Co-operative Youth Forum: Empowerment, Employment and Engagement
Engaging youth was a key topic on the agenda at the Closing Ceremony
of the International Year of Co-operatives, where the United
Nations'-organised Youth Forum focused on how co-operatives empower
young people.
Following the introductory remarks of Nicola Shepherd from Focal Point on Youth, Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Monday afternoon; Monique Leroux, Chief Executive of Desjardins, delivered a keynote speech where she told the assembled youth to "dream big". She said: “I know it is a cliché that you are the future, but you are. But you are also the present, you need to make your voices heard.” She added, young people bring a lot of energy and creativity and also have a better understanding of the impact of technology and social media.
Nicola Shepherd, from the UN Programme on Youth, said the International Cooperative Youth Statement is a great step forward and the UN is looking to see how it can use some of the ideas within its system-wide action plan. She said the UN could help to reach out the world. Ms Shepherd also spoke of the Youth Forum as the beginning of a dialogue between the co-operative sector and the UN's Youth-focused organisations, and a process to work together.
The Forum continued with two interactive dialogues. The first one, themed “Cooperatives and Youth: Empowerment, Employment and Engagement” featured as panellists Simel Esim, Chief of International Labour Organization's Co-operative Branch; José Antonio Chávez Villanueva, Chair of ICA Youth Network Executive Committee and Afua Boamah, Youth Delegate, Ghanian National IYC Committee.
Simel Esim spoke of the UN’s and ILO’s perspective of youth and co-operatives in the context of the crisis, saying there are countries which face a high percentage of youth unemployment, countries either struggling to overcome the financial crisis, or countries in conflict. She mentioned that young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts. Referring to co-ops, she said: “I think of them as a means to reach youth employment, formalising the informal economy.”
She also referred to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), mentioning that youth have an important role to play within co-ops in achieving these objectives by 2015. “Co-ops as a way to deliver these goals,” said the Chief of the ILO’s Co-operative Branch.
The second interactive dialogue focused on drafting the International Cooperative Youth Statement and was chaired by Mr Villanueva and moderated by Stéphanie Guico, Desjardins Youth Delegate.
José Antonio Chávez Villanueva introduced the draft for the new Co-operative Decade launched at Co-operatives United.
He said the important question to be asked is “How can we involve and empower young people through co-operatives?” Mr Chávez said the co-op model might imply something boring or out of fashion for young people and co-operators must have an inter-generational approach to make co-operatives attractive to young people.
He continued: “We also need to change our idea of success. Success for the co-operative model is having things, but in a co-operative way, so that opportunities are equal for all.”
Mr Chávez said working with young people must be regarded as a strategic element, not just social responsibility. He said: “We need to show that working with young people is a strategic element when it comes to co-operatives”. “The co-op movement needs youth. Youth needs the co-op movement, Co-ops need to be part of societies and societies need co-operatives,” were the final remarks of José Antonio Chávez Villanueva.
Young co-operator Emily Leopold Cheney also underlined that “Co-operatives are a means to an end-the co-op movement, lifestyles and philosophy”.
• Find out more about the International Co-operative Youth Statement.
Following the introductory remarks of Nicola Shepherd from Focal Point on Youth, Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Monday afternoon; Monique Leroux, Chief Executive of Desjardins, delivered a keynote speech where she told the assembled youth to "dream big". She said: “I know it is a cliché that you are the future, but you are. But you are also the present, you need to make your voices heard.” She added, young people bring a lot of energy and creativity and also have a better understanding of the impact of technology and social media.
Nicola Shepherd, from the UN Programme on Youth, said the International Cooperative Youth Statement is a great step forward and the UN is looking to see how it can use some of the ideas within its system-wide action plan. She said the UN could help to reach out the world. Ms Shepherd also spoke of the Youth Forum as the beginning of a dialogue between the co-operative sector and the UN's Youth-focused organisations, and a process to work together.
The Forum continued with two interactive dialogues. The first one, themed “Cooperatives and Youth: Empowerment, Employment and Engagement” featured as panellists Simel Esim, Chief of International Labour Organization's Co-operative Branch; José Antonio Chávez Villanueva, Chair of ICA Youth Network Executive Committee and Afua Boamah, Youth Delegate, Ghanian National IYC Committee.
Simel Esim spoke of the UN’s and ILO’s perspective of youth and co-operatives in the context of the crisis, saying there are countries which face a high percentage of youth unemployment, countries either struggling to overcome the financial crisis, or countries in conflict. She mentioned that young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts. Referring to co-ops, she said: “I think of them as a means to reach youth employment, formalising the informal economy.”
She also referred to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), mentioning that youth have an important role to play within co-ops in achieving these objectives by 2015. “Co-ops as a way to deliver these goals,” said the Chief of the ILO’s Co-operative Branch.
The second interactive dialogue focused on drafting the International Cooperative Youth Statement and was chaired by Mr Villanueva and moderated by Stéphanie Guico, Desjardins Youth Delegate.
José Antonio Chávez Villanueva introduced the draft for the new Co-operative Decade launched at Co-operatives United.
He said the important question to be asked is “How can we involve and empower young people through co-operatives?” Mr Chávez said the co-op model might imply something boring or out of fashion for young people and co-operators must have an inter-generational approach to make co-operatives attractive to young people.
He continued: “We also need to change our idea of success. Success for the co-operative model is having things, but in a co-operative way, so that opportunities are equal for all.”
Mr Chávez said working with young people must be regarded as a strategic element, not just social responsibility. He said: “We need to show that working with young people is a strategic element when it comes to co-operatives”. “The co-op movement needs youth. Youth needs the co-op movement, Co-ops need to be part of societies and societies need co-operatives,” were the final remarks of José Antonio Chávez Villanueva.
Young co-operator Emily Leopold Cheney also underlined that “Co-operatives are a means to an end-the co-op movement, lifestyles and philosophy”.
• Find out more about the International Co-operative Youth Statement.
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