Latest content: Society and young people

Young communications professionals are being encouraged to apply for a special new award within the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards. The inaugural Patsy Robertson Award for Outstanding Communications Skills in Advancing Community Development and Peace is being included as an additional prize this year.

‘An amazing leap’ is how one winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work described the positive impact the prize had on the trajectory of his work. Far too many young people are impacted by the world’s multifaceted challenges, including climate change, conflict, inequity, unemployment and poverty.

Good mental health is a symptom of thriving and resilient communities and an enabler of development. Yet, across the world, a silent crisis is growing, and it particularly affects our young people.

By Kunle Adewale, Founder of Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship, Ayesha Ali, Coordinator, Commonwealth Youth Health Network, Emily Gilmour, Health Officer and Karina Gosalia, Health Research Officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Health Section

By Cynthia Nyongesa, Assistant Research Officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Rule of Law Section

On International Youth Day, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, began her workday by hosting an intimate breakfast with a cross-section of young people working at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

For over 50 years, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been instrumental in empowering young people across its 56 member countries to lead and drive progress on development goals.

To highlight young people making a positive difference in their communities, the Commonwealth Secretariat recently opened nominations for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

Over 200 youth leaders from across the Commonwealth joined the Commonwealth Youth Council for the inaugural Youth Leadership Consultative Dialogue in Windhoek, Namibia. The event was led by Namibia’s Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, the Hon Sanet Steenkamp, and included other senior government officials  and representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat

By Thanisa Naidu-Lewin, Counsellor (Multilaterals), South African High Commission to the UK.  

Blog by Munim Mubashshir, Member (Student Representative), Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission, Bangladesh

"Breaking the cycle of violence is a necessity. Otherwise, there will be no society left to be governed." This was a stark warning from Rev Dr James Movel Wuye, one of the joint winners of the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize.

Around 100 young leaders from across Bangladesh have pledged to champion the values of the Commonwealth Charter, following a two-day workshop in Dhaka from 23 to 24 June 2025.

Over 90 young professionals, including delegates from Canada, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Kingdom, joined Ministers of Health and heads of international development agencies to address challenges in the health sector.

In March, the Commonwealth Youth Programme celebrated the achievements of young people while building their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of society.

The 9th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, co-hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Sport, saw two strong teams of experts debate the merits of traditional and modern sport. Both sides agreed that sport has tremendous potential to unite and inspire communities. 

Traditional sports and games will be pitted against the increased interest in modern competition at the 9th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, to be held on Wednesday, 26 March 2025.

Stanley Chidubem Anigbogu from Nigeria has clinched the overall title of 2025 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year at the annual Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, held in London on Wednesday, 12 March 2025.