The Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace (CYSDP) is a youth-designed and driven youth network that serves as the leading voice for youth in the Commonwealth, advocating for best practices in sport, development, and peace (SDP). CYSDP calls on governments, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs, and stakeholders in the SDP field to commit to youth participation, research, and education in the sector.
Ensure organisations have functioning mechanisms to involve youth in decision-making processes.
Establish youth committees, youth positions on boards of directors, and feedback mechanisms linking participants to national and organisational decision-makers.
Develop, implement, and engage in research focused on youth in the SDP field to support evidence-based policies and programmes.
Provide training opportunities using resources such as the CYSDP Advocacy Toolkit.
Empower youth to become leaders and advocates for SDP in their countries.
The Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Working Group is a small group of young practitioners in the field of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP). It was established in 2013 with the support of the Youth Division of the Commonwealth
The CYSDP has three main strategic themes, which are to ‘Advocate, Educate and Demonstrate’ to their peers the benefits of using sport as a tool for development.
As part of their mandate, Working Group members attend sport and non-sport related forums around the world to represent and express the youth and sport stance on development issues. They also contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the SDP sector through research and writing projects, and various Commonwealth activities.
Established in May 2013 by the Commonwealth Secretariat, CYSDP is composed of ten youth practitioners committed to placing young people at the core of sustainable development. Representing diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences, CYSDP members champion sport as a tool for social progress and peacebuilding across the Commonwealth.
Sport for Development and Peace actively contributes to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, international peace processes, and human and social development worldwide.
Governments and key players in the SDP sector are developing policies and frameworks to shape the future of the field.
Other development fields have established mechanisms to integrate youth input, but this is lacking in SDP.
Most SDP initiatives focus on youth engagement and rely on young leaders for implementation at the local level.
Programmes that include defined mechanisms for participant input yield better impacts and more sustainable outcomes.
Chairperson
Global Advisor
Communications Lead
Asia Regional Coordinator
Africa Regional Coordinator
Country Representative Jamaica
Country Representative Kenya
Country Representative Kenya
Country Representative Uganda