Do you know of a youth group/ leader that is making a difference in your community or country?

The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) is inviting nominations for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

Criteria for Nomination

The development work must be undertaken in a Commonwealth member country and must reect the Commonwealth values and principles of respect for diversity, human rights and democracy. Youth is dened by the Commonwealth as between the ages of 15 to 29. The youth group/leader that will who will receive the award should be inspired by any of the Millennium Development Goals to: 1. Eliminate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce mortality among children under ve years 5. Improve maternal health 6. Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development

More than any generation in history, young people are shaping the global social, economic and political landscape that they will inherit. This is an exciting opportunity to recognise their energy, talent and commitment to development across the 54-nation Commonwealth. We are looking for youth groups/leaders (individuals) doing development work that demonstrates: 1. Youth involvement at all stages of the process/ project 2. Evidence of gender balance in their work 3. Success in meeting stated goals and objectives 4. Making a positive difference in the lives of others 5. Sustainability in meeting current project needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Applications open on January 1, 2012 and close on Commonwealth Day March 12, 2012. FAQ for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development work Who gives the award? In return, the CYP is offering winning entries grants up to 4,000 to support their project/ development work. The award winners will be decided based on the quality of the impact, the level of innovation/ new thinking, quality of achievement and the quality of the evidence provided. The Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work is funded by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) of the Commonwealth Secretariat; The CYP works with 54 Commonwealth member countries through four regional centres based in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacic. How many awards are given each year? There will be four regional awards given each year and four Commonwealth-wide Awards. The regional awards consist of a 1000 grant, a trophy and a certicate. The four Commonwealth-wide awards will receive 3000, a trophy, and a certicate. Commonwealth-wide winners will be invited to receive their awards at an ofcial ceremony. The top nominees from each region will be recommended for the Regional and Pan Commonwealth Awards. Who is eligible to receive the award? The award can be given to youth group or an individual. Youth groups must have more that 50% of their members under 29; individuals should not be older than 29 years in the year the award is to being presented (2012). Should I mail or fax my nomination form? No. Nominations can only be received via the email provided. If you are having problems the online form, you may cut and paste the information in a word document and send to the email address provided. How will know if my nomination has been received? We will respond to each nomination received with a conrmation email.

How will award winners be notied? Nominations that have been shortlisted will be contacted directly. Awards winners will be ofcially announced on International Youth Day August 12, 2012. What if I do not know the contact details of the group or person I am nominating? Please make every effort to provide as much contact information as possible. We require either an email address or telephone number so we may quickly contact your nominee especially if they are shortlisted for the award. How can I submit additional information on nominees? Additional information can be uploaded in the space provided on the entry form. Who will decide on the award winners? Nominated youth groups/persons are judged at the CYP regional centres in Zambia in Africa, India for Asia; Guyana in the Caribbean and the Solomon Islands in the Pacic region. For these purposes Cyprus, Malta and the UK are included in the Africa region and Canada is included in the Caribbean region. The regional award is judged by a team of two government representatives, two representatives for the Regional Youth Caucus and the Regional Director. The Commonwealth Awards are determined in London under the chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary General, representatives of Commonwealth Governments (through High Commissions), Commonwealth Civil Society and Youth leaders.

COMMONWEALTH YOUTH AWARDS for Excellence

Nomination Form
General information for users The Ofcial Nomination Form (downloaded from the www.yourcommonwealth.org website) provides us with details of the youth group/leader you are nominating for a Commonwealth Youth Award. We have provided general guidelines for some of the sections you are required to complete. 1. Information about yourself (person making the nomination) First name: Last name: Address: Telephone & Email: Relationship to group/individual: How long have you known of the group/individual being nominated? 2. Select the area within which the development works falls: Agriculture, small enterprise, skills training Arts and culture Education, peer education Enterprise development/youth employment Human rights and democracy Information and communications technology Journalism, media, public awareness Peace building Science and Technology Sport for Development and Peace Sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction 3. Details of the nominated youth group/person Name of person/group: Country: Main contact person(s): Address: Telephone: Email:

For more information please contact:

The Coordinator Commonwealth Youth Awards Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom Email: info@commonwealth.int Web: www.yourcommonwealth.org

Climate change/environment protection Health and wellbeing, including work on HIV/AIDS

4. Share the reason(s) this person/group deserves to be nominated for the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work? In your own words, mention specic accomplishments and say how they were achieved. Tell us what is unique about this contribution? (Guideline: Max 250 words)

5. What development work do they do? Describe its background, its goals, its main activities and how it contributes to development goals. (Max 250 words)

6. How has this group/person made a positive difference in the lives of others? (Max 150 words)

7. How will the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work help the individual /group with their work? (Max 100 words)

Commonwealth Youth Programme COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6456 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7747 6549 E-mail: info@commonwealth.int