The Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Network (CCYDN) convened its first strategic meeting in London during August 2019, following its official launch during Commonwealth Week in March this year.
The network aims to increase access to various platforms designed to help young disabled people influence positive change on issues which matter to them.
Include Me TOO delivered a the week-long programme bringing together CCYDN representatives and committee members representing four Commonwealth regions, who helped outline the network’s future strategic direction.
This included:
- Ensuring the inclusion, participation and representation of children and youth with disabilities leading up to and during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2020 in Rwanda and other national and international events.
- Increasing reach and engagement of CCYDN by working in collaboration with Commonwealth youth networks and other relevant Commonwealth networks
- CCYDN campaigns and increasing membership of children and young people with disabilities to join CCYDN and NGOs working with children and young people with disabilities as well as youth DPOs that are disabilities-led.
- Ensuring CCYDN is representative and particularly supports those with complex needs and in need of additional support to ensure their voices are not left behind.
- Promoting and increasing support for the Global Disability Children and Young People’s Charter developed during the Global Disability Summit hosted by DFID in London in 2018.
Commonwealth head of social policy development, Layne Robinson, highlighted the significance of the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s newest youth network.
This network developed by Include Me TOO is a practical response to the Commonwealth Heads of Government mandate to ‘address the stigma around disability in all its forms and manifestations, ensuring that no one is left behind. By working with young people with disabilities who are promoting their right to be included and to participate in decision-making at all levels, we come closer to fulfilling the vision of a society where our young people lead the change they want to see in a fairer, more prosperous and inclusive society for all. The Commonwealth Youth Programme will work with all relevant partners and agencies to give voice and space to children and young people with disabilities to lead their own agenda in the Commonwealth. #NowIsTheTime’.
CCYDN co-chair Jonathan Andrews said:
I’m very happy to see CCYDN recognised by the Commonwealth Youth Programme as an official Commonwealth Youth Network. As co-chair of the network, I look forward to working with the Commonwealth to ensure that no child or young person with a disability is left behind and to ensure that, across the pressing issues facing children and young people with disabilities, from economic empowerment to inclusive education and tackling stigma and discrimination, barriers are lifted and opportunities are provided for all. I’d particularly like to thank Include Me TOO for its support in driving the network forward and its development over the last two and a half years to this point. I very much look forward to continuing to work with Parmi Dheensa as fellow CCYDN co- chair, representing Include Me TOO, in the years ahead to ensure NGOs working with children and young people with disabilities, and those they work with, are included.
Parmi Dheensa CCYDN co-chair and Include Me TOO Executive Director said:
This year during the Commonwealth 70th Anniversary CCYDN has been launched aiming to ensure a connected Commonwealth which includes the voices and representation of children ad young people with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth. We look forward to working with the Commonwealth Youth Programme and are delighted to have CCYDN officially recognised amongst the Commonwealth Youth Networks, particularly as this is the first network which includes children and not only youth. This new model is essential to ensure children and youth with disabilities are connected within the Commonwealth for an inclusive future. We are looking forward to growing CCYDN reach and impact and working alongside Commonwealth and International networks and partners working and supporting children and young people throughout the Commonwealth.
The week’s activities culminated with a roundtable discussion between the network’s committee members, internal teams from the Commonwealth and external partners working with children and young people with disabilities.
During the roundtable, committee members shared discussions from their side event held during the 12th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations in June this year.
Attendees also discussed areas of partnership and agreed to take forward collaborative efforts to strengthen the voices, rights, inclusion and participation of children and young people with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
#InternationalYouthDay #ConnectedCommonwealth #IncludeMeTOO #NowIsOurTime #InclusiveFutures #InclusionMatters