Argentinian Co-operatives Association (ACA) Central Agrarian Co-operativist Youth Council
Date of Incorporation
November 1st, 1944
Membership
The Council is made up of 48 co-operativist agrarian youth groups organized in ten Regional Youth Advising Commissions. There are approximately 2,000 young people, all engaged in rural activities, associated with these local organisations.
Activity
The Council encourages improved technical production of agricultural goods and is involved in management training for projects conceived by the young people themselves.
Organisational Form
Association
Service Area
The Council is active in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Río Negro, La Pampa, Entre Ríos, Misiones and Corrientes.
Antecedents / Context
The Agrarian Co-operativist Youth was organized in 1944 in response to challenges being faced by the agrarian co-operative movement. Today, it is particularly interested in moving beyond its original goals to help the new generations to develop all kinds of co-operative endeavour. Through working within the ACA, agrarian youth contribute by ensuring the survival of co-operatives and the better understanding of co-operativism.
Vision/Intention/Goals
The slogan: “To educate humanity and to cultivate the earth” summarises the Agrarian Co-operativist Youth’s basic objective. The co-op’s mission is to train co-operative people who can work as farming entrepreneurs able to manage their operations effectively and to participate in the decision making of their co-operative as truly responsible members. We encourage co-operative people to embrace attitudes of service in their different communities, working together to respond to their concerns and needs through social, technical, educational, and cultural activities carried out in accordance with co-operative doctrine.
Goals
- To contribute to the growth of co-operative culture in all environments and particularly in rural areas.
- To organize, co-ordinate, and disseminate the agrarian youth movement associated with the co-operatives that make up the ACA.
- To contribute to a wider understanding of the basic economic and social issues of the Nation and a greater appreciation of the influence of the farming economy.
- To encourage the development of co-operativism in all its forms and to disseminate its doctrines.
- To maintain permanent cultural relationships with all youth members and to create links with similar entities in Argentina and around the world.
- To collaborate with various institutions in encouraging better farming production and in disseminating knowledge gained from research, science, and technological advances.
- To help young farmers gain the technical training they need, and
- To help provide university training in the rural environment.
Organisational Structure / Model Used
The organisation operates on three levels, starting with local youth groups in each primary co-operative joined to the ACA. The core organisation is the Central Youth Council. Between those two levels there is the “Regional Youth Advisory Commission” (CARJ) concerned with regional co-ordination and divided into geographical zones as predetermined by the ACA structure. The decision making process is dynamic and participatory in nature. With issues requiring consensus, the Central Council’s proposals are passed on to the CARJ. Grass roots youth in each zone are consulted individually and their input is then passed back to the Central Council. Daily issues are decided by the Central Council delegates. The Council’s Board of Directors provides direction in the development of policies regarding our participation in co-operative and rural activities. It is made up of 19 members elected from the Central Youth Council, which is made up of two representatives from each zone. Within the Board, the executive committee leads the discussions, prepares proposals, develops projects, and works on issues of urgency or priority. None of the members of the executive committee or the permanent delegates of the Council is paid. There is no subscribing to shares, since the Central Agrarian Youth Council, as a member of the ACA, does not have legal status.
Links with the Community / Networks / Scope
Youth groups, generally acting in towns of less than 20,000 inhabitants, establish broad links with the community. For many young people in the country the greatest value of participating in the movement consists of being able to count on new opportunities for sharing attitudes and life experiences with their equals, discussing production problems and planning joint development projects.
Future Plans
The short-term goals are to consolidate the organisational structure and to work on meeting concrete needs. If we address the big issues of rural life, then our growth will be assured. In the long term, we plan collaborate with the ACA and ultimately consolidate our activities in order to have a strong overall structure for management and technical/practical training. Co-operative action needs to be readdressed from the ground up, starting with the principles of solidarity and encouraging young people as agents of local change. It is paramount to overcome the mistrust many youth feel towards the co-operative structure and the weight of an older leadership. The co-op is determined to contest the economic and social instability of the country, the kind of instability that is driving many young people out of rural areas.
Present Issues
- Developing growth strategies for education, technology, and development through embracing the themes of “Co-operative – Families – Society”.
- Advancing new training and educational programmes that will respond to the needs of rural youth.
Advice
Young people should avoid distorting the co-operatives’ activities and should follow the essential principles of co-operative doctrine. Co-operatives have a lot of work yet to do and must take steps to improve their performance. It is important to celebrate the accomplishments of the past, embrace co-operative ideals, and create very clear guidelines for the future.
