Commonwealth Youth Association launched on the Rock

A Commonwealth Youth Association has been launched in Gibraltar with the aim of becoming a platform to empower, engage and provide a collective voice for our youth in respect of Commonwealth matters, the Gibraltar Government said.

“Young people have a proven ability to lead change and spark innovation,” the Government spokesman said.

“As with the rest of us, our youth have had to deal with the consequences of Brexit and Covid-19 which has particularly hit them at a time when they are meant to be developing socially, seeking opportunities and creating an impact.”

“The opportunities that existed as a result of EU membership have come to an end, so it is important to place a focus on what the Commonwealth family have to offer.”

“Often our youth come out from education with great excitement with great ideas, eager to give back to the community and to develop as an individual.”

“It is important to harness that energy and use it productively for the wider benefit of Gibraltar as a whole.”

The Commonwealth Youth Association follows the participation of young people from Gibraltar in meetings of the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and the Commonwealth Youth Forum over recent years.

That involvement has sparked the interest of those delegates, and of others, in creating a movement in Gibraltar through which they can take such engagement forward, a spokesman for No.6 Convent Place said.

There are 2.6 billion people in the Commonwealth, some 60% of whom are under the age of 30.

“It is therefore with excitement and enthusiasm that the Commonwealth Youth Association sets out to tackle these issues by seeking to create an apolitical platform for youth engagement with our community,” the Government spokesman said.

“One in which we can empower and give our youth a collective voice, in the context of the Commonwealth, whilst promoting personal development through a hands-on, solutions-focused approach, it added.”

“Over the next few weeks, with our initial core of talented young individuals, [they] will be embarking on a consultation process in which they seek to engage with as many stakeholders as possible ranging from young people, schools, youth organisations, associations, businesses and, more generally, anyone who would like to support their efforts.”

The Association will also seek to establish a programme of engagement and collaboration with existing Commonwealth Youth Associations across the globe.

“Work has already begun with a training programme for current and prospective National Youth Delegates (NYD) to prepare them to represent Gibraltar on the Commonwealth stage in what is a perfect example of how our youth can excel at the very highest level,” the Government spokesman said.

“The success of the GCYA is wholly dependent on the response and support which we receive from our community.”

The Association will make use of the premises of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and calls on young people who may be interested to contact Jared Peralta, Aaron Santos and Adriana Lopez on gcyahq@gmail.com.