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