In April 2018 Heads of state from all the Commonwealth countries will be coming together in London for the Commonwealth Summit.  Alongside the Heads of Government meeting, there will be a meeting of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), and we are recruiting young people to help plan and deliver this event.

The CYC is the vehicle which integrates young people into the development work of the Commonwealth at national, regional and Pan-Commonwealth levels. It is comprised of all National Youth Councils and Youth-Led organisations in member states of the Commonwealth and is intended to provide a sustainable platform where young people serve as agents of change through meaningful participation, working side by side with governments, Commonwealth bodies, international partners, and other stakeholders.

The Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) and the Commonwealth Youth Council General Assembly (CYCGA) and preparation meetings are being organised by an International Task Force supported by the Youth Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the CYC, the British Youth Council and the UK Government.  The Task Force is being created to engage in the planning and execution of the CYF and CYCGA, as well as engage the Commonwealth Secretariat on the agenda of this event and its link into the main Heads of Government Meeting.

Role of the Task Force
 
The main areas of responsibility are in relation to planning and implementation, giving the Task Force an organisational focus. The objectives of the Task Force are to:

a. Decide on the theme and the sub themes for CYF/CYCGA (in line with the theme of the Summit)
b. Organising the event in partnership with the CYC, Youth Affairs Division of Commonwealth Secretariat, CYF Secretariat, BYC and the UK Government
c. Develop and decide on CYF/CYCGA logo, adopting the main summit logo
d. Defining the content and format of the Meeting
e. Decide on the daily programme and content
f. Selection of thematic areas for the different sessions
g. Selecting and engaging with the key note speakers, panelists and the facilitators
h. Facilitate the different venues and equipment
i. Managing Logistics
j. Formation of Sub Committees
k. Preparation of the outcome document
l. Identify & Develop a Communication Strategy including Key Messaging, alongside the UK Government
m. Engaging with the Media and Press
n. Ensure broader online participation of young people
o. Post event evaluation

The Task Force is made up of eight young people from the UK and eight from across the Commonwealth, working together to plan and deliver the event. The group will be led by the CYC Vice-Chair for Inclusion and Engagement and a Vice-Chair identified by the British Youth Council.

We are looking for individuals who are:
• Aged 18-29 on 1 October 2017
• Available for the Induction and planning event (9-13 October 2017) and the Summit (15-20 April 2018)
• Part of a member organisation of the British Youth Council
• Experience of youth participation
• Experience of planning and delivering events for young people
• Experience of, or an interest in, international development, particularly in relation to the Commonwealth
• Good oral and written skills in English; fluency in other languages is an asset
o Be dedicated to strengthening dialogue between young people of the Commonwealth.
o Be a citizen of a Commonwealth Country.
• Access to, and proficiency in, online communication tools
• Available and accessible for conference calls and to undertake tasks between the induction event and the event itself (up to twice monthly)

Please be aware that it is a key requirement of this application form to create a 90 second video outlining why you want to join the task force. This will be accepted as a youtube, vimeo or open dropbox link so you may want to make this before you start the application form. Videos sent separately from this application will not be accepted.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 3rd September 2017 at 23.59h.