Lech Walesa kicked off the World Credit Union Conference bycalling on attendees to help “achieve the revolution.”

The former president of Poland who led the Solidarity movementthat helped bring down the Soviet empire spoke as the week-longconference got under way Sunday at the Polish Baltic PhilharmonicHall.

“In order to lead the world into the 21st century, we need toreach for values,” Walesa told the capacity crowd. “There is greatservice that you can provide in helping us achieve this revolution,and you have already started it by joining us this year inGdask.”

The World Council of Credit Unions conference is co-hosted bythe National Association of Co-operative Savings and Credit Unions,Poland's credit union trade group.

“Twenty years ago, six young men dedicated themselves toreviving the Polish credit union movement from nothing,” said WorldCouncil First Vice Chair Grzegorz Bierecki, NACSCU president andCEO, also told the opening day gathering. “This year's conferencegives us the opportunity to thank so many of you for the help youhave given to our credit unions. It is proof that solidarity willprevail.”

The conference drew 1,400 attendees from 50 countries and runsthrough Thursday, the World Council said.

Meanwhile, the World Council said it has joined with theParaguayan government to create a new legal framework forcooperatives in Paraguay.

The Inter-American Development Bank will provide funding toWorld Council, which will be working with the Instituto Nacional deCooperativismo, Paraguay's regulator for cooperatives, the councilsaid.

In its review, the council said, it will be examining Paraguay'spast legal structure for cooperatives which was established in1994. The council noted that it will draw upon two of its priorpublications to help formulate the legislative proposal: ModelLaw for Credit Unions and Guide to International CreditUnion Legislation.

The desire for change in Paraguay's cooperative law wasinstigated by advocacy efforts made by the Paraguayan credit unionassociation and World Council member, Central de Cooperativas del Área Nacional Ltda. (CENCOPAN), thecouncil said.

It added that the initiative was further supported by theMinnesota Credit Union Network through the World Council'sInternational Partnerships Program.

“Paraguay's credit unions have experienced impressive growth interms of assets and operations in recent years,” said Brian Branch,World Council president/CEO. “CENCOPAN, with support from theMinnesota Credit Union Network, has been at the forefront makingsure the credit unions' socioeconomic impact in the country isunderstood and supported. Those efforts have laid the foundationfor this initiative.”

The project is expected to be completed this year, the councilsaid.

Paraguay has 47 credit unions with $718.6 million assets,according to the World Council's 2011 Statistical Report.