The International Cooperative Alliance’s Youth Committee has elected Ana Aguirre as president with a four-year mandate.
Ms Aguirre, elected through an electronic vote from 11-16 April, is co-founder and worker-owner at TAZEBAEZ S.Coop, a Basque worker co-op, where she leads on co-operative development. She currently serves as vice president for Europe in the ICA Youth Committee and has been involved in the ICA Youth Network over the course of its development into the ICA Youth Committee.
She said: “The last weeks have been very hectic, and I feel extremely honoured to have been chosen as the next youth representative and president of the Global Youth Network. This is the result of the work and dedication of the last years, and I have big shoes to fill taking over from Sébastien Chaillou-Gillette.
“I look forward to working with all of you in taking aligned and strong action to empower, make visible, support, and celebrate young co-operators and the impact and space they have in the co-operative movement. As I always love to say: Youth may be the future, but it is also the present.”
She added: “I will work hard with my fellow youth representatives to create an action plan for the years to come that is co-created, shared, inclusive, and aligned within the youth network but also with other committees, the regions, and the global co-operative movement.
“And as I shared at World Cooperative Congress in Seoul, I strongly believe that the best years of the co-operative movement are yet to come, and ours to make, together. This is just the beginning.
“To quote José María Arizmendiarrieta: ‘There is always one more step to take. Forward, always forward’.”
Related: Ana Aguirre joins World Congress debate on global challenges
As the president of the Youth Committee, Ms Aguirre will also have a seat on the ICA global board. Her position as president of the Youth Committee will be ratified by the board during the ICA General Assembly in Seville on 20 June.
