The above quote captures part of the rational for youth participation: it enhances policy development and policy implementation. When young people are free to involve themselves in the governance process in a way that is active, voluntary and informed, policies are better drafted and have a better chance of making a difference on the ground. CYP has assisted National Youth Councils' involvement in National Youth Policy in many Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth Youth Caucus

The Commonwealth has its own youth conultative body, the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. The Youth Caucus operates at national, regional and Pan-Commonwealth levels, representing young people's interests to the Commonwealth Youth Programme, youth ministries and other partners. Members come from National Youth Councils and other youth bodies. the chair of the Youth Caucus has fukll speaking rights at Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meetings. Youth Caucus members also play leading roles at Commonwealth Youth Forums - which coincides with Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings - as organisers, facilitators, speakers and trainers.

 

Tackling HIV/AIDS: The Young Ambassadors of Positive Living (YAPL)

The YAPL programme began in the Africa region and has since been replicated in Asia and the Caribbean. The Young Ambassadors are HIV-positive young people who have volunteered their time to educate others about the epidemic, as well as to press for appropriate policy responses and treatment regimes. Young Ambassadors have spread their message of hope and de-stigmatization to people in church groups, the media, the military, youth clubs and elsewhere. Their activities are living testimony to the fact that people living with HIV can nevertheless contribute actively in society and play leadership roles.

 

Commonwealth Youth Development Awards.

Every year CYP makes awards worth approximately £35,000 to outstanding youth-led development initiatives. Between 2003 and 2006 CYP received over 500 award applications. Winners of the Gold Award in 2006 included a tailoring and furniture making project in Zambia; a soil regeneration project in India and an initiative in Fiji to provide alternative livelihoods to the drug trade, including fishing, farming and a canteen business.

 

Youth Mainstreaming.

A major part of CYP's work in GDYN is to assist our partners with youth mainstreaming:

"The prosess of assessing the implications (for youth)of any planned action....a strategy for making (youth) concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes, in all political, economical and social spheres so that (youth) benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated." - ECOSOC Agreed Conclusions 1997/2.