young people's Voice in the chogm

The countdown has begun. With just over a month to go before the Commonwealth Youth Forum 2013 kicks off in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, the pre-forum discussion has already begun this week. The second development is that the sub-themes for the Forum have now been finalised. They will include the following: Reconciliation and Social Cohesion; Youth and the Post-2015 Agenda; Well-being and growth; Education; Generating Quality Youth Employment; Gender Equality; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Professionalising Youth Work.  
 

What then is the pre-forum discussion? Opportunities for online engagement has been set up to allow youth from all over the world, not restricted to youth in the Commonwealth and forum delegates, to participate and influence what might transpire at the Forum itself, thereby increasing the focus, quality and indeed outcomes of the deliberations at the Forum itself. 
 

The online engagement will build and enhance the delegates’ confidence and understanding of sub-theme topics, explore new trends and extend the current body of knowledge. The constructive discussions will also foster and encourage working relationships among young people in the world, civil society and Government and showcase how young people are the pioneers of positive change and leadership. 
 

Outcomes of online discussions will also feed into preliminary discussions with parallel forums including the Commonwealth People’s Forum, Commonwealth Business Forum and the CHOGM itself, therefore, influencing decision makers prior to more formal discussions during the official events. The action and delivery of outcomes of the online engagement will not only be carried on in to the Forum itself but well into the future with the formalised and autonomous Commonwealth youth leadership structure of the Commonwealth Youth Council. 
 

The discussions are taking place on the official platforms developed by the organising committee on Facebook, twitter and other global platforms and social media. The official links for the respective platforms are: https://www.facebook.com/cyf2013 ; https://www.facebook.com/cyf2013#!/groups/cyf2013officaldelegates/ ; and https://twitter.com/CYF_2013    






" Sri Lanka has many astute ideas on youth empowerment that other countries could greatly benefit from. One example is the model and structure of the Sri Lankan National Youth Parliament  "


 

The 9th Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF9) will take place from 10-14 November 2013 in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, bringing together over 200 young people from around the Commonwealth under the theme: ‘Inclusive Development: Stronger Together’. The CYF at CHOGM 2013 is set to be significantly different from previous summits.
 

The CYF9 forum will be a turning point for young people in the Commonwealth. It will mark the formal beginning of the Commonwealth Youth Council as the official voice for young people in the Commonwealth.



"  The fact that Sri Lanka is hosting the first General Assembly of the CYC means that Sri Lanka will make a major contribution to improving the lives of young people in the Commonwealth  "

 

CYF9 will host the first General Assembly of the newly-agreed Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) where the CYC constitution will be ratified and office bearers elected. The new executive will then hold a dialogue with leaders attending the CHOGM which takes place during the same week in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 

Youth delegates will be drawn from national youth organizations in Commonwealth countries, ensuring that the CYC is fully representative of young people in the Commonwealth. This is an exciting time to be a youth advocate in the Commonwealth.
 

In CYF9, Commonwealth youth leaders will take full ownership of and will be accountable for the policy recommendations they propose by electing officers who will implement the agreed priorities set by young people across the Commonwealth.
 

In the past, it was not always clear who would take the lead to deliver on CYF recommendations. But with the introduction of the CYC there is a general feeling that the process will be more accountable and young people will begin to experience the benefits of youth led development.  This change will provide a more open and transparent process for youth leaders to set the priorities and have their say on who are the best candidates to take these forward for the next two years. Every two years elected youth-leaders will report on their stewardship of the Council.
 

The newly-elected youth leaders will have recommendations and clear youth-led action plans they will share with stakeholders, business leaders and governments.  Rather than ‘calling on’ others, young leaders will be able to share how they will contribute to meeting the Commonwealth priorities in line with the chosen theme.

As the Commonwealth visits Sri Lanka, it is a great opportunity for the young leaders of Sri Lanka to exchange ideas with other youth leaders from all over the world.

CYF9 will host an exhibition, showcasing developments in youth empowerment and other youth-related issues. It is an opportunity for other member countries to also learn from the initiative and leadership Sri Lanka has taken on youth leadership.
 

Sri Lanka has many astute ideas on youth empowerment that other countries could greatly benefit from. One example is the model and structure of the Sri Lankan National Youth Parliament and structure of the Federations of Youth Clubs; currently, these are two of the best youth engagement, empowerment and leadership models in the world.
 

  The fact that Sri Lanka is hosting the first General Assembly of the CYC means that Sri Lanka will make a major contribution to improving the lives of young people in the Commonwealth. This will be a historical event, and one that Sri Lanka will have facilitated.
 

The Commonwealth Youth Forum 2013 is set to be the stepping-stone for the World Conference on Youth to be held in Sri Lanka in May 2014 which was proposed in recognition of a combinations of current global realities: the fact that the youth of this world need to have their effective participation increased in the decision making processes of the post-2015 development agenda, facilitate effective partnerships, create inclusive platforms to review the progress of MDGs, and establish a follow- up mechanism that support young people as partners in the global implementation of the post -2015 development agenda at UN level. 
 

The future is here for the youth of the world, and Sri Lankan youth are not only participants in milestone developments but are now having the opportunity to enable a new course for having their voice heard.
 

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