Youth Work in the Commonwealth

More than 60 per cent of the population of the Commonwealth is aged under 30, and young people’s unique needs and capabilities, and the importance of their role in national development, have been the central premise of the Commonwealth Youth Programme for over four decades. This is also enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter, which recognises ‘the positive and active role and contributions of young people in promoting development, peace, democracy and in protecting and promoting other Commonwealth values, such as tolerance and understanding, including respect for other cultures’.