Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives

1. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Presentation By Dr. Bhagwati Prasad Ex-C E/NCUI & Vice-Chairman Sahakari Awas Nirman Evam Vitt Nigam Ltd.,Lucknow ICA Asia Pacific Youth Forum on 18th July,2013,Buldana,Maharashtra,India

2. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Definition and Meaning of youth Stages of life 1.Infant, child(Child hood) 2.adolescent, young adult(youth) 3.adult, middle age , independent elder(elderly) 4.vulnerable elder, end of life(old) Youth can refer to the entire time of life when one is young, including childhood, but often refers specifically to the time of life that is neither childhood nor adulthood but rather somewhere in between.

3. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Youth is an alternative word to the scientifically-oriented "adolescent" and the common terms teen and teenager. Other common terms for youth are "young person" and "young people”. Many countries also draw a line on youth at the age at which a person is given equal treatment under the law – often referred to as the "age of majority’. This age is often 18 in many countries, and once a person passes this age, they are considered to be an adult.

4. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Life expectancy 1. Life expectancy of whole population across22 Asian countries- 72.2 years. 2.Regional divide persists in life expectancy(2010): a. Japan - (83years) Longest life expectancy b. Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Macao, China- 80 years c. Many countries in the Asia/Pacific- less than 70 years d. Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Myanmar and India- less than 65 years

5. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Definition 1. The UN defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. 2. According to African Youth Charter, “youth” means “every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years". Also accepted by UNESCO. 3. Youth is the period between childhood and adult age.

6. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 4. Divide between stages of life and Life expectancy of the region works out to be approx. 36 years age of youth. This may vary from region to region and on Global level. 5. keeping in view the constraint of representation of youth and practicalibility aspect, age of youth may be considered on the basis of life expectancy of the region(72.2) and that of countries with life expectancy of 80 which comes between 36 and 40. 6. ICA Asia Pacific Youth Committee may decide about the age limit for youth to become a member of the committee taking into consideration the above factors.

7. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives There are over 1.2 billion young persons in the world today. It is estimated that youth make up 18 percent of the global population and 25 percent of the total working age population. The majority (almost 85%) of the world’s youth live in developing countries, with approximately 60 percent in Asia alone. The growth of youth population is projected to reach its peak in 2035.  Close to 75 million young people are out of work, and an increasing number of young people “neither in employment nor in education or training” especially in more developed countries.

8. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Scope for youth in cooperatives 1. Social, economic, political and environmental dimensions of youth development has become a more central focus for decision-makers at all levels. Some Examples: a.United Nation declared International Year of Youth IYY-2011 with the objective of giving youth a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels.

9. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives b. International Cooperative Youth Statement 2012was presented to United Nation during closing ceremonies of International Year of Cooperative- 2012 highlighting the problems, challenges and diversity of youth and urging upon the cooperative community, governments, international organizations, educational institutions, civil-society and the media to deployresources in order to overcome these and enact communication strategies that include education and research, which are adapted to and accommodate the needs of young people.

10. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives c.Youth Statement from the International Labour Organisation emphasises that too many young people are experiencing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased inactivity and precarious work, as well as persistently high working poverty. The cooperative form of enterprise provides young people a means to create their own employment, find jobs with enterprises that often align themselves with their own values, and participate as member- owners of enterprises where their voice is heard.

11. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives d. Joint regional workshops of rural youth and young producers’ representatives ,held by FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth (MIJARC) in Senegal, Sri Lanka and Peru in 2011 made the following recommendations for involvement of youth in agriculture cooperatives: i. Cooperatives should become youth-sensitive, particularly in their representation and governance. Youth sections should be created within mixed cooperatives, and gender inequalities should be addressed to ensure the active participation of young women. The creation of youth-only cooperatives should also be facilitated.

12. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives ii.Cooperatives should provide mentoring, guidance and advisory services to their young members, so that they can become leaders and farmer entrepreneurs, and can overcome constraints (e.g., through access to training, land and credit). iii. Cooperatives should value indigenous/traditional agricultural knowledge and practices, while also promoting innovations to stimulate youth’s interest in agriculture. iv. Cooperatives, donors and governments should formulate and implement youth focused agricultural development projects and programmes

13. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives v. Cooperatives, governments and the international community should play a proactive role in raising the image/profile of agriculture. Cooperatives can be a platform for sharing/ demonstrating farmers’ success stories, or linking young women and men to educational institutions and agricultural schools. vi. Donors and governments should provide specific financial support for the development of cooperatives that involve and/or engage with young people.

14. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives e. ICA is engaged in formulating and implementing policies relating to youth in cooperatives through committee on youth at Regional and Global level. Chairman of these youth committees are given direct representation on respective Regional & Global Boards of Directors of ICA which is a testimony to the highest priority being attached by ICA for the development of youth through cooperatives. f. Youth awareness and educational programmes about cooperatives are being conducted by a number of countries by organizing school and campus cooperatives or by establishing cooperative schools.

15. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 2. Engagement with youth cooperatives gives an opportunity to learn more about how cooperative business operates and also provides the framework for a business project the youth may desire to undertake. 3. Career opportunities in cooperatives are constantly growing in processing, marketing, sales, distribution, research, advertising, accounting, housing, insurance, banking, tourism, electric service, credit service, public relations, law, computer programming,and many more.

16. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 4. Through effective involvement with cooperatives, young people can work together with governments, civil society and other stakeholders, to overcome challenges of unemployment, underemployment, disempowerment and disengagement. 5. Cooperative environment provides working conditions more favourable to youth engagement than do other organizational forms because of its democratic governance structure and organizational aims, which go beyond profit maximization. 6. Encourage the engagement of young people with cooperatives as a viable and promising option for their transition to full economic, social and civic participation.

17. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 7. It also enables young people to explore different working and leadership roles, and to get involved in decision-making procedures and multi-stakeholder dialogue. Young people can become creative in cooperative environments, which allow them to develop their entrepreneurial and managerial capacities. 8. There is need for cooperatives to engage with young people in order to adapt to changing environments, sustain and develop themselves.

18. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 9.Emphasis on the specific potential that exists in developing countries for cooperative and youth empowerment. 10. Cooperatives enable young people to- i. build self-confidence through allowing individual and team achievements; ii. develop professional networks within and beyond the cooperative sector;

19. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives iii.pursue avenues for productive self-employment through the pooling of knowledge and resources, and improving access to markets and productive resources; iv.develop work ethics that are characterized by self- motivation through allowing them to be the owners of their work; v.develop leadership skills for taking over responsibility within and beyond the cooperative sector.

20. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives vi. explore and master various working situations and develop problem solving skills which institutions of formal education may often fail to transmit; vii.acquire general working and specific professional skills relevant to future employment;

21. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 11. Young people have the opportunity to develop social consciousness and attain a sense of self actualization. Through their democratic governance, cooperatives also expose young members to democratic values and culture. The experience attained through engaging with an environment of accountability and solidarity gives young people the confidence to take on leadership roles in various contexts, even beyond the cooperative movement

22. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives 12. Cooperatives, motivated by sustainability and long- term development perspectives, can be more resilient to crises and offer more stable work environments. Furthermore, cooperatives provide and facilitate employment, income and the development of employment skills. Finally, cooperatives are important agents of financial, economic, community and human development. ;

23. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Conclusion In 2012, close to 75 million young people were out of work. It is estimated that cooperatives provide 100 million jobs world- wide. Although the exact proportion of youth in this total is difficult to determine, cooperatives are clearly a significant source of employment creation. The scale and impact of the current youth employment crisis on the future of young people and societies is a call for immediate action. While cooperatives are already playing a role in helping young people take their lives into their own hands, there is great potential for further development.

24. Definition, Meaning and Scope of youth in co-operatives Thank you