This is the case of Ana Aguirre and Jon Ander Musatadi from taZEBAez (Why not, in Basque) an innovative consulting worker cooperative from Spain and Chiara Laghi from the Italian cooperative Cultura Popolare which manages libraries and offers cultural services in Faenza. The network aims to share knowledge and best practice, promote innovative young cooperatives and work together to get better youth representation within boards, institutions and conferences in the cooperative movement.

This first meeting was organised by the British worker cooperative AltGen, the French social cooperative Solidarité Etudiante and the organisations promoting cooperative enterprises among the youth in Italy OOP ! – Confcooperative and Generazioni – Legacoop.

The members of the European Young Cooperator network demand the international cooperative movement to support the establishment of structures that facilitate intergenerational exchange of knowledge and resources, to integrate the concept of social and environmental responsibility into the cooperative movement, business and institutions, better racial and gender equality on boards of cooperative businesses and institutions, 30% representation of youth on boards of cooperative businesses and institutions and the full integration and representation of youth on panels at European and International conferences among others.

The European Young Cooperator network emerged following the Youth Statement during the International Summit of Cooperatives (Quebec, October 2014). Meet some worker and social cooperators from the European Young Cooperators Network here

Read and sign the Young European Co-operators Network Opening Statement here