ICA-AP Committee on Cooperative Research (CCR) organized the 7th COOP Colloquium on 18 August. The Colloquium was held in collaboration with the Changemakers20 Summit along the theme ‘Fostering a Culture of Collaborative Youth Research’. It was held in partnership with India’s Connecting Dreams Foundation and the US-based Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET). 28 participants from 5 countries joined the session.

Mr. Timothy Bisakaya, Coordinator, Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) Cooperatives Working Group, INET discussed “How do we grow a culture of cooperative research among the youth?” He shared how cooperatives have been able to provide opportunities for youth in the academic context. The cooperative form presents a way forward for youth to shape their own futures. Research capabilities have been created and enhanced for young coop scholars in the global academic arena. YSI’s Cooperatives Working Group aims to bring together researchers interested in cooperatives from a wide range of disciplinary and regional backgrounds. They get scholars interested in cooperatives and economic cooperation talking to one another, sharing their research, and developing new questions and ideas to better understand economic cooperation.

Changemaker20 was a five-day virtual Summit designed to bring together Young Changemakers from G20 countries and their partners, who are working to address pressing challenges in their respective regions. Through a series of engaging sessions aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), attendees shared experiences, discussed various strategies, and explored good practices to achieve the SDG 2030 Agenda.

Ms. Kavitha Aranha, Senior Program Manager, Connecting Dreams Foundation moderated the session. The colloquium was successful in bringing together cooperative advocates, practitioners, and young scholars from the G20 countries and beyond to inform them - particularly young opinion leaders and changemakers - about the nature and benefits of a cooperative enterprise.