Young People Crucial to New Form of Governance

Malta's Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi

He was speaking to more than 100 young delegates at the launch of the fifth CYF in Malta on 16 November 2005. The CYF is one of the three major fora meeting in conjunction with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from 25 to 27 November. The others are the Commonwealth People's Forum and the Commonwealth Business Forum.

Dr Gonzi stressed that the digital divide among countries in the Commonwealth must be overcome in order to develop ICT capacity and its potential for progress.

"Development is often hindered by the difficulties we encounter when relating to each other's differences. Real progress cannot be achieved through the development of select segments of the community but rest on the ability and opportunity for all sectors of a community to participate in such progress. ICT development therefore provides us with a useful model for good governance."

The prime minister urged the young delegates at the CYF to play an active role in their communities and countries to achieve justice, peace, prosperity and development through mutual co-operation and networking.

"Young people's participation should be acknowledged and guaranteed because they play an important role in shaping both the present and future of our communities, societies and countries. You have a contribution to make and your action and commitment to achieve prosperity, peace and co-operation is irreplaceable."

Malta's Minister of Education, Dr Louis Galea, underlined the critical need for young people to be linked through technology and to capitalise on its capacity for socio-economic development.

"The advent of ICT as the dominant system of communication is influencing the cultural context within which society develops and creates the possibility of a more open, dialogic, relational, flexible approach to all issues. We believe that an information knowledge-based society is the bedrock for prosperity, economic growth and social inclusion. This requires a new mind-set, starting with a new approach in teaching, learning and communication," said Dr Galea.

Jean-Paul de Lucca, Chairman of the CYF Planning Team said young Commonwealth citizens want their voices heard in the decision-making process.

"We care to contribute to identifying challenges, exploring possibilities and finding solutions to the pressing issues facing the Commonwealth and the world. We care to translate our thoughts and discussions into concrete action for the improvement and sustainable development of our countries," said Mr de Lucca.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Florence Mugasha said the CYF has evolved into a central platform for young people from across the Commonwealth to mobilise for effective participation in all aspects of development, democracy and governance. This has facilitated their engagement and networking at national, regional, international and at CHOGM levels.

With more than half of the total population of Commonwealth member states below the age of 30, Mrs Mugasha noted that the advantages of providing young people with an opportunity to meet, discuss and build a consensus on issues of common interest.

"It is imperative that we keep this momentum as a way of exposing the youth to the challenges and opportunities open to them such as assisting them in acquiring skills and tools to implement strategies to advocate for human rights, promote active citizenship, boost capacity-building and improve education and skills development," said the Deputy Secretary-General.

She stated that youth forums have also demonstrated the success of partnership and networking between young people, governments and civil society. This is advantageous as youth development issues are diverse and all-encompassing for any agency or government to successfully tackle alone.

The CYF concludes on 23 November where a communiqué will be presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon and Education Minister Dr Louis Galea for consideration at CHOGM.

Secretariat Links:

• CHOGM Archive

Related Websites:

• CHOGM 2005