Commonwealth youths to meet ahead of CHOGM

Maltese and Gozitan youth will have the opportunity of living and sharing experiences with their counterparts from various Commonwealth countries for a week in November as part of the Commonwealth Youth Forum.

Held between November 16 and 23, the forum will be organised in Malta a few days prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Education Minister Louis Galea said that the young people who will be chosen by the forum's planning team will have an "unforgettable experience".

The forum is one of the most important meetings held in parallel with CHOGM and provides an excellent opportunity for young people from all the Commonwealth to meet others, discuss issues and come up with action plans and recommendations, which are then presented to the heads of government attending CHOGM.

The theme of the forum, which is in its fifth year running, is the same as that of CHOGM - Networking for Development.

The themes that will be discussed in November include sustainable development, active citizenship, good governance, enterprise, health and sexuality, education and human rights.

The planning team, which is entrusted with the organisation of the forum, has written to all the local councils and over 150 youth organisations inviting them to nominate prospective delegates to participate.

The CYF is also inviting young Maltese people aged between 16 and 25 who would like to be chosen as delegates to apply.

The planning team is also seeking to recruit a pool of volunteers to help in various aspects of the organisation of the event.

Electronic copies can be obtained from the ministry's Youth Section or from the CYF planning team (e-mail: cyf2005@gov.mt).

The closing date for applications by Maltese participants is July 25.