COMMONWEALTH YOUTH VOICES: GIBRALTAR’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMONWEALTH
COMMONWEALTH YOUTH VOICES: THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH It is as a result of this underrepresentation within our societies that young people have a much less chance of being engaged in the political processes or empowered enough to voice their concerns which could really impact and bring about change. This matters twofold because young people are the ones who will be impacted most by these decisions, and less equipped when dealing with those direct consequences in the future. As a person towards the older bracket of the youth community, I look back towards the next generation with great uncertainty about the future in which we will live. There are a range of issues that concern youth today, from illiteracy to professional opportunities and arguably our biggest challenge, climate change. The extent to which each problem affects young people varies within each community, but we all have a role to play in the solution. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said: “Responsibility will mellow and sober the youth and prepare them, for the burden they must discharge”. The 2020 Global Youth Development Index revealed that although progress remains slow, conditions of young people have improved around the world by 3.1% between 2010 and 2018. The index shows advancements for youth in education, employment, and health care, but youth participation in politics is declining in most parts of the world. Additionally, efforts towards youth centred initiatives face great uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why is this concerning? The state of the world is by no means perfect. There are serious targets which need to be implemented, such as the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, which today’s Youth will have an extremely important role to play if we are to be successful in achieving those goals, and especially have the ability to continue the work thereafter. Youth development throughout the Commonwealth is understood as: “Enhancing the status of young people, empowering them to build on their competencies and capabilities for life”.
If youth participation in politics is low, it is hard to shape the development of the communities we live in. Whereas it can be argued that countries with higher youth political participation will see further social integration and allow for better links to be created between generations for the inevitable transfer of power in the future. Looking forward We often speak about unity throughout the Commonwealth but there is still a vast number of young people who lack necessities and opportunities. This is worse for certain demographics, including but not limited to young women and girls, young people with disabilities, people of minority backgrounds etc. All of which is now aggravated by COVID-19 which also puts at risk all the prepandemic gains that were made in other fields such as education, health care and employment. It is important to highlight these concerns. I was fortunate enough to meet some of the most inspiring young people from across the Commonwealth at the 2019 CYP in India. It was there where I realised that I could never truly understand the struggles faced by my some of my peers. What is clear though, is that the issues transcended us all and that only together, will we be able to achieve the socio-economic and climate goals that have been set by our predecessors. To finish off with a more positive insight by Mahatma Gandhi, and as advice to my friends across the Commonwealth: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Young people throughout history have also been the greatest vehicles for change. And perhaps it is worth reminding ourselves, that the current decision-makers were also once in our shoes. As we navigate the uncertainty that the pandemic has accelerated, we should focus on bridging the gap between generations, and fortunately, the Commonwealth, through all its outstanding forums, will give us the greatest opportunity to make that possible.
Adriana Lopez
studied in London and Barcelona where she attained an MSc in Political Science, an MA in International Political Journalism and a BA in Politics with Sociology. She is 27 years old, bilingual in English and Spanish and specialises in political communication and international relations. She has worked as a journalist in Barcelona and covered the 2019 General Elections in Gibraltar. Adriana is the current National Youth Delegate for Gibraltar and participated in the 10th Commonwealth Youth Parliament held in New Delhi, India in 2019, where she was able to connect with youth from all around the Commonwealth family and focus on global issues such as the environment and women’s rights. With special thanks for the coordination of this article to Khadijah Khatun, Youth Representative for the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region on the Editorial Advisory Board for The Parliamentarian.
The Parliamentarian | 2022: Issue One | 100 years of publishing | 57
