The Youth of the Commonwealth

by Jemine Elsie Eyinmisan

When the opportunity arose to attend the Commonwealth Youth Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for March 3 to 14, 2025, an event that brings together young leaders from the 56 Commonwealth Member States, I was thrilled!

As a Nigerian woman born in one of these member states, I’m familiar with the Commonwealth and its role globally. However, I haven’t closely followed its recent developments over the years. This summit presented an opportunity for me to learn, network, reconnect, deepen my understanding and share with the youth the tangible, meaningful work the Commonwealth is doing today.

I asked for the agenda, and my excitement grew as I read it. I realized this wouldn’t be just another program filled with empty formalities. It was an intentional gathering designed to empower and upskill youth leaders, amplify the voices of the youth, and strengthen our capacity to drive meaningful social change.

This resonated deeply with my aspirations, so I eagerly accepted the opportunity. It felt like a clear invitation not just to attend an event, but to become part of something significant, something genuinely impactful.

Yet in that moment, what I couldn’t have possibly known… was that I wasn’t just stepping into a summit; I was stepping into a movement!

I felt the energy in the air the moment I arrived. The quiet hum of voices blending in different accents, the rustling of papers, the facilitators moving with purpose. The registration team met me with genuine, welcoming, unforced smiles. It wasn’t just polite hospitality. It was a message that said, “You belong here.”

I wasn’t a member of any Commonwealth Youth Networks. I was just an observer… someone curious. Yet, when I arrived, Sushil Ram, the Adviser on Youth Development and Facilitator, welcomed me without hesitation. He said to me, “You’re here, take a seat.”

And that moment stuck with me. Because that is what the Commonwealth is. It’s a warm embrace, an open door, an invitation to step in and be part of something bigger. It didn’t matter where I came from, what title I held, or if I had been there from Day 1.

I was welcomed. I was seen. I was included.

I saw something extraordinary in that room, surrounded by young brilliant minds from different corners of the world.

30+ youth leaders from all over the world, bringing pieces of their cultures, struggles, and hopes all in one space. These weren’t passive attendees; they were engaged, questioning, debating, absorbing. Their passion wasn’t just visible…it was loud!

I watched these young leaders… each carrying the weight of their country’s issues on their shoulders, yet standing tall, ready to create solutions. They weren’t just talking about change; they were the change!

It’s one thing to talk about leadership. It’s another to see it alive, breathing, fighting to be heard.

My conversation with the impressive regional representative from Africa, a Namibian lady, still rings in my head today.

She said, “I’m standing on the grounds of every African child and youth to make the most of the privilege given, to make a difference and to see the impact at home and in Africa!”

Another, from a Caribbean nation, said, “I’m not from an independent country. I’m here to tell the world our untold stories because if I don’t tell our story, who will?”

I sat with one youth leader from Ghana who said, “I came here to gather knowledge and learn everything I need to know. Opportunities exist back home, but we don’t always know how to reach them. I am here to bridge the gap because I want to help.”

These conversations were not casual. They were urgent!

One of my biggest highlights of the summit was when the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Honourable Patricia Scotland, walked into the room to address us.

Her presence alone conveyed a quiet royalty – a dignified grace and utmost respect. When she took the floor, it wasn’t just attention she commanded, but profound respect. She began to share her story with us, which I was hearing first hand for the first time. The 10th of 12 children from a small island in the Caribbean. Born in a time when everything about her, her gender, her race, her background, was set up to be a limitation.

As a black woman, I could relate to her words about her journey, challenges, and relentless fight to break barriers and stereotypes. They were a necessary reminder of the power of determination and the possibility of breaking through limitations.

She looked at the room, at the young faces before her, and she said, “Never be frightened to fail, but be terrified of not trying.” Silence.

Not the kind of silence that happens when people lose focus. The type that occurs when something lands. Something that doesn’t just get heard, but felt.

Every young person in that room, myself included, had experienced failure and rejection and had questioned whether they were capable, intelligent, or worthy.

But in that moment, something shifted.

It wasn’t just a quote. It was a challenge. Would we be afraid to fail? Or would we be terrified of never having tried at all?

And then she followed it with another lesson: “Be the first, but never the last.” Because leadership isn’t just about personal success, it’s about opening the door for those who come after you.

When the Commonwealth launched The Year of the Youth, the goal was clear: to encourage young people to participate in leadership, push decision-makers to invest in youth empowerment, and create a space where youth could be heard and be part of the

decision-making process.

And here we are now, a couple years later.

Not just talking about youth participation. Not just encouraging young people to step up.

We are watching them do it. In real time, in summits like this, young people have taken up space, put in the work, and refused to wait for permission.

The Commonwealth isn’t a symbolic institution. It’s a living force that depends on its youth. Because the truth is, the youth are the Commonwealth.

Every day I was opportuned to attend the sessions, I looked around the room and saw leaders in real time, not waiting for an invitation or someone to say, “Your turn.” They were taking their turn.

I sat with a young woman who said, “I’m gathering every resource I can because when I return home, I want to show my people what’s possible. I want to make sure they don’t feel powerless.”

Another delegate from Malawi told me, “I came here to see what other networks are doing so I can bring that knowledge back and build something stronger.”

These people weren’t dreaming of a better future. They were building it with their own hands.

This summit wasn’t just about discussion. It was about recognizing that power doesn’t come from titles, age, or experience. It comes from passion, knowledge, and the audacity to act.

The youth in that room were not waiting for permission. They created policies, built initiatives, challenged outdated systems, and demanded change. Because if not us, then who?

For the first time in a long time, I felt hope; not the passive kind, but the kind that burns in your chest, making you want to do more, to be more.

Because the Commonwealth is not just history, it’s not just politics. It’s us. It’s every young person bold enough to speak up, push back, and demand more.

It became apparent to me how much I’d underestimated the Commonwealth’s role and, even more, the role our generation, must play in shaping the world that generations after us will inherit.

The world they’re entering demands ethical leaders who see the future, aren’t afraid of innovation, and embrace change rather than fear it.

That leadership begins now – with us!

And together? We don’t just survive. We thrive!