CYF Official Delegate Photo
CYF Official Delegate Photo with the Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP, Minister for Youth, Ms Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General, and Ms Melissa Parke MP, Federal Member for Fremantle.
CYF delegates provide recommendations to Heads of Government
The delegates of the Commonwealth Youth Forum have urged Commonwealth leaders to support the establishment of an independent youth led governing body to oversee the administration of a youth development fund in the communiqué to Heads of Government.
The recommendation was provided with supporting principles at the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) Closing Ceremony on Thursday 27 October in Fremantle, Western Australia.
The recommendation is explained in this excerpt from the communiqué:
Read More.
Celebrating diversity and culture at the CYF
Delegates have experienced a melting pot of culture at CYF2011, enjoying a cultural performance night and an afternoon of Australian cultural activities.
At the cultural performance evening, the delegates from each region gave a performance exhibiting traditional dance and song. On show were traditional dances such as the haka from the South Pacific, a martial arts display and Bollywood dancing from the Asia region, colourful singing and dancing from the Caribbean including a conga line and vibrant colour and song from Africa.
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Skills building for practical change
Today, delegates were equipped with new skills and knowledge to assist them to take action at a local level when they return home at the end of CYF.
“We hope the skills building sessions equip the delegates with practical tools to enable them to implement their ideas at the local level,” said Alan Huynh, chair of the CYF Planning Group.
Read more.
Prime Minister officially opens Commonwealth Youth Forum
The Prime Minister Julia Gillard today officially opened the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Opening Ceremony in Fremantle Western Australia.
“It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all to Australia, to Western Australia, and to the magnificent city of Fremantle,” Ms Gillard said.
“Your commitment is inspiring and your efforts are very much appreciated. Appreciated and timely because you are our source of hope and inspiration for the challenges of tomorrow.”
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CYF delegates arrive in Fremantle
Young people from across the Commonwealth have arrived in Fremantle, Australia for the Commonwealth Youth Forum 2011.
The delegates were welcomed to Fremantle with a community engagement event hosted by the City of Fremantle, Kings Square Sounds. At the event, delegates met Fremantle young people and discussed local issues while taking in live music from Jake and the Cowboys, Rainy Day Women, and Spoonful of Sugar.
Read more.
Preparation for delegates ahead of CYF
For delegates who wish to prepare ahead of CYF, there is a lot of useful information to draw on. Here are some useful links for you to visit, including to the previous communiqués:
For more information, visit the Facebook page or email the CYF team
CYF delegates to enjoy a uniquely Australian experience
Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) delegates will have the opportunity to spot a penguin, explore an underground crystal cave or work with an Indigenous artist when they attend the CYF this October.
Read more.
Australian Delegates for CYF Announced
30 outstanding young people from across the country will gather in Fremantle next month to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF)
The Minister for Youth, Peter Garrett today announced the Australian delegates for the CYF, who come from every State and Territory and represent a diverse range of backgrounds.
“These remarkable young people from across the country had been selected to provide youth-related recommendations to Heads of Government,” Mr Garrett said.
“Their broad range of experiences, background and expertise reflect the diversity of Australian communities. Our delegates have backgrounds in healthcare, indigenous advocacy, human rights, the media, politics, business, urban planning and education, among many other fields.”
The successful Australian delegates were chosen by an open selection process run by the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition.
The forum will run from October 23-27 and is an important event leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Perth from 28 to 30 October 2011.
For more information, see the full list of delegates the media release or contact the CYF Team
Australian Delegates for the Commonwealth Youth Forum 2011
The selection process for Australian delegates to attend the CYF is now closed and the selected delegates will be announced soon.
30 successful Australian applicants will have the opportunity to learn about the Commonwealth, debate issues to be progressed to world leaders at CHOGM and benefit from skills-building sessions during the Forum. They also have the unique opportunity to work with international delegates from Commonwealth member nations to discuss global issues.
For more information email cyf2011@deewr.gov.au.
CYF 2011: Our Commonwealth, Our Future
The Planning Group for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) met for the first time in Fremantle, Western Australia last week to set the agenda for the CYF.
The Planning Group, made up of nine young Australians and eight young people from the Commonwealth nations, developed the event program for the CYF and decided on the theme: Our Commonwealth, Our Future.
Ellie Seckold, who chaired the Planning Group meeting, said they chose this theme because it fits well with their plans for the CYF
“We really want to look at what has been achieved by the previous forums, and then focus our attention on key youth issues for the Commonwealth today and our goals for the future,” she said.
Samuel Kavuma, a planning group member from Uganda, said that the issues facing the Commonwealth are diverse and the CYF provides an opportunity for them to be addressed.
“For the [Pacific] island countries it’s climate change, for Africa, it’s health and employment. But all the issues make us come together,” he said.
The Planning Group also took in the sights of Fremantle to help them develop the social program for the forum.
“While the forum will be focussing on issues facing the whole Commonwealth, we also want to ensure that it has uniquely Australian feel,” Ms Seckold said.
The forum will take place from 23-27 October in Fremantle, and is one of the three parallel events for the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
For information on CHOGM please visit www.chogm2011.org
Planning Group for Commonwealth Youth Forum announced
Minister Garrett has announced the appointment of the Australian Planning Group for the Commonwealth Youth Forum, a lead-up event to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2011.
Mr Garrett said the outstanding young Australians will work with the Government to plan the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) to be held in Fremantle, from 23-27 October 2011.
“The young appointees to the Planning Group will be setting the agenda for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Forum,” Mr Garrett said.
“I congratulate these exceptional young people, and commend them on their commitment to improving the lives of all young Australians.”
Mr Garrett said up to 130 delegates from the nations of the Commonwealth are expected to attend the CYF to discuss issues of importance to young people. Australia, as the host country, will send a delegation of up to 30 young Australians to the event.
For more information on the Planning Group members, view the full biographies of the Australian members of the Planning Group, and the names of the international members of the Planning Group.
The selection process to become an Australian delegate to the CYF will open later this year, and information will be provided here.
If you would like more information on the CYF, please contact the CYF Team.
More information on CHOGM is also available.
Background on the CYF
The Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) 2011 will be organised by the Australian Government in association with the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
The CYF will be held in Fremantle, Western Australia from 23 27 October 2011, and aims to:
- develop young people’s understanding of the Commonwealth and its values
- create a platform for young people to contribute to Commonwealth and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) agendas;
- provide the delegates with a self-development opportunity through skill building exercises at the CYF
- promote networking and interchange between young people, while giving the delegates a uniquely Australian experience.
Up to 130 delegates representing every nation of the Commonwealth will attend the event. The delegates will produce a communiqué which will be circulated at CHOGM in 2011 and be presented to the Commonwealth Secretariat, giving the young people of the Commonwealth a chance to have their opinions heard by the Heads of Government.
For more information about the CHOGM and its parallel events, please visit the CHOGM website.