Asia Pacific Co-operative Co-operative Youth Forum

Asia Pacific Co-operative Youth Forum Rationale and Theme “Future Challenges for Youth as a Strategic Group for Co-operative Development” The importance of Information technology and the easy transfer of knowledge have been realised by the co-operative movement in the previous decade. The co-operative Principles lay down the value attached to education and training and the benefits of co-operation among co-operatives. The ICA AP Youth Workshop in 2011 at the Institute of Co-operative Management in Kannur often hailed as the ‘Rochdale of the east’, on the theme - Co-operative Entrepreneurship & Green Innovations saw a participation of over 100 students and 25 staff members from co-operative institutions along with ICYAP Members. A session on Co-operative entrepreneurship was given by Prof. Yashwanth Dongre (of the ICA Committee on Univ. Campus Cooperatives) and a session on ‘Knowledge Platforms- UN Solution Exchange Community’ was taken by Dr. R.K. Jalan (Resource Person-United Nations Development Programme). The subsequent meetings of the ICA Committee on youth took place on the internet from the ICA AP Business Office in Singapore and a strategic plan to develop the skills and knowledge of the cooperative youth in IT technology was adopted. It is the mandate of ICYAP to continue exploring such avenues and make them available to a large section of youth associated with the co-operative sector and organise an internet platform based on the so called ‘Business Solutions’ . This was initiated at the 5th Meeting by the Secretariat and the same will be given expert opinion on by the UNDP at the Asia Pacific Co-operative Youth Forum. A relationship between ICYAP and UNDP will be pursued further as a strategy at the 6th Meeting. BACKGROUND: The ICA Committee on Youth Co-operation in Asia Pacific (ICYAP) operates under its Constitution and the guidelines of the ICA Regional Assembly for co-operative development in Asia and the Pacific. While honouring its mandate to meet once a year and to draw up the committee plan for the period of 2013-2016, its members who were nominated by ICA members at the time of the 10th Regional Assembly of ICA Asia Pacific, opted to meet at Buldhana, Maharashtra-India during 2013. To maximise the opportunity of the meeting of International delegates and cooperative practitioners with this Meeting, an initiative in form of the Asia Pacific Co-operative Youth Forum is being organised on 18 July, 2013 in collaboration with Buldana Urban Co-operative Credit Societyin Buldana, Maharashtra. Governing Documents: The ICA Blue print for the Co-operative Decade (adopted in Manchester-2012) and the ICA Strategic Objectives (Adopted in Kobe-2012) for 2013-2016 play a vital role in the committee’s future actions and plans. It is noted here that the strategic groups such as women and youth are agents of change for the larger benefit of the world order given their comparative unavailability in mainstream policymaking in the past. The marginalised sections are seen to be promoted today by the international community and the inevitable reason for this is the importance given to the notion of inclusive growth by the global leadership. The Asia Pacific Co-operative Youth Forum aims to attract deliberations in identifying Youth as a strategic group/section/community in co-operatives and establishing a platform for exchange of ideas and solutions for the development of co-operatives. The work-strategy is related to the directives under the ICA Cooperative Blueprint and the ICA Strategic Objectives (2013-2016);