By: Hee-Dee Walenga
From 4 to 8 August 2025, Namibia will be home to the Commonwealth Youth Council’s (CYC) First Consultative Dialogue. This is after Namibia hosted the first-ever Commonwealth Business Summit in June.
The dialogue will be hosted under the theme, ‘Reimagining Youth Leadership: Strengthening Systems for Sustainable Impact’ at the Windhoek Country Club.
The CYC was established in 2013. The council has over 1.5 billion members across its 56 member nations, making it the largest youth organisation in the world. The General Assembly of the council will also take place during the week of the dialogue.
Speaking at the official launch on Wednesday, Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, stated: “This dialogue is about real people, authentic voices and stories. We recognise that the future of our nation and indeed of the Commonwealth depends on how deliberately we invest in the potential of our young people today.”
The dialogue will address, among others, climate change, economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, peace building, quality education, youth employment, social justice, mental health, and cross-border collaboration.
National Youth Delegate of the CYC, Nadia Araes, told The Villager that the dialogue is a sign that Namibia is committed to inclusive youth engagement, and also allows Namibian youth to network, benefit from knowledge transfer, and strengthen cross-border collaborations.
Araes also revealed that the National Youth Council of Namibia will ensure that Namibian youth from all 14 regions of the country will be represented at the dialogue and be meaningful participants.
Steenkamp added that leaders of the Commonwealth should create spaces where voices of the youth shape policy and their ideas inspire innovation. “From policy reforms and skills development initiatives, to entrepreneurship, sport, innovation, and civic engagement, the Namibian Government is committed to building a society where young people are not only supported, but empowered to lead, influence, and transform,” the minister concluded.
Araes praised Steenkamp for her support of initiatives that drive the youth agenda. “It sends a message that Namibian leaders value youth as co-creators of policy and progress. Her backing helped legitimise the dialogue on national and international levels,” Araes stated.
As a National Youth Delegate, Araes is responsible for ensuring that the youth agenda of the CYC is implemented at country level. She advocates and facilitates youth inclusion in government and civil society engagements.
Registration for exhibitors is expected to open this week. Araes confirmed that Namibia’s President and Prime Minister will be in attendance. The Commonwealth Secretary General will be present as well.
