Youth and Co-operatives

ICA and Youth

ICA's engagement with youth is long-standing. Resolutions on ICA's commitment to youth participation in the Co-operative Movement were passed; conferences and seminars at the global, regional and national levels have been held; an ICA Youth Network was formed and is currently supported by the ICA; and the ICA Board co-opted its first youth representative to the ICA Board in 2003 to participate fully in the discussions and decisions of the Board.

At the General Assembly in Singapore in 2007 Teo Say Hong became the new Global Youth Representative on the ICA Board. "When we say 'youth are the future' it needs to be more than mere rhetoric. We must provide a structure and a framework to ensure the next generation of young people come through and there is no loss of momentum," said Teo in an interview for the ICA Digest. Teo puts succession planning at the top of his agenda for his two year term on the ICA Board. He is also looking forward to joining discussion on all aspects of ICA activity as a board member.

ICA Digest 53 December 2006 interview with the previous Youth Representative to the ICA Board, Juan Carlos Mejía Cuartas

The ICA Youth Network

help young co-operators from different countries to connect, share experiences and ideas;

provide an environment where young co-operators can learn more about the wider co-operative movement;

involve young people from outside the movement through education and support;

empower young co-operators to engage with the rest of the movement to both raise the profile of youth issues and to ensure the youth perspective is presented during wider discussions.

www.ica.coop/ga2007/youth.html

Highlights of ICA's Activities on Youth and Co-operatives at the Global Level

ICA has periodically organised youth conference to bring together young co-operators. A number of the participants of these conferences are today co-operative leaders and members of senior management in co-operatives around the world.

2004 ICA presentation to the Tripartite Meeting on Youth Employment: The Way Forward: "... Young people see the co-operative way as the best way to fulfil their dreams..." (pdf)

2003 "Through Co-operation, Another World is Possible", Youth Conference, Oslo (Norway)

"Young as we may seem we are not the future. We are the present." was the message of the 80 young people from 15 countries. Their statement to the ICA General Assembly underlined that youth is passionate about Co-operation. The ability of co-operatives to tackle issues on poverty by promoting fair and ethical trade; globalisation by making it work in the positive to result in global co-operation; and unemployment by creating and maintaining jobs. They also outlined what they needed to ensure young co-operators can actively address these issues. The ICA Youth Network was established during this conference. The ICA Board following their presentation decided to co-opt a youth representative to the ICA Board to give young co-operators a voice in ICA decision-making body. See full statement > > >;

2001 "Enhancing the Co-operative Movement through Youth Commitment", Youth Seminar, Seoul (Korea)

1995 "Youth and Co-operation - The Present and the Future", Youth Seminar, Manchester (UK)

"Youth are not co-operators of the future, we are the co-operators of the present" was the message of the 60 young people attending the Youth Seminar. See full statement > > >

1985 "Participation-Development-Peace: Youth and the Co-operative Idea in a Changing World", World Conference of Youth Co-operators (4th Youth Conference), Warsaw (Poland)

Fifty-eight young co-operators from 20 countries and representatives from three international organisations attended the Conference. Their statement underlined that youth participation in decision-making and management was key to establishing a new just economic order; that the co-operative approach is one of the most effective answers to the problems faced by youth; and that the Co-operative Movement is an effective means for promoting lasting peace. Participants called on co-operative leaders to also make every effort to help young people enter professional life and obtain positions of responsibility.

1984 ICA Congress Resolution "Future Leaders for Co-operatives and the International Youth Year", Hamburg (Germany)

1976 "Co-operative Education and Training for Young People", 3rd ICA Youth Conference, Moscow (Russia)

1975 ICA Central Committee Meeting, Stockholm (Sweden)

One of the themes addressed was "Youth and the Co-operative Movement". A wide ranging discussion took place focusing on ICA and Youth in general, school and student co-operatives, co-operative education and youth, and action-plans at the national and international level. The meeting decided to hold the 3rd ICA Youth Conference in Moscow (Russia) the following year.

1973 "Opportunities for Youth in Co-operative Movements", 2nd ICA Youth Conference, Sinaia (Romania)

Sixty-three participants from 19 countries attended, together with representatives from the International Labour Office (ILO), United Nations (UN) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). No formal recommendations were made but participants expressed their strong interest and concern in the work of the ICA and its approach to youth as well as the inequitable distribution of international economic power as shown in the growth of multinational corporation and the poverty of developing countries. They recommended that ICA hold other youth conferences and consider creating an International Youth Organisation.

1972 ICA Congress Resolution "Youth and the Co-operative Movement", Warsaw (Poland)

1969 First Conference on "Youth and Co-operatives", London (UK)

This first conference brought together member organisations of the ICA as well as organisations involved in youth activities. It recommended that the ICA organise meeting of young co-operators, increase their collaboration with organisations working young people, and encourage members to find ways to attract young people into co-operatives including the promotion of school co-operatives, and education and training programmes.

Regional Youth Conferences

2003 ICA Asia-Pacific Co-operative Youth Seminar: "Youth in Co-operatives: Facing the challenges of changing environment", Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2002 ICA European Youth Conference, Lisbon (Portugal) - Statement (pdf) / Presentation (pdf)

1999 ICA Regional Campus/Youth Co-operative Seminar for Asia and the Pacific: Future Leaders Leading Now, Quezon City (Philippines)

Information Resources

Links