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

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 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announces US$100,000/- for the newly established Commonwealth Youth Council

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif announced a special donation of US$100,000/- at the Commonwealth Summit in Colombo for the newly established Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC). The contribution, which demonstrates the importance Pakistan attaches to the youth agenda, is intended to fund the youth-led development projects of the CYC in its early years.

The Commonwealth Youth Council was formally launched during the 9th Commonwealth Youth Forum held on the margins of the Commonwealth Summit. The newly established autonomous youth-led body would serve as the representative voice of 1.2 billion young people in the Commonwealth and would provide a framework for youth-led development initiatives. The Government of Sri Lanka has offered to host the Secretariat of CYC.

Earlier speaking on the agenda item relating to “Climate Change Financing”, the Prime Minister stated that climate change was a defining reality of our times and called for a multi-pronged and revitalized global partnership for generating the needed financing to confront its effects. In this regard, he proposed formation of global policies to motivate private sector, enhanced availability of grants and soft loans to the public sector and early operationalization of the “Green Climate Fund”.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Mr. Tony Abbott on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Summit. During the meeting, issues of common interests came under discussion.

Prime Minister is leading Pakistan delegation to the Commonwealth Summit. He is being assisted by Mr. Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Anusha Rehman, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication and Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary.

Ref >> Asian Tribune - http://www.asiantribune.com/node/67049