Latest content: Society and young people

Twenty outstanding young people from the five regions across the Commonwealth have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

Blog by Carla Qualtrough, former Minister of Persons with Disabilities in Canada on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

As the curtain closed on the 5th Global Youth Work Conference (GYWC2025) in Kuala Lumpur, the sense of possibility remained in the air—resonating through the lively conversations of delegates as they packed away their notes and said their goodbyes.

The following statement was issued on 25 November 2025 by Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

As COP30 in Belém, Brazil, wound down, the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN) demonstrated that young people are not passive observers, but active drivers of policy innovation, justice, and climate ambition. In their statement to COP30, they called upon Commonwealth member countries to not only mainstream youth participation in national climate governance but also equip young people with the skills needed for climate negotiations at international forums.

For over 30 years, two remarkable leaders in northern Nigeria have been quietly transforming religious conflict into dialogue, trust and peace. Reverend Dr James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa were once adversaries in the violent Christian-Muslim clashes that shook northern Nigeria in the 1990s.

The 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Task Force Meeting brought together senior officials from youth ministries on 16 November, ahead of the 5th Global Youth Work Conference 2025

Arriving in Malaysia, you are immediately enveloped in the warmth and hospitality for which the country is renowned. Visitors are greeted with gracious smiles and respectful bows, offering an introduction to the country’s cultural ethos. This welcoming spirit extends seamlessly beyond points of arrival, resonating throughout all aspects of Malaysian society—particularly in the nation’s dedication to its youth.

A large portion of the Commonwealth’s population, approximately 60 per cent, is currently under 30. With such a young demographic, there is an urgent need to equip them with the skills, especially entrepreneurial skills, to succeed.

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