The Tribune

The last race is run and the last laps swum at the Commonwealth Games. So it is timely to reflect on what those 11 days of sporting triumph – created by those representing the smallest of island states to the largest of nations – in Scotland symbolises for the future of the Commonwealth.

How can we, day-to-day, continue to harness all that the citizens of the Commonwealth, many like those whose determination and skill have made Glasgow great, have to offer?

The Commonwealth continues to expand, as countries queue to join this remarkable network which binds its members not merely through shared history, but increasingly through language and communication at every level. The association is underpinned by the common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and endorsed by the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty The Queen.

The Commonwealth’s influence is not merely in its size, stretching as it does across all continents and embracing a third of humankind, but in the intense connectivity which brings its peoples together as never before in the digital age. This is the modern Commonwealth and nothing like this has existed in the past.

It is a voluntary family of nations, drawing its strength not from central authority but from the grass roots, hopes and aspirations of nearly 2.5 billion people - 60 per cent of them being under 30 - with a lot to comment, communicate and debate about their futures.

It is in this context that in honour of Her Majesty’s 60 years on the throne at the time of her Diamond Jubilee, that the Queen’s Young Leaders – a Commonwealth-wide programme – has been established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). The aim is to find the next generation of leaders and inspirational young people who can help transform their own communities and the lives of those they touch.

Launched last month by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in a state-of-the-art social media hub at Buckingham palace, the Princes put out the call that #TheSearchIsOn for inspirational young leaders across the Commonwealth.

Prince Harry said that the Queen’s Young Leaders programme would not only “shine a light on their work” but also “significantly inspire others”.

“The world is now more connected than ever thanks to the internet and social media. As a result, the young leaders of today have the greatest opportunity of any in our history, to reach out across the Commonwealth and affect change on a global scale,” he said.

Lord Howell, former UK Minister for the Commonwealth and now RCS president, says “the Commonwealth is, for a large proportion of the world’s young people, the gateway to tomorrow. The very fact that it is so heavily non-governmental, that it is driven by its peoples and communities, gives it a unique compatibility with the digital age.”

Young entrepreneur Dinesh Kapur from India, like many young people, sees the Commonwealth as a vital network underpinning positive change. “Social entrepreneurship is likely to be one of the most significant drivers of positive change around the world - this includes sustainable livelihoods, empowering women, and a new environmental consciousness” he said. “The Commonwealth should certainly continue encouraging scholars, writers and sportspersons, but it may also want to consider a more active role in facilitating responsible business and developing young entrepreneurs.’

So #TheSearchIsOn for inspirational young people who have overcome adversity to be leaders in their fields; whether that is in entrepreneurship, community organisations, sport or the arts or any group which has helped to improve lives.

Sixty young leaders from across the Commonwealth, will be chosen each year for the next four years to receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award in recognition and celebration of their achievements. They will be supported to reach their full potential in creating real and lasting change in their lives and in the lives of those around them.

The overall aim is to empower inspirational young people and to connect them with a network of like-minded Commonwealth friends, with similar potential and ambitions.

The Queen’s Young Leaders programme will build on youth engagement through the Commonwealth; supporting young people to lead, and to improve the lives of others through that leadership. They will be mentored and connected with other leaders in their chosen fields and also given the opportunity to visit and study with one of the world’s top institutions, Cambridge University.

Each Young Leader, it is hoped, will then inspire and assist a whole cohort of Queen’s Young Leaders throughout the Commonwealth, not only for the next four years of the programme, but also for the next 60 years of a newly invigorated Commonwealth, led by the next generation.

In Her Majesty’s words, the Commonwealth today is in many ways “the ideal platform of the future”. These young leaders are the ones who will build that platform, stand upon it, set the standards and point their generation in its millions towards a better, more balanced world of opportunity and prosperity.

• Michael Lake is the Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society. Young people between 18 and 29 can apply or be nominated to be a Queen’s Young Leader through www.queensyoungleaders.com #TheSearchIsOn