CYC News Update: Press Release on the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria

March 27, 2014.

CYC News Update: Press Release on the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria

The Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) is concerned about the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria. In line with the Commonwealth core values of Democracy, Tolerance, respect, understanding and freedom of expression, the Commonwealth Youth Council called for a specific mandate to every delegate from the constituency he/she represents at the conference, especially the youth delegates.

According to the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council, Ahmed Adamu, “the youth delegates at the ongoing national conference in Nigeria need to report back to the youth congress they represent, let them consult with the youth through different fora such as online consultations, town hall meetings, etc.”

Ahmed Adamu further noted that, “the members at the national conference should be patriotic and should participate actively as they are doing service to their country. Delegates should not be motivated by the personal gains, rather they should be concerned about the future they are shaping for the youth in the country.” The CYC being the official voice of the young people in the Commonwealth is keen on ensuring active participation of young people in every policy making and decision making processes.

The CYC also urge the conference secretariat to provide a platform where generality of the country’s citizens will be involved in the process and identify the thematic areas for public consultations and feedback. Conference like this affects the generality of the populace, as such public opinions have to be sorted to give them a sense of inclusion. Similarly, discussions at the conference should be strictly base on relevant issues. The adoption of the conference’s resolution has to be in the best interest of the people.

Please check this link for a newspaper report on the subject matter: http://dailytrust.info/index.php/news/20241-youth-council-seeks-interface-between-confab-delegates-constituents

Signed:

POPOOLA, Isiaka Olamilekan,
Secretary, Media, Publicity & Public Relations Committee,
Commonwealth Youth Council
T: +234-8032249398
E: popoolaio@gmail.com
BBM: 2273D09B

CYC Chairperson Visits Physically Challenged Children

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), Ahmed Adamu, visited the physically challenged pupils at the School of The Blind Children located at Jabi area of Abuja, Nigeria. The event was organised by the Next Generation Nigeria Summit in which the CYC Chairperson was invited as a Mentor and Guest Speaker.

While delivering his speech as an Ambassador of NGNS, he encouraged the pupils to take their education very serious and also not to be discouraged by their diasbilities in achieving all the best they aimed at in life. He stated further, "We will continue to support you, protect you and advocate on your behalf. I will take this as a challenge, wherever I go all over the world, the first priority is you - the people with disabilities. I will continue to be your ambassador wherever I go." He also promised to assist the school at his personally capacity.

The Next Generation Nigeria Summit is a youth led initiative which provides a platform for the actualization of Nigerian youths yearning for a new Nigeria in line with the British Council 2010 Next Generation Report which incisively highlight the new found youth demographic window.

A similar news report on the event can be found through this link: http://leadership.ng/news/358551/school-blinds-principal-bags-award

Signed:

POPOOLA Isiaka Olamilekan
Secretary, Media, Publicity & Public Relations (MPPR) Committee,
Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC),
T: +234-8032249398
F: www.facebook.com/popoolaio
E: popoolaio@gmail.com
T: @popoolaio
S: popoolaio
BBM: 2273D09B

CYC Chairperson Visits Gen. IBB

THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN ENSURING VIOLENCE-FREE ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA, BEING THE TEXT OF A PAPER PRESENTED BY HON. (BARR.) ONOFIOK LUKE, MEMBER, AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL FLAGGING-OFF CEREMONY OF “YOUTH CAMPAIGN AGAINST ELECTION VIOLENCE” (Y-CAEV) AT MERIT HOUSE ABUJA

THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN ENSURING VIOLENCE-FREE ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA, BEING THE TEXT OF A PAPER PRESENTED BY HON. (BARR.) ONOFIOK LUKE, MEMBER, AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL FLAGGING-OFF CEREMONY OF “YOUTH CAMPAIGN AGAINST ELECTION VIOLENCE” (Y-CAEV) AT MERIT HOUSE ABUJA

The 2011 general elections in Nigeria were widely acknowledged by credible international bodies as the best-managed election in Nigeria since the country's return to democracy in 1999. But in spite of attaining the status of one of our best-run elections, the United States Peace Institute adjudged the polls of that year as the most violent election in the history of the country, with more than 800 deaths recorded and over 60, 000 people displaced in the violence which erupted following the elections.

In 2003, more than 100 people were reported killed in escalated violent clashes during that year's general election. The 2007 elections were also not free from unrest as more than 300 Nigerians lost their lives according to reports by the Human Rights Watch. In each case, churches and mosques were burnt, children and women were maimed, and properties worth fortunes destroyed.

What is profound in the sad commentary of elections in Nigeria is that the Nigerian youths have been playing very key roles in what becomes the fate of every election in the country. While the 2011 election was a relatively successful outing because some of the nation's youths formed the mass of patriots that manned the process, the ensuring violence which claimed several lives and properties was also not without the critical inputs of young Nigerians. To put in a clearer perspective, Nigeria appears to be replete with youths who believe in repositioning the nation but hold different beliefs on what is the right approach to achieving the change.

Those who believe in putting Nigeria back on track through a revolution see every opportunity for a change as that which calls for violent resistance to what in their thinking is not a positive change. Those who believe in the peaceful transformation of our socio-political lot are quick to embrace non-violence means to achieving lasting change. What is not clear is which of the two groups of youths is more actively engage in our political process.

It is erroneous to think that electoral violence is always an exclusive machination of the youth. Evidences abound that the gory clashes during or after elections in the country have on several occasions been engineered by people who are outside the youth age stratum. But the truth remains that whether the youths are often used by politicians to perpetuate violence as many argue, or they mastermind violence by themselves, young Nigerians are the key to ensuring violence-free elections in our country. This brings me to the very personal and more practical instance of what I am talking about. It is the story of my engagement in politics as a youth. I not only had the opportunity to actively participate in the 2007 general elections in the country. I also stood elections in 2011 as a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party contesting for a seat in the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly.

In 2007, I was one of the youths who mobilised other youths for the Chief Godswill Akpabio governorship campaign. How did we manage to achieve a violent-free election in spite of the odds that were against us? We simply identified and aligned ourselves with a candidate who himself was an anti-violence politician. We started by consulting youth leaders and mobilising other youths across the local government areas of the state to rally supports for our candidate. We moved from youth groups to youth groups selling our candidate and his manifestoes to fellow youths. We believed we had a fine product in the person of Chief Godswill Akpabio to sell. Above all, the unique selling points which we identified in him as a person and in his manifestoes, were what we used as the centrepiece of our campaign for him.

Tolerance was another central reason why we succeeded in achieving a peaceful election in a poll that had far more number of youths engaged in the process than the elders. It didn't matter to us what the opposition candidates and their campaign teams were doing. What we concentrated on was to be heard. All we wanted was for the people to receive our message. We dwelt our message on our vision to deliver a far more superior leadership to our people. We were so passionate about the message that we carried so that we neither had the time nor reasons to confront security personnel throughout the electioneering period. If you have a more convincing message, there would be no need to take up arms. Violence is often resorted

to by people with a weak mental capacity to score a point. In the end, we carried the day without a single incidence of bloodshed. This is how the Dr. Godswill Akpabio administration came to be populated by focused and peace-loving youths whose only drive was the overall growth and progress of Akwa Ibom people.

Another instance where the energies of young people were positively channelled towards the conduct of an election was when I contested in 2011. The youths in my constituency mobilised themselves to be my canvassers. They were convinced by the message that I had for the people. They wanted to be part of the vision to deliver quality representation to the people of

our constituency. So they willingly took it upon themselves to serve as my mouthpieces especially in the areas I could not personally reach before the elections. They campaigned in all the wards and units where elections were going to hold. They reached a unanimous agreement among themselves to ensure a violence free election in every part of the constituency. So for

every polling unit, there were a number of them who monitored voting. They worked with the various security personnel to ensure nobody attempted to disrupt the process. Rather than ferment trouble, these young people actually organised themselves into groups of 'local police' to enthrone peace while voting lasted. In the end, no gun was shot. No one was maimed. No religious place was burnt down. Those who won celebrated. Those who lost knew they had lost on a fair ground. There was absolute peace. And today, the people are living in peace; the dividend of democracy is felt. No one is recounting any loss owing to that election. To me, this is an ideal paradigm for Nigerian youths to adopt in order to square it up against electoral violence.

Of course, I am not unaware of how a few of our security men can be used to stir violence. This is where the social media comes in. We saw this during the just concluded election in Anambra State where activities during the elections were being twitted live by youths who took it upon themselves to report from each polling unit. Pictures of malpractices were also uploaded for the world to see. We hear a number of arrests made were made possible by online reports, images and videos posted on YouTube. This is just how the youths should police the system during an election such as the one in 2015.

More and more studies have shown that there is a significant relationship between youth involvement in electoral violence and the crisis of democratic consolidation in Nigeria. As one who has been both a contestant in an election as well as a mobiliser of youths for a contestant in an election, I can assure you that the youths of this country hold the key to a violent-free election. All that we need to do is to harness our interests, identify those who share in these interests, take up the responsibility of mobilising other young people who share in those interest areas, tolerate those who do not agree with us, and police our votes peacefully with the aid of whatever mass media that is available to us. This way, we can say the battle against election violence is significantly won.

It is trite to note that this model will fail where the larger number of youths allow their conscience to be bought over. Let me reveal one secret to you. The average politician fears a strong and indivisible body of youths in an election far more than he may dread his opponent. So they try to break the ranks of any youth group that they consider to be focused, and resolute. Money, as you know, is often the bait. Once the ranks are broken and camps are created among you, you become their tools. Before you realise that you are just a tool, you are already taking up arms against yourselves. This way, the politician wins. You lose. And when you lose, your community loses; your future loses; posterity loses. Akwa Ibom youths knew this in 2007, and that was why we collectively stood on the side of our conscience. We resisted money from those who tried to split our ranks. We refused to be divided so that we could stand for what we believed in. It was the sacrifice which we had to make. Today, Akwa Ibom is the better for it.

Every goal is first made and achieved in the mind. Then there is a sacrifice for it. Then there is the tangible achievement. From the statistics since 2003, you have seen that the number of deaths and destructions recorded in each election in Nigeria only continues to increase. This is the time to work against the ugly phenomenon. Until we stand up and save our own future as youths, no one will. There has never been a more urgent time to act than now.

I thank you.

SPEECH BY AHMED ADAMU, CHAIRPERSON, COMMONWEALTH YOUTH COUNCIL, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF THE YOUTH CAMPAIGN AGAINST ELECTION VIOLENCE

SPEECH BY AHMED ADAMU, CHAIRPERSON, COMMONWEALTH YOUTH COUNCIL, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF THE YOUTH CAMPAIGN AGAINST ELECTION VIOLENCE

It is a historical and defining moment of the current youth generation for initiating a campaign that will put an end to Election Violence. The Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) being the largest and most diverse youth-led organization in the world is leading the campaign tagged “Youth Campaign Against Election Violence” in some selected Commonwealth countries. With the establishment of CYC, the entire population of the Commonwealth youth is now united and coordinated. The CYC was established by the young people in the commonwealth and endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of governments, and it is established to play an integral role of advancing youth development agenda and the co-ordination of activities and policies of the Commonwealth in the field of youth. The council works for and represents the voice of all young people within the commonwealth. It is the official and recognized voice of more than 1.2 billion young people in the commonwealth. Commonwealth Youth Council provides a framework for youth-led development initiatives, and coordinates, harmonizes and unites all youth organizations within the commonwealth countries. We are honored to be the first-ever set of people to lead this great organization. We are determined to set a legacy to be remembered till the end of time.

The Commonwealth Youth Council notes that there is a recurrent loss of lives of young people in some Commonwealth countries during democratic elections and most times leads to loss of lives and properties, and subsequently causing political and economic instability.

The Y-CAEV pilot campaign is being launched today in Nigeria considering the imminent general elections in the country, and subsequently,it will be launched in other Commonwealth countries. According to Human Right Watch, election violence have cost many lives of young people in some Commonwealth nations. For instance in Nigeria, the violence ensued after the 2003 general elections had left at least 100 young people dead and many others injured. European Union observers also reported that at least 300 young people were killed in violence linked to the 2007 elections. Human right watch also reported that election violence has been on the rise in Nigeria with high level of causalities, lost of lives and properties in the last general elections in 2011, which almost resulted to a religious and ethnic crisis. The crisis cost lives of some innocent youth service corps members. The crisis mostly affected the northern states especially Kaduna, Bauchi, Kano and have left more than 800 young people dead, and relief officials estimate that more than 65, 000 people were displaced.The Y-CAEV campaign is targeted toward achieving zero electoral violence, zero loss of lives and zero loss of properties.

OBJECTIVE OF Y-CAEV

Y-CAEVaim at the following:

1.         To achieve zero level of election violence, zero cost of lives and properties.

2.         To enlighten young people on the danger of the election violence.

3.         To educate young people on the electoral procedures and election complain processes.

4.         To train and inculcate the discipline of peace, tolerance and obedience.

5.         To coach young people on proper method and best practice of election inspection.

6.         To enlighten all election stakeholders e.g. electoral officers, security, political party agents, journalist, observers, etc on the need for harmony and good working relation during elections.

7.         To identify the best practice of achieving peaceful elections.

The Nigerian youth are setting another record for leading a global peace model that will save millions of lives of young people globally. The campaign is aimed to be stepped down to the six geo-political zones, state and local levels. The purpose of this meeting is to educate young people on the best practice to establish peace and social cohesion during electioneering processes, and to develop a model that will ensure effective implementation of the campaign at grassroots level. Youth are determined to stop any sort of violence, and with Y-CAEV project we will achieve free, fair, and peaceful elections in all the 53 Commonwealth nations.

Youth engage in violence because they feel neglected and unsupported by the leaders. Poverty is another cause for youth violence, and it is sometimes artificially instilled. Politicians also motivate youth to engage in violence for their self-interests. Ignorance of the democratic rights and procedures is another cause for youth violence. The Y-CAEV is therefore aimed to engaging all relevant stakeholders in curtailing the roots of election violence.

Y-CAEV METHODS

Y-CAEV will use the following method to achieve its objectives:

1.                  NATIONAL CONFERENCE: This conference will serve as the inauguration ceremony of the campaign, Youth leaders will be invited from every state, and all national election stakeholders e.g. INEC, Security personnel, religious groups, political parties, election observes, journalist etc will also be invited. The one day workshop/conference is aim to discuss issues, causes and solution to election violence. It will give room for identifying a uniform promotion campaign for peaceful elections and best conduct for young people in the elections.

2.                  STEP DOWN CAMPAIGN: Youth leaders that attended the National conference will serve as the Election Peace Marshals in their respective states. They will be trained and inducted at their geo-political zones immediately after the National conference, and they are expected to organize similar awareness conference/workshop and training in their states. The Y-CAEV State Marshalls will appoint Election for Peace Marshals at their respective states. All Y-CAEV Marshals will be provided with identities and kits. Similar structure shall be established at all local governments.

3.                  MEDIA CAMPAIGN: Y-CAEV will make use of radio, television, and print media to spread awareness for peace and against election violence. This will be through campaign jingles, drama, etc.

4.                  PEACEFUL RALLY: Y-CAEV will make use street rallies in support of peaceful elections, drawing the attention of young people on the need to embrace peace before and after elections. This will give opportunity to share campaign hand bills. Stage dances, music and comedy will be performed to attract people’s attention to peaceful elections. Y-CEV Marshalls and foot soldiers will perform peace parade, and fall in line throughout the rally.

5.                  MUSICS AND MOVIES FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS

6.                  VISIT TO UNIVERSITIES: Y-CAEV will visit all secondary and tertiary institutions to spread awareness and install secondary schools and university peace Marshalls.

The Y-CAEV youth task force in Nigeria will have the opportunity to travel round the Commonwealth nations to share their experiences and train other youth on the YCAEV peace models and best practices. I am confident of the youth resolve to addressing the menace of election violence. 

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH COUNCIL

Introduction

Young people make up over half of the Commonwealth’s population, and the present and future success of the commonwealth rests with the continued commitments and contributions of young people in upholding and promoting the commonwealth and its values and principles, and advancing the youth development agenda for a relevant, vibrant, effective and prosperous Commonwealth. Consequently, article XIII of the Commonwealth Youth Charter called for establishment of an internationally recognised youth-led organization to mobilise, harmonise, recognise, legitimise, utilise, and prioritise the important role of young people in the Commonwealth. This lead to the recommendation by the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group to establish Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), and adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia in 2011, which is established to play an integral role in advancing the youth development agenda and the co-ordination of activities and policies of the Commonwealth in the field of youth. The council shall work for and represent the voice of all young people within the commonwealth.

At the Commonwealth Youth Leaders’ Conference in Chandigarh, India (December 2010), the commonwealth youth programme supported the then Commonwealth Regional Youth Caucus representatives (RYCs) to establish a youth led committee to draft the legal framework for the new Commonwealth Youth Council. The first general assembly was agreed to be held during the 2013 Commonwealth Youth Forum as an official parallel youth event of CHOGM. 

CYC General Assembly, Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

As usual the Commonwealth Youth Forum was organised as a CHOGM parallel youth event from 10-14 November, 2013, but this year’s edition was special due to the introduction of the CYC activities: CYC general assembly and CYC first general elections. The first general assembly of the CYC ratified and signed the constitution of the Commonwealth Youth Council; this took place on 11^th November, 2013. The CYC nominations into the executive positions were made through an open and transparent process a month before the general assembly. Final list of nominees were published on 14^th November, 2013. Rigorous and intellectual campaigns were made online through different social media. Delegates at the Commonwealth Youth Forum (cyf) formed the list of voters for the first CYC general elections, one vote per country. However, upon arrival at the venue of the CYF, campaign debates and speeches were organised for every position. The debate for Chairperson Position was made more rigorous with the introduction of special panel, who threw questions to the contestants before general questions from the assembly. There were 51 contestants vying for 9 positions, with four contestants vying for post of the Chairperson as follows:

Chairperson position:

1.      Ahmed Adamu, from Nigeria.

2.      Kesaobaka Pharatlhatlhe, from Botswana.

3.      Francesca Danmole, from UK.

4.      Ngen Yves Riyuh, Cameroon.

The election took place on the 12^th November, 2013 through online preferential voting system. The election results were revealed on the same day as follows:

Chairperson	Ahmed Adamu (Nigeria)
Vice Chairperson - Policy, Advocacy and Projects	Sudharshana Lakshmi (India)
Vice Chairperson - Partnerships and Resources	Sadham Zarjahan (Sri Lanka)
Vice Chairperson - Inclusion and Engagement	Mohamed Husni (Sri Lanka)
Regional Representative - Africa and Europe	Kiziah Philbert (Kenya)
Regional Representative - Asia	Tharika Dileepani (Sri Lanka)
Regional Representative - Caribbean and the Americas	Royden Beharry (Grenada)
Regional Representative - Pacific	Harry James (Solomon Islands)
Representative - Special Interest Groups	Wathsala Samarakoon (Sri Lanka)

This means that Ahmed Adamu from Nigeria will chair the new body, which will be the recognized voice of more than 1.2 billion young people of the Commonwealth and provide a framework for youth-led development initiatives. The Commonwealth Youth Council is also the largest, biggest and most diverse youth organization in the world. Leaders will serve a two-year term until the next Council General Assembly in Malta in 2015.

Adamu is from Kastina State, Nigeria and a graduate of Bayero University Kano, and he is doing his PhD in Economics, in Newcastle University, UK. He is the Founder and Pioneer President of Youth Participation for Progressive Development Initiative, member, Katsina State Executive Council Committee on youth restiveness and Unemployment, December, 2011 and Secretary, Constitutional review Committee, Katsina Central Constituency, 2012. He was also the pioneer Chief Whip of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, and represented Nigeria in the last CYF in Australia. He published book, and many international academic articles.

On 15^th November, 2013, the installation ceremony of the first CYC executives took place in a very big and colorful closing ceremony of the CYF, which was attended by more than 2000 audience including special guests and the president of the Sri Lanka. In his inaugural address, Ahmed Adamu acknowledged the daunting tasks that lie ahead, and call for inclusive and immediate support to the council, he also thank the people and government of Sri Lanka for their warm hospitality, he also presented the final communiqué of the CYF to the representative of the commonwealth Secretariat. The whole 9 days were full of cultural and social events.

The newly elected executives of the CYC met with all the presidents/heads of commonwealth countries in an interactive session. Ahmed Adamu, the new CYC chair, addressed the heads of governments by highlighting major issues of concerns raised by the youth during the concluded CYF, he also emphasized on the need to partner and support the CYC. In reactions, Presidents/heads of governments from Malawi, South Africa, Malta, Malaysia, St Lucia, Nigeria, Samoa etc responded positively and promise to support the council immediately, other heads of states who did speak at the interactive session were also in full support of the CYC. This was demonstrated by immediate donation of $100, 000.00 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan as a takeoff grant to the council. The whole CHOGM events ended 17^th November, 2013.

The commonwealth youth council, being the mother umbrella of all youth organization within commonwealth will now be expected to harmonize and establish its representatives in all commonwealth countries. It is also expected to established contacts and close relationship with all heads/presidents of the commonwealth countries, commonwealth secretariat and other commonwealth institutions, as well as other youth development partners all over the world. It is expected that the council will come up with line of actions and programs for the next one year.

SIGNED:

CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON MEDIA, PUBLICITY AND PUBLIC RELATION