Marco's Reflections on Maleny and the Co-op
by Alan Harrington

The Co-op has now established an annual association with several Japanese academic institutions that are trying to develop alternative economic models for their own communities. One of these models is the "co-operative" model, and to that end we and other co-ops in Maleny have been privileged to have some young people work for us for two weeks at a time to help come to an understanding of how everything works.

In August, members would have noticed the very personable Makoto "Marco" Ishii on the counter, where he proved to be a real bonus in our operations. The arrangement is with Aichi Gakuin University near Nagoya, overseen by Professor Hironari Ukai to whom we are very grateful.

Before Marco returned to Japan, he penned us a long letter and here is a summary of his thoughts:

"Thank you for supporting me for a month. I have had wonderful experiences and was able to meet kind and nice people in Maleny. If I came here as a tourist, I would never have had a chance like that. I'll never forget this opportunity.

"When I came here, I was nervous because I was afraid to talk in English, even though I'd studied it for six years in Japan. However, I was blessed with nice people and could enjoy my stay. I think that the top characteristic of Maleny is communities. I think that everyone has a warm heart and loves their own town.

"I worked as a cashier at the Co-op and came into contact with a lot of people. All the staff were so kind; even if I made mistakes, they never got angry. They taught me so much. A lot of customers smiled and made me happy. People in Maleny are more friendly than the Japanese. In Japan, I haven't spoken to my neighbours much, but people in Maleny make a lot of communication with each other and know many things about others. It's wonderful. I’m very envious of this community. I want to make a community like Maleny in my town.

"When I go back to Japan, I'll study hard," Marco affirmed. "And next year I hope to come back here. Someday I want to live in Maleny and join in this community. This is my dream. I love Maleny!"

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", October/November 2006; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]