The ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC) organized a webinar to mark the UN International Day of Youth on Sunday, 12 August 2018. The Webinar was themed on the global theme of Safe Spaces toward Inclusive and Sustainable Development. The four invited guest speakers were Ngawang Gyeltshen, Founder – Youth Social Co-operative, Bhutan, Sebastien Chaillou, Global Youth Representative of the ICA, Hilda Ojal, Chairperson of the ICA Africa Youth Network and Ahsan Ali Thakur, Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC). The meeting was moderated by ICYC Co-secretaries Santosh Kumar (ICA-AP) and Anis Sadah (Kopindo). The webinar saw the participation of 30 persons who joined online to gain knowledge on the IYD 2018, the role and recognition of co-operatives in Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development and the Colombo Declaration on Youth (2014) on Mainstreaming Youth in the post 2015 Agenda, SDG11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities and the New Urban Agenda on which the IYD 2018 theme was based.
Sebastien’s speech themed on Safe Spaces in terms of economic and finance for young persons, where he focused on collective purchase and mutual benefit. He put this in the context of the French model of co-operative insurance (mutuals) for students and his involvement in the recently established multi-stakeholder co-operative co-working space and cafè – Esspace in Paris. Ahsan shared experiences from various young associates of the regional committee where they planted trees to mark the International Day of Co-operatives 2018 (IYD2018) and convey a message in solidarity with Climate Action (SDG13) on behalf of young cooperators in the Asia Pacific region. Hilda engaged the webinar with her introduction to the idea of safe spaces in the digital space. She informed all on the growing nature of the digital invasion in our lives and privacy. Ngawang shared his ideas on co-operatives and their contribution in achieving and maintaining peaceful communities. Speaking in the context of Gross National Happiness Index of Bhutan, he added that peace was essential for real happiness, and that co-operatives integrated common needs and worked jointly for mutual benefit that was key in maintaining peaceful societies.
The ICA-AP also released an informative video on role of youth in the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development featuring Ms. Ishita Choudhry, Ashoka Fellow and Founder of the Youth Parliament Foundation (India). This knowledge material introduces the history, rationale and process of formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and in that the inclusive and consultative nature of the Agenda.
