Cooperatives, democratic workplaces for youth

TOPIC 21- STAGE 1-MACRO Cooperatives have important things to say about the adverse economic situation we face today. Many government cutbacks in social and public expenditures have led to disparities to continue to grow as... [ view full abstract ]

TOPIC 21- STAGE 1-MACRO Cooperatives have important things to say about the adverse economic situation we face today. Many government cutbacks in social and public expenditures have led to disparities to continue to grow as substantial changes occur in economic power.
There is an alternative to the prevailing economic model, the capitalist model. Democracy as a cooperative value allows to differentiate cooperatives from other economic organisations. This value, inherent to the nature of cooperatives, has a two-fold dimension: inside cooperatives, as we have said, where cooperative ownership, control and management are carried out by members democratically; but also outside cooperatives, where cooperative members participate in the economy and manage production factors through a company based on individuals rather than on capital. In this regard, the economic participation of cooperative members gives rise to a genuine democratic society. Economic democracy moves to political democracy. This external dimension can be a magnet for young people towards cooperatives.
Cooperatives can provide a ray of hope and clarity to citizens worldwide and young people in particular. Cooperativism also appears as an adequate solution to youth problems. The aim of the cooperative movement to improve society and build a better world inspired by ideals of peace, equality and democracy, is certainly an important contribution to the interests of young people, their living conditions and their future.
Cooperativism also appears as an adequate solution to youth problems. It allows youth involvement in the production system through the creation of cooperatives for young people where they can learn about university experiences in the Basque Country (Junior Cooperatives) and Finland (Team Learning Cooperatives) as essential benchmarks. Furthermore, this involvement is achieved through the efforts made by already established cooperatives to promote youth participation and ensure their continuity, while at the same time they encourage the economic empowerment of young people who participate in cooperative decision-making. Cooperatives allow young people, more easily than other forms of enterprise, to participate in decision-making and play the leading role in a collective project managed democratically.
This would improve the economic and social situation of young people, thanks to the efforts made by cooperatives in education, which have strongly contributed to providing them with values and principles for their all-embracing training.