Ms Ally speaking during a debate at the Youth Parliament.
and they should be the ones paying for it.” The independent posited that industrialized countries had over one hundred years to pollute the atmosphere so they should be the ones to clean it up and allow smaller countries to revolutionize without sacrifices. A Diaspora parliamentarian passionately disagreed with the motion because climate change is a myth and well, let’s just say the arguments went off on a tangent from there. Needless to say, we were not all on the same proverbial page. Though there were some
challenges for CYP, it is a fantastic developmental tool which will enable our young people to be empowered through education. The commitment of staff and organizers to this event should not waiver because of bumps in the road to success. Rather, they should take heart and know that without mistakes, there will be no success.
Having been elected as the
Minister for Development in this forum, I was quite pleased that my colleagues supported my selection to represent them at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Australia.
I, along with the shadow Minister for Development, Francis Anyaegbu from Nigeria, arrived in Perth for the eighth Commonwealth Youth Forum. The theoretical purpose of such a forum is to be envied and commended for few have an audience with the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Though CYF serves as a platform for young people, I am in doubt as to whether the young people of the Commonwealth are capable and ready to handle such an opportunity or wield such power. The execution of CYF does need some revision and the planning committee did as best as they could, dropping the ball in some instances. The one thing that stood out to me was the bold admittance made
by the Commonwealth Secretariat that some of its structures are not functioning as it was intended, primarily the Regional Youth Caucuses. While we were revising the structure in our groups, we were troubling ourselves with reinventing the wheel as opposed to critically examining the process. The level of contribution to communiqué was astounding because of the various backgrounds and fields of the contributors. The consensus process was the most grueling of all and it once again highlighted the need for parliamentary education for young people in member states because it was disturbing for me, with my background, that a meeting which claimed to invoke parliamentary proceedings could not be conducted in a manner close to what it was purporting to be. Case in point, many found it difficult to distinguish between a Point of Order and a Point of Clarification. The shortcomings of CYF were
overridden by the gravity of what we were present to accomplish. We were helping to plot the future for over 1.2 billion young people from all walks of life. These young people, knowingly or not, were relying on us to look after their best interest and to make rational decisions applicable to their individual situation. To be part of something this important is unimaginable.
Always, I have believed that we were put on this earth to make a difference, in whatever way that we can, and affect at least one person’s life for the better. The Commonwealth has afforded me this opportunity and more. It is my hope that through the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and the Commonwealth Youth Forum that we, as vibrant young men and women of this organization, can make a viable contribution to our future and the generations to follow. I further hope that those who come behind us, find that we were faithful.