On 15 July 2024, young people across the Commonwealth joined their counterparts worldwide to commemorate Youth Skills Day, an event that underscores the importance of empowering young people with the necessary skills to succeed in a challenging world.
The day also offers a platform for the Commonwealth Secretariat to highlight the achievements of young people who have gained skills, knowledge, empowerment, and support from the Commonwealth Youth Programme over the last 50 years. The theme ‘Youth Skills for Peace and Development’ also resonates with the focus of the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) in Apia, Samoa, where young people will demonstrate the power of youth skills to create a more peaceful and resilient world.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
Celebrating the Commonwealth’s youth initiatives
In the extended Commonwealth Year of Youth, the Secretariat has supported young people through various peace-building initiatives that have significantly contributed to the advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards
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The Commonwealth recognises and celebrates young people aged 15-29 through the Commonwealth Youth Awards (CYA) for Excellence in Development Work. The prize is awarded to young people spearheading impactful, sustainable development work in their communities.
Achaleke Christian, a passionate advocate for peacebuilding and a renowned change agent in Cameroon, was recognised as the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year in 2016. He believes that receiving the award had a significant positive impact on both his professional and personal life.
He said:
“The awards have allowed me to serve the Commonwealth in a greater capacity. I was declared a national hero in my country, and the government recognised me. It changed everything.
‘I invested the CYA grand prize in setting up my office. My first project involved working with prisoners to promote entrepreneurship skills and other alternatives to violence for young people in prison”.
Achaleke's story is a testament to the transformative power of recognition and support for young changemakers through the CYA.
The Commonwealth youth networks
The Secretariat has established several youth-led networks that strengthen peacebuilding and social cohesion:
- Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN)
The Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN) brings together young people from across the Commonwealth to upscale and optimise grassroots, national, regional and Pan-Commonwealth efforts to promote peace, respect, understanding and prevent violent extremism. The members receive training in conflict resolution, mediation, and community engagement, which they apply to resolve conflict and promote peace. The members in the network range from community-level and policy-level peace advocates and include young people who use alternative methods to peace-building, such as photographers, cartoonists and sportspeople.
- Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Network (CYSDP)
The Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Network (CYSDP) promotes the use of sport as a tool for achieving youth development objectives. It consists of young practitioners in the field of Sport for Development and Peace. As part of their mandate, working group members attend forums around the world and contribute to the existing dialogue on safeguarding principles and innovative applications of sports towards global development goals.
- The Sport for Development and Peace Youth Advocacy Toolkit provides young people with advice about skills and tools to become agents of change in their communities. The toolkit also enhances understanding of and support for sport’s role in achieving critical development and peace objectives.
By investing in the development of youth skills, we are paving the way for a future where young people are not merely beneficiaries but active architects of peace and prosperity.
The upcoming Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) in Apia, Samoa, from 21-22 October 2024 will further emphasise the vital role of youth in addressing complex global challenges, including peacebuilding.
Learn more about the Commonwealth Youth Forum
Media contact
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Ijeoma Onyeator Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
