CITIZENYOU a commonwealth youth exchange council initiative CITIZENYOU C OMMONWEALTH YOUTH SUMMIT 2002 STATEMENT OF VISION AND RECOM MENDATIONS Young people are vital to the processes of development, democracy and participation. We, as citizens of the Commonwealth, have the responsibility, as well as the right, to participate in making change. VISION Many visions of the good society are available to us. A true democracy includes, but goes far beyond, free and fair elections. It thrives upon the mutual influence of actors at all levels, from committed individuals, to families and communities, to non-governmental organisations, to accountable, transparent government. At national level, it means that one class, culture, caste, religion, sex or race does not dominate another. At international level, it means that people s governments are not dictated to by more powerful forces. These outcomes are only possible by permitting and encouraging citizen participation, especially that of young people. Young people must be assured of a future free of poverty, HIV/AIDS and environmental degradation.
RECOM MENDATIONS 1 The Commonwealth represents nearly 2 billion people, the majority of them living in poverty, not a periodic meeting of officials and heads of state. It must engage with its peoples and their priorities: HIV/AIDS; employment; education. Developed Commonwealth Member Countries must do more to relieve the debt burden of Developing Member Countries. 2 Commonwealth governments must honour their commitments to human rights; overseas development assistance targets; youth empowerment; and good governance - including the establishment of independent youth organisations 3 Citizenship education is a broad process that cannot be limited to the formal education system. Families, communities and young people must all play a role. Formal citizenship education should be concerned with political facts, not political values. Our political values should emerge from open dialogue between us all. This was our experience at CitizenYou. 4 The Commonwealth must start focusing on the implementation and communication of policies that are currently sitting on the shelf. We are not aware of what the Commonwealth is doing with young people or HIV/AIDS. We need better monitoring and evaluation of all development work, and this should involve young people. 5 We feel privileged to have participated in CitizenYou. We are determined to share our learning back in our home countries. There should be continuity between Commonwealth youth conferences to REGISTERED UK EDUCATIONAL CHARITY NO 306023 the commonwealth youth exchange council keep the momentum. The next Commonwealth youth conference should take HIV/AIDS as its theme. HIV/AIDS is the greatest threat we face. Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council 7 Lion Yard Tremadoc Road LONDON SW4 7NQ Telephone: ++44 (0)20 7498 6151 Facsimile: ++44 (0)20 7622 4365 Email: Mail@cyec.demon.co.uk Visit the CitizenYou web site at: www.cyec.org.uk/citizenyou
It s our world Ours to change TOWARDS OUR VISION CitizenYou's Vision and Recommendations grew out of discussions in working groups. Rapporteurs from every group met daily to compare notes. A daily summary of points raised, the story so far, was printed on posters and circulated among the conference. These have been put together below to show the wide range of concerns from which consensus emerged - a picture of the journey towards our Vision. PARTICIPATION AND DEMOCRACY DEMOCRACY Electoral democracy is being pushed but is that genuine political education? We have not been educated in other systems such as communism. We can see the conflict erupting from electoral competition. There is more than one model of a free society. Young people are used in political parties campaigning, but how easy is it for them to form their own parties? The priority is representation of young people: find ways that are acceptable to the local culture. In a true electoral democracy, 16 year-olds would be able to vote. WHY PARTICIPATION? Connect, have a sense of oneness, overcome class, caste, religious, cultural and racial barriers. Take part in providing social security. Be producers as well as consumers of knowledge. CIVIL SOCIETY We need totally independent youth structures, as well as youth engagement in political parties. Civil society can be the cradle of a new outlook, based on the practice of equality and respect. Empowering the deprived and excluded is at the heart of our vision. Celebrate what young people do. Oppose misrepresentation in the media.
POLITICS Cancelling third world debt would be a catalyst for citizens participation in the governance of poor countries. MPs no longer enjoy automatic support. They need to build their support from the grass roots are dangerous anti-democratic movements practising this better than the mainstream? You have to get involved in politics. It isn t just a dirty game. It is where real change is effected. When you get involved, do so carefully. Be strategic. Learn the lie of the land first don t make rash promises. POLITICAL EDUCATION This is about civics, political science and history. It must go beyond youth issues, it must include, but also go beyond, becoming familiar with one s own culture. We cannot turn to government to replace the family s role in socialising young people. We need to undo party political tribalism and personality politics: until we can listen to the issues we will not break out of the status quo. GLOBALISATION THE BIG PICTURE We are interdependent: rich countries may think climate change and the submerging of South Pacific islands is acceptable but even they cannot avoid a hurricane. Developed world populations are threatened with unemployment if the investment goes to cheap, exploitative labour abroad. Globalisation is just a continuation of colonialism: abrupt movements of populations; imposing cultures and structures on others; extracting wealth. We are not guilty of past wrongs unless we are repeating them. More love and compassion! A more globalised world - of some form - is inevitable. Of course we have a choice. There are 50 developing nations in the Commonwealth. It is the notion that they can do nothing that is at fault. Let s get practical. POLITICS / ECONOMICS Lobby for the regulation of multi-national companies if we don t, we are forced to compete on who has the lowest social and environmental standards. Nauru in the South Pacific was made third richest country in the world by foreign investment in phosphor mining then plunged back to poverty when the operation ceased. An example of domination is the array of conditions imposed on countries wishing to be recognised as heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs), and have their foreign debt reduced. Collaboration within the Commonwealth the offer is not made on equal terms the four developed Commonwealth members are members of more powerful groupings (G8, EU), and in overall terms.
BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT Young people must learn how to create wealth. They must extract the value of the natural resources available, not allow this to be extracted by others and buy back the finished articles. Multi-nationals have created job opportunities that were not there before, but these do not always contribute to local economic growth. Volunteers should not be taken advantage of. LANGUAGE & CULTURE Imposing culture and laws on others should not be what globalisation is about. I would keep my language, speak my language and learn my language, even if threatened at the point of a gun. Language is at the core of culture. We can adopt English as a working language, but we cannot surrender our mother tongue. Undo historical discrimination, and do not allow new forms of discrimination to take root. We can learn from the resurrection of the Welsh language in the UK. ACT LOCAL Many people think globalisation is an uncontrollable force, BUT Issues raised by globalisation must be tackled at a local level before the world-wide issues of globalisation can be addressed. How can ethnic relations be improved internationally if in your local town they are still bitter? How can young citizens participate in national government when they have no representation in local councils? How can young citizens participate in global governance when they are excluded at national level? When there is so much corruption? How can you show goodwill to other nations if there is none within the family? Don t be an educated fool. Become an advocate: inform your colleague when his rights have been infringed. Have hope and be positive set achievable goals. Ask how much you are prepared to sacrifice. When you have set a goal, pursue it despite the direction older generations may be taking. Start now.
OPPORTUNITIES Recognising the opportunities offered by aspects of globalisation is perhaps the hardest part. Can globalisation positively affect youth participation in decision-making? The short answer is yes. Increased information flow through information technology has many benefits, from sharing scientific discoveries, to holding our governments accountable for what they have agreed internationally (e.g. on youth empowerment, human rights), to refining our views on citizenship knowledge is power. Make friendships and contacts internationally. People-centred globalisation involves having the opportunity to travel, proudly sharing your culture and beliefs with others. Encounter hybrid cultures with at least some elements of one s own. Declining national identity can be positive and integrating. Trade can raise living standards. RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES INFORMATION Information and communication are what integrates rights-holders with those who have duties toward them. No-one can claim their rights and discharge their responsibilities amidst secrecy, taboo and ignorance. I ve never heard of the Commonwealth Youth Caucus, and I m head of a National Youth Council! How can one young person possibly represent their country in the Commonwealth, when the average young person doesn t know anything about the Commonwealth? End the nepotism involved in appointing youth representatives. HUMAN RIGHTS The greatest infringements of young people s rights to life, participation and development are poverty and HIV/AIDS. These phenomena are in part the result of policy decisions, over which young citizens have no real control.
Young people have a right to participate in decision-making that affects their lives. Decisions about family planning and safe sex are among the most important in determining the course of a young person s life, especially a young woman s. Knowing the facts is a pre-requisite for being able to make those decisions. People living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS are our friends, family and colleagues. They are our partners in development, especially in raising awareness about the pandemic. None of us have heard what the Commonwealth is doing, if anything, to combat HIV/AIDS. Children and young people s rights to education and development are the right place to start in transforming poverty-stricken communities. Governments are not fulfilling their responsibilities to refugees and asylum seekers. Countries are not meeting their responsibility and commitment - to give 0.7% of GDP in overseas development assistance. ACCOUNTABILITY Governments are not being held to account for their human rights commitments; there are no timetables for implementation, in stark contrast to trade agreements. Accountability should be to all stakeholders, including young people not just upward to political leadership and funding bodies. We must find ways to confront unaccountable corporate power Taxes buy civilisation multinationals negotiate zero-tax regimes THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM Imprisoning young people is not the solution to crime re-offending rates prove this. Those imprisoned tend to be poor, less educated and most in need of social support. Criminals have human rights; prisoners must not be abandoned to violence, abuse and HIV infection, they must not be denied access to their families. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY OURSELVES It is our responsibility to learn about and be familiar with the constitutions of our individual countries. It is our responsibility as well as our right to participate in civil society. Sometimes young people must take the initiative. I work for a government agency. I know the money isn t there. It is with the private companies, we should go to them. We must be responsible sexual partners.
Nothing s going to change my world CitizenYou is: active citizenship participation the good society roles rights & responsibilities values democracy freedom & order human rights social justice sustainability tolerance diversity equality resolving conflict good governance power & authority voting age education skills & training youth development community involvement making a difference co-operation new forms of action www & connecting citizens globalisation commonwealth global citizenship but me CITIZENYOU a commonwealth youth exchange council initiative The CitizenYou Commonwealth Youth Summit took place at the University of Sunderland between 2-7 July 2002. Over 200 young men and women aged 18-25 attended as representatives of some 50 Commonwealth countries. They came together to debate citizenship issues, exchange knowledge, and brainstorm ideas for stimulating young citizen action in their home communities. The themes were Democracy & Participation, Globalisation and Rights & Responsibilities. The slogan of the summit expressed the importance of activism by young people themselves. The notion that citizens acting on their own and in groups can make change, received whole-hearted support. Organised by the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC), CitizenYou followed home stay visits for the international delegates in locations across the UK. Both hosts and guests, who were youth development professionals, activists and volunteers, had the opportunity to explore and share perspectives on active citizenship. Appropriately for a summit discussing democracy and participation, CitizenYou employed a youth planning team including representatives from the British Youth Council, Sunderland Students Union and local youth organisations in the North East such as Young Asian Voices. The facilitators were also young, some of them drawn from the Commonwealth Youth Caucus and others with experience of the latest Commonwealth Youth Forum (Australia 2001). As well as the Vision Statement and Recommendations, participants worked on plans for citizenship resources, to be followed up on return to their home countries. Participants resolved to forge partnerships and continue to work together and debate ideas using the CitizenYou website. CitizenYou was just the beginning. In putting together CitizenYou, CYEC received financial and in-kind support from many organisations: Sir Tom Cowie OBE (via Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland) Arriva plc, Barbour Trust, Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Youth Programme, Dulverton Trust, Fenwick Ltd, Government Office North East, John Bell Charitable Trust, Learning + Skills Council, National Youth Agency, Nexus, Northern Arts, Sunderland Housing Group, TNL Systems Ltd, The WSL Printing Partnership and UK hosting organisations. The Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC), is an educational charity and youth organisation. Founded in 1970, its aim is the development of young people and their communities and the promotion of international understanding across the Commonwealth. It facilitates quality two-way youth exchanges with a strong development focus. REGISTERED UK EDUCATIONAL CHARITY NO 306023 the commonwealth youth exchange council Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council 7 Lion Yard Tremadoc Road LONDON SW4 7NQ Telephone: ++44 (0)20 7498 6151 Facsimile: ++44 (0)20 7622 4365 Email: Mail@cyec.demon.co.uk Visit the CYEC web site at: www.cyec.org.uk Publication supported by National Youth Agency Photos: Peter Robey/CitizenYou CYEC Design: Ashley Shields Text: CitizenYou delegates and Andrew Robertson, Commonwealth Youth Programme/Commonwealth Secretariat