Education Is What Future Generations Need to Grow as Leaders of the Social and Solidarity Economy
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| The 'Co-operative Future Generation Seminar' in session as a side event for Co-operatives Day on July 6th.(Photo by Milly) |
The term "Social and Solidarity Economy" (SSE) remains somewhat unfamiliar to the general public in South Korea. Even when people engage in activities rooted in SSE values, they often do not realize that their actions align with this broader framework.
Yet, to build a sustainable society, the SSE ecosystem must continuously expand—and its sustainability ultimately rests upon the shoulders of future generations. What matters most is providing young people with the hands-on experiences and learning opportunities necessary to become active drivers of this economy. How and what we teach them today will directly shape the worldview of tomorrow's leaders.
On July 6th, during a national event celebrating co-operatives, I attended a seminar focused on a topic I have been deeply interested in lately: "Education." Why do youth and young adults, who are confronting rapid societal shifts and complex global crises, need SSE education? Can they truly grasp and embrace the spirit of solidarity?
What began as a personal curiosity left me with deep resonance and profound food for thought. Although my initial intent wasn't to write a blog post, the insights shared at the "Co-operative Education for Future Generations Seminar" were too valuable not to share with the global community.
👉Note: While the seminar specifically focused on "co-operatives," the core concepts can seamlessly be interpreted through the broader lens of the Social and Solidarity Economy.
🌿Empathy, Perspective, and Action for Future Generations
Our society is currently entangled in a complex web of interconnected crises—climate change, population decline, and regional depletion, to name a few. In addressing such systemic challenges, the mindset of "as long as our individual co-operative does well, that's enough" is fundamentally unsustainable. We must approach these issues with a holistic perspective. Only by understanding the anxieties and burdens of the current generation can we anticipate and prepare for the crises facing future generations.
For instance, addressing South Korea's transition into a super-aged society cannot be solved by focusing solely on eldercare. Intertwined within it are climate crises, wealth inequality, and housing instability. For childless couples, the decision not to have children is often connected to housing costs and the lack of social care infrastructure. Most of these societal challenges stem from the accumulated worries and structural limitations of the present generation. To find real solutions, we must first understand these underlying anxieties.
Furthermore, younger generations have grown up in a hyper-digitalized environment, often feeling more comfortable in online spaces than in face-to-face social relationships. Essential interpersonal skills—making eye contact, having phone conversations, exchanging warm greetings—are diminishing, leading to a shortage of authentic communication.
Yet, social connectedness and community resilience remain essential for human survival. When a crisis strikes an individual or a family—such as an aging parent requiring intensive care—the burden cannot be borne by one person alone. Balancing daily life while carrying the full weight of family care leads to severe burnout.
This is where co-operatives step in. Co-operatives gather people facing similar struggles, or those who share common concerns, to problem-solve together. If childless couples hesitate to have children due to caregiving anxieties, they can build a community-based care model together, learning, implementing, and practicing mutual support in real-time.
Co-operatives emphasize the value of cooperation and encourage individuals to become active agents in their own lives. Through ethical training and civic participation, they provide a roadmap for living together, proving that cooperative values build a more resilient society.
🍃The Core Question for Future Education: What Is Essential for Life, and Where Is It Learned?
The fundamental goal of education has always been to nurture human beings. No matter how much the world changes, this core objective remains constant. Education is the precious process of cultivating an individual's capacity to navigate their own life.
However, this capacity cannot be fully developed merely by sitting in a classroom listening to lectures. True cooperation can only be understood by experiencing it firsthand. People do not learn exclusively in schools; they absorb far more within their workplaces, their relationships, and their active community engagements.
Co-operatives carry out a vital social function through education, which lies at the very heart of future learning. In fact, co-operatives were born with education embedded in their DNA. Their core values—self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, and equality—mirror the fundamental principles of democratic citizenship.
Crucially, co-operative learning is not a passive, long-term classroom ordeal; it is an active learning process driven by real-world events and shared experiences. Therefore, co-operative principles should be integrated directly into school curricula and daily student life. While bringing co-operative models into traditional schools may disrupt conventional educational boundaries, it offers immense benefits to both educators and learners. By tackling difficult societal problems together, we can restore the sense of collective responsibility needed to sustain our communities.
As one presenter eloquently noted: *"I believe a society that learns together creates a society that lives together. You can lecture people on the importance of living together all day, but they will often listen and forget. A co-operative is a space that makes it impossible to exist unless you learn together. We need more spaces like this in our world."
🍁Conclusion
Looking back, Korean society used to be deeply relationship-oriented. When my parents were away during my childhood, neighbors would naturally watch over me, and playing outside with a group of neighborhood friends was a daily routine. Today, children growing up in a digitalized world inhabit a vastly different reality. Many students express that being alone is far more comfortable and that building face-to-face friendships feels unfamiliar or exhausting.
Yet, no human being can survive entirely in isolation. An individual's struggle quickly becomes a neighborhood issue, which eventually escalates into a broader societal challenge. When diverse people gather, exchange opinions, and amplify their collective voices, the wisdom and strength to solve complex problems naturally emerge.
This is precisely why co-operatives and SSE models are indispensable. No matter how advanced our digital society becomes, people must always come first. The wisdom and practical know-how gained through co-operative experiences in a human-centered society will serve as the primary engine for overcoming future crises and moving humanity forward.
This is the fundamental reason why future generations need the Social and Solidarity Economy today.
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