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Friday, January 18, 1974

PROMOTING BELTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG COMMONWEALTH YOUTH

Hong Kong is expected to benefit from a new Commonwealth undertaking

which is designed to help young people within the Commonwealth to understand

each other and to encourage them to participate in the development of their

communities.

This was disclosed by the Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr.

Arnold Smith, in Hong Kong today.

Mr. Smith said that the Commonwealth Youth Programme was initiated

at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 1971 and details would

soon be worked out when the Commonwealth Secretariat's Youth Affairs Council

meets in March in India.

"Through a system of awards, scholarships and bursaries, the programme

will enable young people of the Commonwealth to visit each other, exchange

new ideas and receive practical training in youth work at one of the three

regional training centres being planned under this programme," said Mr. Smith.

He envisaged that during the initial stage of the programme, there

would be several hundred awards every year. In addition, there would also be

national awards made available by individual Commonwealth countries.

He pointed out that Commonwealth countries were paying increasing

attention to youth activities and accordingly, the Commonwealth Secretariat

had set up a Youth Division to promote co-operation in the field of youth

affairs.

The Secretary General, accompanied by his wife, is here for a brief

visit en route to the Commonwealth Games at the invitation of the New Zealand

Government.

/A veteran