Introduction

Cooperative has brought to us a new thought of practicing business, and so economic, political, and social life. The ways it works today provide alternatives to deal with economic matters. Some cooperatives are student owned, student operated, and student controlled. This sort of cooperative called as Student Coop.

Student in many events was identified as youth, so the student coop in many ways refers to youth activities, and development. Youth development today is become significant because the consciousness of the future.

Noticing Youth Initiative Meeting in Canada recommendations that each economy is encouraged to evaluate how they can involve youth in their participation in the APEC HRD Working Group, I propose an agenda for the next meeting, in Bali.

This concept paper proposes to give another perception of dealing with human resources development, especially on youth. This perception describes an opportunity to develop youth by using Student Coop. Concepts related will be define mannerly to meet understanding the main idea.

Youth Development of APEC members

Each economy has its way to develop their youth. Some of them employ Student Coop to develop theirs, such Indonesia that through Education and Culture minister decision, recommends that each higher education should has its student coop.

Student Co-op

What is a Co-op?

Cooperative is a business controlled by the people who use it. It is a democratic organization whose earning and assets belong to its members. By patronizing and becoming an active member of co-op, one invests himself with the power to shape that business. One controls the politics and economics of what is truly his organization. The main idea is members' participation to direct the business. Primarily cooperative means cooperation among its members.

Majority of existing coop today adopted The Rochdale Principles, which set down by The Rocdale Pioneers to guide a modern cooperative movement. The following is an adaptation of the original Rochdale Principles:

• Open Membership: Membership in a coop shall be voluntary and non-discriminatory. All who can use its services and agree to share in the responsibilities required to run the coop shall be eligible regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or political beliefs. Coop exists, in part, to eliminate society's prejudices.
• Democratic participation: Each member has one vote regardless of the amount of her or his investment; all members together control the organization. Coops expand the democratic aspects of society.
• Limited interest on invested capital: Share capitals shall receive a strictly limited rate of return. Coops do not exist for profits by speculators, but for savings for their patron-members.
• Distribution of Economic Result: A coop year--end may be distributed to its members or re-invested in the coop. Coop are consumer owned businesses and shall follow economic and social practices in the interest of those consumers.
• Education: Coop shall constantly educate their members, employees and the public in the principles and practices of cooperation, both economic and democratic. Coops believe that education of all is a right, which is crucial to democracy.
• Cooperation among Cooperatives: All coops, in order to best serve the interests of their communities, shall actively cooperate in every practical way with other coop at the local, national and international levels.

Student Coop is a cooperative that owned, operated, and controlled by student. Some campus coops include faculty staff as members. Student cooperative generally operated in campus community and its environment, but they have opportunities to extend their activities outbound.

Student cooperative in Indonesia

Most of higher education in Indonesia has their student coop. Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture recommends that each higher education should has its student coop. Generally, each student coop has already establish their part in campus business.

Student Coop and Youth Development

General: Youth Development

Each economy has its own way to deal with youth development, and future concept of human resources. In order to meet the same interest of developing youth, the Rochdale Principles shall be eligible to adopt for sharing experiences and future cooperation development. The Rochdale Principles are the common idea of developing human resources in most economy familiar with coop.

Learning youth development and understanding the idea of student coop deliver us to work on next steps of APEC future. The following is an idea how student coops contribute to youth development.

• Student Coop facilitating youth to understand Coop, and economy.
• Student Coop as a tool to practice business and micro-economic.
• Student Coop brought health economy environment community tomorrow.
• Student Coop as a tool to practice economic democracy and democracy itself.
• Student Coop educates their community.
• And others

Youth Initiative Meeting

The meeting shall be direct to meet advance progress in cooperation among student coops to contribute the HRD in each economy

• To establish Youth Network Contact on Student Coop
• To establish the way for information exchange on student coop among each economy
• Recommend each economy to further aware of student coop contribution to APEC and so lead to further development

This concept paper requires comments and suggestions, so it will develop the main idea. Every input would be considered as perception on this issue and will be counted as credit points.

Bandung, Sept, 1 1997

Pico Seno

KKBM UNPAR