On the Commonwealth Heads of Authorities Assembly (CHOGM) in Rwanda, 2023 was declared because the Commonwealth Yr of the Youth, and a collection of initiatives to ship on that mandate started.
On the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Assembly (CYMM) in London, it was determined to increase the Yr of Youth till the subsequent CHOGM, which might be held in Apia, Samoa, in October 2024.
It was agreed within the CYMM final result assertion that the Yr of Youth must be prolonged to “guarantee most and sustained impression”. A brand new brand has been designed, and a collection of movies have been commissioned to share the renewed imaginative and prescient for the prolonged programme.
When the 12 months of focus was declared, the Commonwealth Leaders had mentioned that 2023 must be centered on empowering younger individuals, elevating their points amongst stakeholders and governments, in addition to accelerating progress on youth-focused points. The Yr of Youth additionally coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), which helps member nations with youth growth work.
Layne Robinson, Head of Social Coverage Improvement on the Commonwealth Secretariat, underneath whose portfolio the CYP falls, mentioned:
“Whereas we’re happy with what we’ve achieved throughout 2023, the extension of the Yr of the Youth till the subsequent CHOGM will permit us to depart a extra lasting legacy and attain much more younger individuals. We thank the leaders throughout the Commonwealth for giving us this chance to work with them to ship much more successfully and considerably for the younger individuals we serve.”
Sixty per cent of Commonwealth residents, accounting for 1.5 million individuals, are aged 29 or youthful.
The Commonwealth Secretary-Normal, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, spoke of the significance of youth on the launch in January 2023, she mentioned then:
“The Commonwealth’s future success rests with them. So right here right this moment we decide to investing in and selling their growth and engagement at neighborhood, regional, nationwide and pan-Commonwealth ranges all through this 12 months and past.”
The Secretary-Normal additionally reiterated the dear contribution that younger individuals throughout the Commonwealth make to human growth, the significance of empowering their work and amplifying their views.
The Yr of Youth has included initiatives together with the relaunch of the YourCommonwealth web site, which is devoted to honing the skills of younger writers and journalists in addition to sharing the voice of youth advocates.
The 12 months’s initiatives have additionally included webinars that includes youth views, sporting actions, and a complement that includes younger writers in British newspaper, The Voice, which has a robust readership throughout the African and Caribbean diaspora.
The Yr of Youth additionally featured prominently in conferences and different occasions together with the Commonwealth version of Kenya Innovation Week, the 4th Commonwealth Convention on Youth Work and the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Improvement Work.
In March, a contingent of leaders from throughout the Commonwealth youth networks had been introduced collectively for a two-week youth community summit designed to upskill them, permit them to be taught from one another and to facilitate the event of pan-Commonwealth initiatives. A few of these younger leaders had been additionally current throughout the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Assembly in Might to talk on to leaders and share their views.
A part of the work that’s being carried out now contains partnerships to supply alternatives. One such partnership with expertise large, Intel, will present on-line coaching in AI for hundreds of younger individuals. The AI for Youth program will permit them to develop expertise, in statistical information, laptop imaginative and prescient, and pure language processing, in addition to social expertise, reminiscent of problem-solving, AI ethics, and safety.
The Yr of Youth coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of labor of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) in supporting member nations with youth growth work.
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