PACIFIC
17.05.13 - “Negative messages hurt the right to self esteem”
An alarming number of young people are succumbing to the worldwide epidemic of negative body image, says Janine Wan, 15, a Correspondent based in Melbourne, Australia. At the same time there are efforts to counteract the harmful messages about so-called ideal bodies. On the 10th of May 2013, it was announced that the Positive Body Image [...] Read more
08.05.13 - “The land that divided a community”
Controversy over development of natural gas reserves under James Price Point became a battle of David and Goliath proportions, writes Oliver Rogers, 23, a Correspondent from Perth in Australia. It divided friends and families, and raised troubling questions about aboriginal land rights. James Price Point, or Walmandy in the language of the traditional owners, is [...] Read more
24.04.13 - “Lest we forget: ANZAC day”
A WWI battle that took a horrendous toll was a defining moment in the histories of Australia and New Zealand, writes Fale Lesa, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from New Zealand, who says the legacy of that battle shaped both countries. On the 25th of April every year for as long as anybody remembers, both Australia [...] Read more
24.04.13 - “Our backyards are disappearing”
Backyards are falling out of fashion in Australia’s suburban landscape, says Pak Yiu, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent in Brisbane, Australia, who argues the trend has disturbing implications. The backyard has always been part of the Australian lifestyle. It has been a secure area for children to play and a place for Australians to enjoy a good [...] Read more
16.04.13 - “We shall reinvent our world!”
The Australian city of Melbourne recently hosted delegates at the Harvard World Model United Nations. The week-long conference was an inspiring demonstration of youth potential and global promise, says Francis Ventura, 22, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Australia who was also a participant. The Harvard World Model United Nations is an annual gathering of around 2,000 [...] Read more
09.03.13 - “Our disadvantaged children are left without genuine support”
Too many Australian children lack attain basic standards in reading, mathematics and science, writes Ben Duggan, a representative of the Australian Youth Forum. The time has come, he says, to stop talking and take action. Kerry O’Brien recently ended a Four Corners program ‘Growing Up Poor’ with the line: “We can tell these kids that they can [...] Read more
07.03.13 - “This was a voyage that would change the framework of life”
A luxurious cruise with two hundred young people was no ordinary sail, writes Fale Lesa, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from New Zealand. The cruise brought training and cultural exchanges that encouraged young leaders to re-evaluate their outlook on life. Some things are outside the realm of normalcy. Two hundred or so young people from all [...] Read more
01.03.13 - “Active Citizenry is a third line of defense”
Politics is an inescapable fact of society, writes Bernard Lim, 19, of Singapore, but when government provides education and freedom of speech, active citizens contribute constructively to the national debate. Politics has been vilified for its ability to evoke imagery of sex scandals (cue Malaysian politician Chua Soi Lek and American politician Anthony Wiener’s sex-texts), [...] Read more
13.02.13 - NZ gains leading voice in Commonwealth Students’ Association
NZ students gain leading voice in Commonwealth Students’ Association New Zealand became one of nine countries represented on the Commonwealth Students’ Association steering committee, with the addition of Pete Hodkinson to the committee when it met in London this month. Pete Hodkinson, 2012-2013 President of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA), joins Jamal [...] Read more
07.11.12 - Professionalising Youth Work in the Solomon Islands
Youth workers are at the forefront social change and transformation and play an increasingly important role in the national effort to engage young people in activities, structures and institutions that draw on their innate, positive potential. This week the Commonwealth Youth Programme Pacific Centre joins the Commonwealth family in celebrating Youth Work Week (5th – [...] Read more
03.11.12 - “A lot of students believe that learning a language is not essential”
Australia wants to boost its competitive edge by providing Asian language instruction to all students and by making Studies of Asia part of the curriculum, writes Pak Yiu, 19, a journalism student from the city of Brisbane in Australia. The question is whether the public will accept and fund the proposal. Australia is looking at [...] Read more
02.11.12 - Youth Work Week – Professionalizing youth work in the Solomon Islands
Youth workers are at the forefront of social change and transformation and play an important role in engaging young people in activities, structures and institutions that draw on their innate, positive potential. The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Pacific Centre in Solomon Islands will celebrate Youth Work Week from 7th – 9th November. Two events will [...] Read more
