ICA Youth Seminar 1995

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ICA Youth Conference 1995

"Youth and Co-operation - The Present and the Future"

17-22 September 1995, Loughbourg (UK)
in conjunction with the ICA General Assembly

About the Youth Seminar

Sixty young people between the ages of 16 and 26 attending the International Youth Seminar at the Co-operative College in Loughborough sent a delegation to Manchester to present the young people's views on the co-operative principles debate to the ICA Centennial Congress.

The seminar, which took place from 17 to 22 September, focused on young people, co-operation and the media and tackled different but interrelated issues, such as co-operative behaviour and values; structures and forms of co-operatives; different types of media, including radio, TV, print, satellite and the internet.

Its aim was to promote friendship and exchange of experience among the young co-operators who camefrom twenty-one countries across the world (Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe)and ultimately promote positive images of young people and co-operatives to the media and to create an informal network through which the young co-operators could continue to exchange information and experiences once they returned to their respective countries.

In their statement to the Congress, members of the youth seminar addressed three issues: education, democracy and the future in which they refuted the oft quoted view that they were co-operators of the future. "Youth are not co-operators of the future, we are the co-operators of the present".

The seminar was a lively event in which the young co-operators participated fully, putting into practical action the concepts of co-operation, education and democracy which they so enthusiastically endorse.

ICA Youth Seminar Statement

Introduction

We, the representatives of international young co-operators, would like to thank the ICA for giving us the opportunity to present our views at this Centennial seminar.

During the last four days 60 young people, from around the world, representing 21 different countries, have been participating in the 3rd International Youth Seminar. This is taking place at the Co-operative College Stanford Hall near Loughborough, 100 miles south-east from here. These beautiful surroundings provide the perfect setting for our conference. This made it possible to get the most from the various discussions surrounding:

co-operative principles regarding education, democracy, and the community;
youth involvement in the Co-operative Movement;
motivation and opportunities for young co-operators;
the roles of the different employees and members of Co-operative Organisations.

These ideas were developed through:

group exercises on values;
asimulated national co-operative network;
interactive briefings and lectures.

We have also visited housing and worker co-operatives, credit unions and LETS systems, the co-operative bank as well as consumer co-ops. During these visits we talked with various co-operators.

The leaflet you have today outlines our present finding generated by our experience so far. It was written, produced and printed with the aid ofthe RAP Co-operative yesterday including a very long last night, so you might want to check your fingers to see if the ink is dry!! This presentation builds upon the facts outlined in the leaflet and will be further developed in our press pack.

From our studies of the MacPherson paper, we would like to comment on two topics of particular interest: education and democracy, before we talk about the future.

Through the introduction of youth to the co-operative movement new ideas would be brought forward giving a fresh and modern outlook to the movement.

Education

By continuous education, members of the co-operative movement will be kept informed. We believe that an informed member who understands those principles, that are the basis of the co-operative experience, is a member who is active in the co-operative movement and proud of the co-operative heritage. We think by inspiring young people to increase their involvement in the co-operative movement could be a way to help co-ops develop and survive.

A good example of excellent communication and education has been the exchanging of co-operative experiences through the youth of today at our youth seminar at Stanford Hall this week.

By involving the media we hope to reach uninformed youth outside of the movement. All co-operatives should undertake this task of education and information.

By using modern media and modern advertising techniques all co-operatives can reach new audiences. The Co-operative Bank in the UK has done this by taking the ethical angle in its advertising. Alongside that, the bank has produced a display about co-operative history across the road in Balloon Street, which is on display for the duration of the Congress. However, we believe that this kind of historical information should be encouraged on a permanent basis as part of education of the public.

It seems that although the public is not fully aware of co-operative principles there is a widespread feeling that the word 'co-operative' symbolises integrity and high ethical standards. Using this awareness as a starting point the co-operative movement could reach new members like the youth who, driven by basic, grassroots ideals, have particular concern for the state of the world today.

Co-operatives should foster links with both co-operative and non-co-operative youth movements as a source of new membership. We have discovered that in Israel part of the educational process of the youth movement includes joining and forming co-operative and communal groups. In many countries there is a need for a similar approach, an approach that will give young future co-operators a goal they can look forward to. There are many other educational forums which can be tapped by the co-operative movement: for instance, there is a large population of non co-operative schools and youth movements that can become better informed by involving young co-operators in educational programmes.

It is apparent to many people that the co-operative movement appears to be a little cobwebbed. The movement's image must be modernised in order for it to appeal to younger people. One of the most important ways of making co-operatives more relevant to young people is to get more young people involved in the organisation and decision-making process. It is not difficult to understand that young people do know young people best and therefore can help make policy decisions which reflect the needs and interests of young people. It must be understood that the best way of educating towards responsibility is educating through responsibility.

Democracy

We also believe that democracy, as a vital co-operative principle, separates co-operatives from all other organisations and therefore, if the youth are not given the right to participate in decision-making even at its simplest form, then maybe co-operatives are not different at all. In other words, if youth are not involved in setting the direction of co-operatives, their democratic advantage is lost.

Giving us the opportunity to participate in co-operative decision-making will benefit both the youth and co-operatives.

By doing this, we (the youth) can gain experience, thereby developing new and relevant skills in different areas in the co-op. These skills may include the ability to work in groups and implement decisions. We will bring new perspectives to the co-op. These fresh perspectives will, in turn, benefit the organisation. A first hand knowledge of the needs of our generation is only one of the many contributions that we can make to co-ops.

The Future

We now look to the future. At the youth seminar, we discussed ways to link young people in order for us to continue to learn from one another and we discussed ways that you can involve us in decision-making.

Youth around the world need to be able to communicate co-operative ideas to increase their involvement. In order to do this, we intend to create an International Youth Network based initially on the co-operators who have been involved in this ICA Youth Seminar.

Our first goal in creating this network will be to internationally link youth around the world through written means. Secondly, we would like to coordinate annual meetings for building international relations within the co-operative movement.

Since language is the primary obstacle to effective communications, we will use several languages within our network and the use of information technology such as computer Internet is an additional method; however, we acknowledge that we do not have the resources to contact all our fellow young co-operators by this means, especially those in the third world. Mailed material will be the appropriate means for contacting everyone at this time. In mail, we can exchange news items, publications and we can contribute to the International Newsletter, or even establish a new Youth International publication.

Though written material can be used for communication, youth co-operators need to meet one another as well. We should have international seminars, workshops and congresses. This, we cannot do alone. Resources of guidance and finance are needed. We need your support on this. In order to increase the feasibility of third world youth participation, we believe we should hold many of our events in or near countries with limited resources for travel. For example, there are only two individuals from the African Nations compared with 35 from European countries at our present youth seminar. Africa is a whole continent. Their needs, amongst others, must be better represented.

Increasing youth involvement in the decision-making process of our current organisations is of major concern. Involvement works in two ways: first, youth must take the initiative to get involved without being asked; second, opportunities to get involved must be made available within the structure of co-operative organisations. We know that in order for youth to be heard, they must be seen. There should be opportunities, for young co-operators, as members, to become involved at the top level of decision-making. The board of directors is one way to carry the views of youth, whether it is a youth seat on the board or a separate youth board or even as observers if not yet full participants. The long term goal would be to create a method of promotion from observation to participation in decision-making at the highest level. By attending, we show that we are interested and prepared to get involved.

It is a reality that many of you have dedicated your lives to the ideals of co-operation and for decades have struggled to keep the movement alive. For this we are very grateful.

We are not here to take away this endeavour you have invested in, but instead to offer a hand to pursuing these ideals for generations to come.

For us it is important for you, the delegates to this conference, to understand that youth are not only the co-operators of the future, we are the co-operators of the present.

Last Updated: 10 August 2006