Nominate an outstanding young person for Commonwealth development awards

Winners of Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work could receive grants of up to £3,000. 

Do you know a young person making a positive difference to the lives of other people in a Commonwealth country? The deadline for nominations for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work is 31 July 2012.

Designed to help celebrate the role of young people as nation builders and partners in development, the Awards offer young people aged between 15 and 29 an opportunity to share their contribution and inspire others to get involved.

Nominees win international recognition and support for their development project. Five awards will be presented regionally, with the top entrant from each region receiving a pan-Commonwealth award. The regional award winners will receive a £1,000 grant each and the pan-Commonwealth award winners £3,000 each.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “More than any generation in history, the youth of today are shaping our social, economic and political landscape. These awards recognise their contribution in our 54 Commonwealth member states.”

The Awards are run by the Commonwealth Youth Programme at the Commonwealth Secretariat and are given to outstanding young people working to:

•    promote youth participation in decision-making;

•    promote the economic empowerment of young people;

•    take action for equality between young men and women;

•    promote peaceful and democratic environments in which human rights flourish;

•    provide quality education for all;

•    improve access to information and communication technology;

•    promote health, development and values through sports and culture; and

•    engage young people to protect the environment.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, who oversees youth development across the 54 member countries, said: “Young people represent more than 50 per cent of Commonwealth citizens. I have seen the excellent contribution they are making at community and national levels all across our countries. I welcome these Awards as an opportunity to tell their positive stories that often go unnoticed.”

Further information on the Awards and how to nominate a young person can be found on the Commonwealth Youth Awards brochure.

Nominees must be citizens of a Commonwealth country and working in a Commonwealth country.

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Commonwealth Youth Awards 2012: Nomination open!

Nominations for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work are now open.

Commonwealth calls for entries that recognise young people whose commitment to development work within a Commonwealth country has made a difference to the lives of others.

In return, nominees will get a chance to win international recognition and support for their development project.

Designed to help celebrate the role of young people as nation builders and partners in development, the Awards offer young people under 30 an opportunity to share their contribution and inspire others to get involved.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “More than any generation in history, the youth of today are shaping our social, economic and political landscape. These awards recognise their contribution in our 54 Commonwealth member states”.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards were launched on Commonwealth Day, 12 March 2012.

Deputy Secretary-General Masire-Mwamba, Mmasekgoa who oversees youth development at the Commonwealth Secretariat said: “Young people represent more than 50% of Commonwealth citizens. I have seen the excellent contribution they are making at community and national levels all across our countries. I welcome these Awards as an opportunity to tell their positive stories that often go unnoticed.”

Five Awards will be given regionally with the top entrant from each region receiving a Pan-Commonwealth Award.

Nominations opened on March 12, 2012 and will run until 31 July 2012.

The Awards are aimed at young people between the ages of 15-29 years. Entrants must be citizens of a Commonwealth country and working in a Commonwealth country.

All entries should be submitted via the link:http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/cya. Further information about the Awards can be found by downloading the Commonwealth Youth Awards brochure

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Royal Commonwealth Society Competitions 2012

The Royal Commonwealth Society’s annual Young Commonwealth Competitions encourage young people to use writing, film and photography to respond creatively to global challenges.

2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her 60th year as Head of the Commonwealth. To celebrate this very special occasion, for one year only, all entries into our Young Commonwealth Competitions will become part of the world’s biggest history project, the Commonwealth Jubilee Time Capsule. Take part in our competitions in 2012 and your entry will join 22,000 others – one for each day that Her Majesty has been Head of the Commonwealth – in the Capsule. Your memories - the untold stories of millions of ordinary and extraordinary lives - are the story of the modern Commonwealth.

Young Commonwealth Competitions
In 2012, all our competitions will be based on the Commonwealth theme, ‘Connecting Cultures’. All entries must relate to a single day in the last 60 years since Her Majesty ascended to the throne on 6th February 1952. All entries must be your own original work. Every year, over 50,000 young people take part in this prestigious awards scheme. Our Young Commonwealth Competitions come with some great prizes, and in 2012 you’ll be eligible for Jubilee Time Capsule prizes too!

DEADLINE for all competitions: 1ST MAY 2012

Run by the RCS since 1883, this is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ writing competition. To enter, you must be aged 18 or under on 1st May 2012. You must also be a national of, or living in, a Commonwealth country. On the first page of your entry, please write your name, age, topic number and the date you have chosen to write about.

How do I enter? To enter the essay competition, you must pick a day between 6th February 1952 and the present. Then, using one of the topics in the grey box as your inspiration, tell us about what happened on that day. You might like to think about why that day was important to you, your family, or your community. The event must not be fictional, but we encourage you to be creative in the way you share the story.
commonwealth essay competition

Pick a day From 6th February 1952 to the present.

Then, using one of the topics below, tell us about what happened!

1. The day I wore my best clothes.
2. A feast or a festival.
3. An interview with an adult about a significant day in their life.
4. A day's journey.
5. A birth OR a wedding OR a funeral.
6. My response to an event that made the news headlines.
7. A sporting event.
8. The day I met my hero/heroine.

How long should my essay be? If you are aged between 14 and 18 on 1st May 2012, please write between 1,200 and 1,750 words. If you are aged under 14 on 1st May 2012, please write between 300 and 700 words.

PRIZES
Thousands of young people from around the world enter every year, but the winners are often those picking up a camera or putting pen to paper for the first time. What we look for is a creative spark, a unique insight or a bold idea.

In 2012, all essays, photos and films will be entered into the Jubilee Time Capsule. For one year only, your chance of winning a prize is doubled!

By entering the Young Commonwealth Competitions, you could:

• See your Jubilee Time Capsule entry presented to Her Majesty the Queen in 2012.
• Win a certificate, cash or photographic equipment.
• Win resources for your school.
• Be flown to London.
• Be invited to meet famous authors, film directors and photographers; take part in expert workshops to learn new skills; and do work experience at international organisations.
• See your entry exhibited around the Commonwealth and featured in worldwide media.

How to submit your entries

Online: Please upload your entries to www.thercs.org/youth/competitions
By post: Each postal entry must be accompanied by an entry form

Directly to us: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5AP, UK

Americas/Caribbean: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British Council, 19 St. Clair Avenue, St. Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Africa: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, Baobab College, PO Box 350099, Chilanga, Zambia. OR, FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British High Commission, P.O Box 296, Accra, Ghana

Asia: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British High Commission, 185 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pacific: FAO Young Commonwealth Competitions, The British High, Commission, PO Box 1812, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

CONTACT INFORMATION:
For inquiries: youth@thercs.org

For submissions: click here

Website: http://www.thercs.org/

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