The ‘ICA-AP Malaysia Business Office (MBO) collaborated with ICA Africa to organize the Cooperative Identity Webinar on ‘Enabling Environment for Youth to Own Their Economic Future’ on 2 June. The webinar aimed to make members aware of existing and potential collaboration with the networks in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions, to initiate a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on best practices from successful cooperatives in the region, and to promote and encourage partnerships between member cooperatives in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions. A total of 220 participants from 10 countries (Botswana, China, United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Indonesia, and Eswatini) attended the webinar.
It started with a video of welcome remarks by Dr. Ariel Guarco, President of ICA. The first panel presided over by Ms. Hilda Ojall, President of the ICA Africa Youth Network discussed ‘Owning Economic Future of Youth through Cooperative Entrepreneurship Education'. Dato’ Kamarudin Ismail, Board Member of ANGKASA and ICA presented the structure of the Malaysian school cooperative movement, statistics of the Malaysian cooperative movement as of June 2021, the background of the school cooperative movement, structure of cooperatives within co-curriculum in schools, cooperatives within the education system, activities of school cooperatives, and cooperative entrepreneurial education for the economic future.
The second panel presided over by Mr. Alireza Banaeifar, Chair of the ICA-Asia Pacific Committee on Youth Cooperation, discussed ‘Owning the Economic Future of Youth through the Cooperative Financial Literacy Programme’. Ms. Phetsile Masilela, Executive Director of JA Eswatini presented an overview of JA Eswatini, an in-school cooperative financial literacy program, the process, impact on young cooperators, the role of government and other stakeholders, challenges and future plans.
The webinar ended with closing remarks by YBhg. Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah, President of ANGKASA, Vice-President of ICA-AP, and the President of ASEAN Co-operatives Organization (ACO).
It is hoped that this webinar will provide benefits and understanding of how cooperative entrepreneurship education is implemented among youth and better cooperative interaction, especially related to youth empowerment and engagement, and towards a sustainable society.
