Uniting for Peace: Commonwealth, global partners celebrate International Youth Day 2024

LONDON, Aug. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --  On 12 August 2024, representatives from youth, peace-building, community, civil society, faith, and advocacy organisations will participate in a series of events and an online broadcast featuring young people doing extraordinary projects, sharing inspiring stories and opportunities for young people to get involved with transformational initiatives.

The Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with the Khalili Foundation and Peace One Day, will host Youth Live, a five-hour broadcast at Marlborough House in London to celebrate International Youth Day, starting at 1 pm (BST). International Youth Day is a global platform to recognise the vital role young people play in fostering peace, democracy, and sustainable development.

Empowering Youth for a Peaceful and Inclusive Future

The broadcast will be available live on the Commonwealth Secretariat's website, thecommonwealth.org and YouTube channel, and the Commonwealth Youth Programme's social media channels on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Peace One Day is also broadcasting the event live at peaceoneday.org and on X, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Acknowledging the challenges young people face in today's technology-driven world, Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC said:

"I am always inspired by the energy, vision and determination of the Commonwealth's young people. During the Commonwealth Year of Youth, we have found various ways to uplift, amplify and empower them. This broadcast is another way to showcase the work that they are doing, provide them with powerful opportunities to transform their lives and give them avenues to engender meaningful change and promote peace.

"During the broadcast on August 12, we will see the aspirations and shared values outlined in our Charter showcased by our brilliant young people."

The Commonwealth Youth Programme has supported member countries with youth development work for over 50 years and young people will continue to be a focus leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa later this year.

Celebrating Youth Contributions to Peace and Development

Acknowledging the role young people play in fostering peace, the Executive Director of the Khalili Foundation, Waqas Ahmed, said:

"At the Khalili Foundation, we enable peacebuilding through art, culture and education. Over five decades of working in this area has convinced us that peace is best achieved when driven and sustained by the youth of any given society. So, we are proud to be supporting Youth Live in partnership with the Commonwealth and we use this opportunity to encourage all youth with ideas for sustainable peacebuilding to apply to our Youth PEACE Awards as part of the Commonwealth Faith Festival.

He continued:

The Khalili Foundation supports and drives several internationally recognised projects that promote interfaith and intercultural relations, with a special focus on youth. It has been a partner of the Commonwealth since 2017, funding the successful Faith in the Commonwealth initiative.

From Clicks to Progress: Driving youth development through digital access

The broadcast will leverage digital spaces to engage young people across the Commonwealth in meaningful dialogues and activities. In addition, four youth-focused events that foster in- person connections and showcase youth development and engagement shall take place at Marlborough House simultaneously.

Key highlights include:

• The launch of the Commonwealth Virtual Museum - a hybrid digital exhibition space that showcases youth innovations and promotes digital learning and an appreciation of youth heritage.
• The Commonwealth Music Relay - a celebration of cultural diversity and unity through a music performance with young artists from various Commonwealth countries.
• A celebration of 10 years of the Commonwealth Youth Council - putting the spotlight on youth leadership in the Commonwealth and its impact over the past decade.
• The Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) will unveil the final report for the Their Future, Our Action project, titled Their Future, Our Action and the COMPASS Model: A New Approach to Finance in Commonwealth Small Island Developing States.
• The launch of the Youth PEACE Awards as part of the Commonwealth Faith Festival

The online and in-person events will offer youth organisations, youth networks, youth councils, partners, and global peace ambassadors a way to connect with the 1.5 billion young people across 56 Commonwealth countries. Stakeholders will also send goodwill messages of peace and address complex, multidimensional issues affecting youth.