Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) 2013 Sri Lanka Hambantota

The Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) will be held for five days from Nov. 10-14, 2013, in the southern port city of Hambantota Sri Lanka. The CYF is organised with several objectives: To allow youth leaders to exchange ideas and cultures, for youth participants to build skills and network, and to work toward identifying the most vital challenges and opportunities facing young people today.

Official Web Site - www.chogm2013youthforum.org

A Youth-Led Task Force (YLTF) will be responsible for the planning and the organising of the CYF. The Task Force will consist of five youth leaders from Commonwealth member countries and five youth leaders from Sri Lanka, with co-chairs from each group. The YLTF is responsible for the entire programme, including the daily agenda, themes for plenary sessions and the identification of resource persons, among others.

All arrangements related to the Youth Conference to be held in Hambantota in conjunction with the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit are now being prepared.

A committee consisting five youth leaders from Sri Lanka and another five youth leaders from the commonwealth has been appointed to carry out the preliminary activities of the youth conference which will be held from 9th to 14th November.

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma will be the chief guests for this conference.

As a precursor to the youth conference a foot walk has been organized from Jaffna to Hambantota and the well known British cricketer Ian Botham will participate in this foot walk as a special invitee. several internationally reputed cricketers will also participate in this foot walk.

The British Council Sri Lanka will launch an international music video under the theme ‘Commonwealth Youth Unite’ to mark the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 in Sri Lanka in November.

Proposed Activities and Events

Four days will be allocated for the main forum of the Commonwealth Youth Forum while one day will be set aside for sightseeing. Participants of the CYF will have the opportunity to take part in professional skills development programmes, capacity building activities and cross-cultural programmes. The following are among some of the events and activities being planned for this year’s CYF:

General Assembly of the Commonwealth Youth Council

The Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) will be the new official and independent platform representing the voice of young people in the Commonwealth. The General Assembly of the CYC will meet every two years and will be the highest decision-making gathering of the CYF.

Youth Dialogue

Newly-elected youth leaders of the CYC and co-chairs of the CYF Youth-Led Task Force will interface with the Heads of Government to share the outcomes of the CYF, share the collective youth vision for the Commonwealth and agree on how the youth group can work together with governments to achieve Commonwealth goals and objectives during the upcoming two years.

Commonwealth Youth Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony is held to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of award-winners from across the Commonwealth.

Volunteering

The volunteering programme will be a local legacy project. The delegates will have the opportunity to volunteer in community projects in Sri Lanka that in turn contribute to major national development initiatives.

Cultural Visit

Participants of the Youth Forum will be taken on a visit to a place of historical or cultural significance.

Night Fair

The night fair will be one more opportunity for youth leaders from around the world to mingle, network and build relationships.

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