By Abigail Chaponda in London, United Kingdom
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work. This year, the Youth Awards will launch during the same week as International Youth Day; an annual celebration of the role of young people as essential partners in change across the world.
The year’s theme is ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’; a vital resource which ensures their dignity and safety in society and allows young people to continue making valued contributions to development work particularly in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom His Excellency Mr. Muyeba Chikonde has called on all young Zambians to take advantage of this opportunity and participate in the awards.
Young people aged 15-29from Commonwealth member countries whose development work will be contributing to showcase good practice young people are doing throughout the Commonwealth and helping to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are eligible to apply for theawards.
The objectives of the Commonwealth Youth Awards are to highlight the contribution young people are making to promote the common goal of a future built on fairness, peace, prosperity and sustainability and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)
There will be four finalists per Commonwealth region with the top entry receiving the Regional Winner Award and the top regional winner receiving the Pan Commonwealth award and to be named the Commonwealth Young Person of the year.
The 16 Regional finalists and the Pan Commonwealth Winner will each receive a grant, trophy and a certificate. The 4 Regional Winners will be invited to receive their awards at an official ceremony in London, United Kingdom during Commonwealth Week in March 2019.
Award winners are strongly profiled during Commonwealth Week, and throughout the subsequent year can be invited to participate in decision making meetings or events based on their area of development work.
Nominees must have been engaged in development work for more than 12 months, either in a professional or voluntary capacity; they must be Commonwealth citizens, and the development work focusing on the SDGs must be taking place in a Commonwealth member country.
Nominees should not be older than 29 on 31 December of the award year; and Award Winners must agree to take part in publicity generated by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Youth Council.
The nomination process is via an online website platform only at: https://commonwealth- youthexcellence.awardsplatform.com/.Self-nomination is permitted and application close by 31stOctober 2018.
Persons making nominations are required to provide details about him/herself; details about the person they are nominating; the development area in which the nominee’s work falls; why they believe the nominee deserves the award; a description of the development work and how it makes a positive difference the lives of others; how winning the award will make a difference to the work of their nominee.
