funds to development of credit unions in a profitable manner,” said Bierecki. “We will accomplish so much more if we do not rely solely on donations. After all, we are not for charity. Investing in other credit unions is a tool we have been hesitant to use. We can fight poverty, despair and usury.”
