ICA-AP Committee on Youth Coopeartion Celebrates International Youth Day 2026 Under the Theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”
ICA-AP’s Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC) marked International Youth Day with an online gathering held from 1:00 to 3:00 PM IST on 12 August, bringing together young cooperators from across Asia-Pacific under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations” — a fitting frame for an afternoon built around the shared spirit that runs through very different cooperative settings.
The host team, Gelizabeth Cabuhat, ICYC Vice Chairperson, and Jay Vee Pangan, ICYC Member, opened proceedings, followed by messages from Dulce Bustamante, ICYC Chairperson, and Monalisa Kashyap, ICA-EU Programme Coordinator and ICYC Secretary, setting the tone for a session centred on youth solidarity, collaboration and a shared stake in the cooperative movement’s future. The programme then moved into the official launch of the day’s celebrations, with an overview of the sessions ahead.
One highlight was “Something New in ICYC,” a first-of-its-kind segment marking a fresh milestone for the Committee. An online quiz added a competitive, playful edge, testing participants on cooperatives, youth, and the upcoming 5th Asia-Pacific Cooperative Youth Summit (APCYS 5.0). A virtual tour of the historic Rochdale Pioneers Museum gave the celebration a different kind of texture altogether, tying today’s young cooperators back to where the global movement began.
The centrepiece was “Youth in Action,” where youth representatives from ICA-AP member countries showcased cooperative initiatives led by young people in their own contexts, followed by a reflective discussion on what solidarity actually means to young cooperators today — an open space for participants to trade perspectives and experience rather than a scripted panel.
The celebration closed with a message of appreciation and a call to action from the ICYC Vice Chairperson, closing remarks, and a group photograph — bringing the afternoon to a close on the same note it opened with connection, exchange, and a shared vision for youth cooperation across Asia and the Pacific.