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Sandra Ferguson works for the Agency for Rural Transformation (ART), Grenada.

Joel Simpson represents the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Guyana. 

Alexandrina Wong is the Antigua and Barbuda President of the NGO, Women Against Rape (WAR).

Belisario Nieto is the Programme Manager for Capacity Development at the Commonwealth Foundation.

The Foundation is supporting the work of its Caribbean partner, the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) to establish a Caribbean Consultative Working Group (CCWG).

Elijah James, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), on the formation of the CCWG. 

Civil society actors from across Africa met in Kenya to review their participation in the design of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. They share their insights on participatory governance at the national and global level. 

On 31 March 2015 representatives of the Commonwealth Foundation, the Government of The Bahamas and the Commonwealth Secretariat made a commitment to the inclusion of civil society at the forthcoming 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers meeting (19CCEM) from 22 – 26 June. 

The 19CCEM is the second largest gathering of Ministers in the Commonwealth calendar, affording a wide range of stakeholders the opportunity to input into ministerial processes related to education policy. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is the first of its kind between intergovernmental organisations and a host government for a Civil Society Forum, and the value of this collaboration was endorsed by each of the signatories.  

The MOU was unprecedented in recognising the role and need for civic engagement through the Civil Society Forum, which will reflect the Foundation’s commitment to continue to support the dialogue on Small States and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). 

In signing the MOU, particular emphasis was placed on the involvement of civil society in Commonwealth political processes. Commonwealth Foundation Director, Vijay Krishnarayan said: “We’re demonstrating the importance that the Government of The Bahamas is placing on having an Education Ministers Meeting that is inclusive and involves the widest possible range of voice”. He also stressed how the Commonwealth as an entity was signalling how it can work together to prioritise civic input and participation. 

The CCEM is a triennial meeting of Education Ministers in the Commonwealth and takes place at a pivotal time as both the Millennium Development Goals and Education For All goals come to an end, and is a key opportunity for Ministers to identify the education priorities for Commonwealth member states. It also presents an opportunity to influence the Post-2015 development agenda. 

Gender equality activist Gulalai Ismail has been named the 2015 Asia Region Commonwealth Youth Award winner in recognition of her efforts to further women’s empowerment in Pakistan.

When aged 16, Gulalai Ismail established Aware Girls to provide young women with a platform for learning and advocacy. She led a team of 100 young female monitors of the 2013 Pakistan general elections, which examined the challenges to women’s electoral participation. Gulalai was named one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Global Thinkers in 2013, and was the recipient of the 2014 International Humanist Award.

Ms Ismail said: “Winning this award today is not just about my recognition, it is about giving recognition to all girls who are living in extremely difficult conditions and taking risks to make the world a better place. When I started out 12 years ago I never imagined that I would be able to achieve that much. We were young and inexperienced and had little support. This recognition shows that girls have the power to change the world. Girls aren’t just victims of abuse or violence, they are actually powerful actors. They represent not the future, but the present.”

With a grant from the Commonwealth Foundation, Aware Girls is helping to promote the participation of women in electoral processes in Pakistan by training, educating and encouraging women to voice their opinion.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj-BFeqE_kU?rel=0]

27-31 August 2012
Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre (SVICC)
Port Louis, Mauritius

The 18CCEM Stakeholders Forum is the main parallel event supporting the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers. It brings together education representatives from business, government, academia, civil society, and the development and donor communities to discuss and debate practical measures to transform education delivery around the Commonwealth.

The 18CCEM Stakeholders Forum was organised by the Commonwealth Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Mauritius and the Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with Link Community Development and Nexus Strategic Partnerships Limited.

Oyebisi Babatunde shares insights on how the have mobilised civil society members to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and input into the Post-2015 global development agenda.