Co-operatives achieve greater happiness than other forms of enterprise

A Road-Map for the inclusion of Youth in Development of Co-operative enterprises.

At the ICA Global Youth Network Meeting

during the ICA Global Conference and General Assembly,CAPE TOWN

November 2, 2013

Presented by Dr. Sukesh Zamwar, Chairperson

ICA Asia & Pacific Committee on Youth Co-operation [Managing Director – Buldana Urban Credit Co-operative Societies Ltd.]

CONTENT of the PPT

• History of the Youth Committee (ICYC)• 6th Meeting of the ICYC & the Coop – Youth Forum • Areas being worked on by the ICYC

• The Happy Store – Pilot Proposal• Financial Literacy among youth – Pilot Proposal

• UN Youth Congress 2014 in Sri Lanka• Global Youth Co-operation Meet

History of the Youth Committee (ICYC)• 2000 - ICA Youth Network at the ICA Board Meeting, Bratislava • 2001 - ICA Regional Co-operative Youth Seminar, Japan

• 2007 - ICA AP Co-operative Ministers’ Conference – “Youth Involvement” presented by Chair-ICA AP YC

• 2009 - 3rd Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – Singapore

• 2010 - 4th Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – Beijing

• 2011 - 1st Online Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – ICA AP Office – New Delhi

• 2011 - ICA AP Youth Seminar – Kannur, Kerala

• 2012- 2nd Online Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – ICA Business Office – Singapore

• 2012- 5th Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – Kobe

• 2013- 6th Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth – Buldana, Maharashtra

• 2013- 3rd Online Meeting of the ICA AP Committee on Youth Co-operation.

6th Meeting of the ICYC & the Coop – Youth Forum

• 60 Million People between the age group of 15-24 seek sustainable employment.

• Majority of young people hail from developing countries.

• ICA should be a promoter facilitator and coordinator of activities at strengthening the participation of youth in co-operatives.

• Define ‘Youth’ in terms of age.

• Indentify youth co-operatives that could potential members of the Youth Network.

• Draft Youth strategy for submission to Regional and Global ICA boards.• Plan an International Co-operative Youth Conference• Design a website and arrange for resources.

Thematic Diagram of the Forum

Strategic Groups

Key Areas

Action

Youth from Cooperatives in Asia and Pacific

6th Meeting of the ICA Committee on Youth In Asia Pacific &

Co-operative Youth Forum

Theme: Future Challenges for Youth as a strategic Group for Co-operative Development

Venue : Buldhana, Maharashtra–India Dates 17 – 21 JULY, 2013

Amendments made to the Constitution Article 1. The name of the Committee shall be ‘ICA-AP Committee on Youth Co-operation’. Article 3.1. The Committee shall consist of persons working in the field of specialized functioning of the Committee in the member organizations of the ICA in the Region. Each member organization of the ICA-AP is entitled to nominate a maximum of two persons in the Committee in the age group of 18 – 40 years. Article 4.11 To create awareness on cooperatives among the youth in the region. Article 6.1 The Committee shall convene at least one meeting in person and two Electronic Meetings (Internet). The members are expected to attend at least one meeting out of the possible three meetings in a year. At the time of the Regional Assembly, the Committee shall hold a meeting/seminar and provide a report. Article 9.3 If needed, the committee may raise funds for its activities. As discussed at Kobe, the Committee has formally adopted the constitution and wishes to report it to all ICA AP Member organisations with a copy of the same.

Major Findings• It was attended by fourteen members from twelve countries from the region representing ICA membership across

various sectors such as banking, fisheries, consumer, housing, education & training .

• The meeting also elected the new ICYC Board that shall serve until the ICA AP Regional Assembly in 2016 with Dr. Sukesh Zamwar (India) as the Chairperson, Mr. Ahsan Ali Thakur (Pakistan) and Mr. Udaya Prabhath (Sri Lanka) and Mr. P. Santosh Kumar of ICA AP continues as Secretary.

• The meeting was organised along with the Asia Pacific Co-operative Youth Forum on the theme-Challenges for Youth as a Strategic group in development of co-operatives which was attended by 600 persons, mostly youth.

• The ICA Blueprint was placed by the committee as the governing document and the following issues were addressed in detail – a.] Meaning and definition of Youth in the Co-operative sector, b.]Knowledge Platforms for awareness on climate change among coops, c.] Status of coops in central Asia & middle east; and case studies on co-operatives from Pune, India (Women’s Waste collectors co-operative) and from Thimpu, Bhutan (Organic farming and multipurpose co-operative) were presented by young co-operative entrepreneurs and managers.

• It is also noted that an estimated 30 million jobs in co-operatives are held by youth, and it is our objective to strengthen their labour market value with the International Co-operative Identity Statement (ICIS) as guiding principles.

•It was proclaimed that co-operatives achieve greater happiness than other forms of business associations.

• The Committee decided to provide a platform for the Asia pacific youth during the ICA Global conference in Cape Town later this year and create one for the co-operatives at the UN Youth Conference in Sri Lanka in 2014. • The committee also decided to work along the lines of the UN communities to create a reliable knowledge base.

3rd Online Meeting of the ICYC

Members on their recreational visit to Ajanta Caves

It is important to emphasize the positive contribution young migrants make to societies of origin, transit and destination – economically and by enriching

the social and cultural fabric.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON ON INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY

Women in the front seat

The Happy Store

Alleviating Poverty Through Financial Literacy

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Coop’s the Way Forward~