Young Pacific students empowered by development training

Today thirty young students from the Pacific attended training on Youth development, conducted by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Pacific centre. The training focussed on CYP’s engagement with youth people, youth engagement, youth leadership and human rights. This training is part of CYP’s mandate to ‘engage and empower young people (aged 15 to 29) to enhance their contributions to development.’ Youth empowerment is at the core of the CYP’s strategic plan which states that, ‘empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions, under which they can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others.”

According the CYP programme Manager Mr Sushil Ram, CYP strives to ensure that enabling conditions are created under which young people get an opportunity to decide for themselves on matters concerning them. We seek to accomplish this by building the capacity of young people and their networks and in facilitating greater interface between them and those in charge of policy formulation and decision-making.

The student leaders from Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Australia and New Zealand have gathered at CYP pacific centre for the Federal University of the South Pacific Student Association (USPSA) Council meeting. The meeting will conclude on Saturday with the launch of the Pacific Students Association.
The CYP Pacific Centre in partnership with the USPSA Federal Council has facilitated the formation of the Pacific Students Association, which will be the voice for the student youths in the region on educational and developmental issues facing them. The ability of the student youth to organize themselves democratically is seen as integral to raising their educational and other concerns.

As the lead facilitator of this programme Mr Sushil Ram said,
“The CYP understands the usefulness of strengthening student movements and is committed to contributing to the re-activation of democratic student movements, by coordinating student representatives and involving them in decision-making about education policies”.

CYP regional Director Ms Afu Billy said adds,
“It is essential that our future professionals and leaders have a say on education issues that affect them and generations to come. An organised youth voice in education will facilitate region wide access to deliberations and ultimately, create policy outcomes that will shape the future of education.”

For more information please contact Programme Manager Mr Sushil Ram on +677 38374 or +677 38375.