Road to 2030: Youth Panel on Co-operative Policy

To make use of the presence of a large number of young persons associated with co-operatives along with young coop entrepreneurs in Bali (Indonesia) during the AP Co-operative Youth Summit, the ICA-AP and the EU Project on Co-operatives in Development- People Centred Businesses in Action, organised a multilateral seminar in form of a Youth Panel on Co-operative Policy, with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015 and the global theme of the 2016 International Day of Co-operatives (IDC) – the Power of Co-operatives to Act for a Sustainable future, in mind.  The IDC is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July, as detailed in the 1992 resolution 47/90 of the United Nations.  The day was opened by a thematic speech by Mr. Suruto Ph, Chairperson of National Association of Socio-Economic Cadres, Indonesia and was followed by a thematic presentation by Mr. Balu Iyer, Regional Director of ICA-Asia and Pacific. The panel was supported by feedback received by various youth participants on what they envisaged as contents of the youth statement that was to be adopted the same day. The youth panel was moderated by Mr. Balu Iyer and saw the participation of Ms. Teepee Gile, Founder- Red Roots Artists Co-operative, Philippines; Mr. Ilham Nasai, DEKOPIN- Indonesia; Mr. Sangay Rinchen, Founder- Happy Green Co-operatives, Bhutan; Mr. Francois Hastir, Credit and Mutuals Canada; Mr. Sebastien Chaillou, solidarité étudiante, France; Dr. Sukesh Zamwar, CMD, Buldana Urban Credit Co-operative Ltd., India and Ms. Caroline Sekyewa, Project Manager, ICA-Africas. All present realised the importance of youth as future members and leaders in the cooperative movement. Asia Pacific region comprises of  60% of the global youth population and to realize Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals and the vision set out in the ICA Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade, the panel agreed to actively engage youth in the co-operative movement. The outcome document – Asia Pacific Youth Statement adopted on 23 September 2016 calls on each of us to

1. Enhance youth engagement in co-operatives and further the awareness of youth on the co-operative enterprise model by mainstreaming youth in co-operatives. 
2. Ensure youth become advocates for gender equality inside and outside the co-operative movements to build an equitable society.
3. Create an enabling employment environment for youth to be engaged in work driven by passion and empathy towards others as well as co-operative values and principles, rather than competition and profit making.
4. Increase the participation of youth in co-operative management and leadership boards to enhance inclusion and to prepare youth for the future of co-operatives 
5. Encourage youth to carry out research on co-operatives, form school and university co-operatives, and educate others on the values and principles that drive co-operative enterprises.  
6. Promote development programs through co-operatives to sensitize youth on skills and ethical and value based entrepreneurship, efficient use of technology and resources to help spread the message of co-operatives, education to a wider section of society, essential education through co-operatives on youth rights, learning on sexual education and responsible and consumerism and life under water and on land, inclusion of indigenous persons in the co-operative fraternity, and  partnerships among organizations working in the interest of youth and co-operatives globally.