The 2015 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Youth Development is open for entries. The annual awards event recognizes the invaluable contribution of young people to developments in community, national and global contexts.

This competition provides a platform to showcase and expand the work of outstanding young people across the 53-nation Commonwealth community.

This year’s nominations should exhibit how a young person’s work whether professional or voluntary, has helped to promote a development goal, such as empowerment of marginalized groups, education for all, peace, democracy, human rights, health, sport and culture, or protection of the environment.

In the previous competition, winners showcased talents and commitment to ideas like environmental waste management, solar energy in remote villages, online education communities, and youth leadership.

In the coming competition, four finalists from each region (Asia, Africa & Europe, Caribbean & Americas, and Pacific) will be selected, and from these sixteen finalists, one from each region will receive a regional Commonwealth Youth Award.

Each finalist and winner will receive a cash prize, and the regional winners will also travel to London in Commonwealth Week in March 2015, where the overall pan-Commonwealth Commonwealth Youth Award winner will be announced.

Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General said: “The Commonwealth Youth Awards showcase the tangible and meaningful impacts being made in development by young people. These awards encourage us to take note of their contribution, and to include and support them more. In addition, the passion and commitment exhibited by the young award winners is inspiring to other young people. By amplifying their work, the awards help them become beacons to others.”

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma added: “More than any generation in history, today’s young people are shaping the social, economic and political landscape that they will inherit. This is an exciting opportunity to recognise their energy, talent and commitment to development across the 53-nation Commonwealth.”

You can get the nomination form on: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/cya2015. The entry period closes on 30 October 2014.