Imagine living the life of a young person. Twenty-four-hour social media bombardment, scrutiny from parents and teachers, insecurities, and low self-esteem. Although young people have immense potential, the world has changed so much that they are becoming an ‘endangered species’. Commonwealth Correspondent Stuti Chakraborty, 22, from India says creating safe spaces for young people to …

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You can now apply to attend the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) in Kigali, Rwanda. CYF takes place from 20 to 23 June 2020. About 500 young leaders from 54 member countries will attend and build consensus on key challenges and opportunities facing young people. These include: employment climate change gender equality innovation peacebuilding On 26 June, leaders will …

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Apply now if you want to represent the Commonwealth’s 1.4 billion young people on the Commonwealth Youth Council. Have you got what it takes? What you’ll do You will: serve Commonwealth young people from 2020 to 2022 run, manage and develop the Commonwealth Youth Council join and organise workshops, advisory panels help make policy recommendations …

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Growing up, Commonwealth Youth Awards 2020 finalist Samuel Neil had lofty dreams of becoming a pilot. Now, as founder of The Aviation Club of Jamaica, a national initiative which encourages young people to enter the aviation sector, he is helping other young people’s dreams soar. Commonwealth Correspondent Tshwanelo Fokazi, 27, from Ekurhuleni, South Africa caught …

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Young people make up more than half of Fiji’s population – but they are mostly excluded from policy formulation and decision-making. Broderick John Mervyn, one of this year’s Commonwealth Youth Awards finalists, is working to change that through his initiative Ignite4Change. Oghenekevwe Oghenechovwen, a 21-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Warri in Nigeria, spoke to Broderick about …

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The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting a new webinar series for young people to have a louder voice in policy decisions affecting them. The announcement comes after both the Commonwealth Youth Forum and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) were postponed due to COVID-19. Engaging young people The series aims to engage young people from the …

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Education and skills-building have been among the first casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. As social distancing continues to challenge training and learning, and with unemployment at an all-time high, 28-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent Sherita Sharma from Suva, Fiji, explores what opportunities young people have for skills-building both during and after COVID-19. Investing in youth by building …

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In this COVID-19 era, skills and personal development training are now being delivered on digital platforms, leaving behind those without access to the internet. Ariana Joseph, 20-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Antigua and Barbuda argues that now is the time to make this technology available to those who can’t afford it. When we consider that young …

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