H.M. The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, highlighted the Commonwealth’s Relevance in its 60th Anniversary Year during her 2009 Christmas Broadcast.  Her speech also featured video interviews with delegates at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Trinidad and Tobago.

It is sixty years since the Commonwealth was created and today, with more than a billion of its members under the age of 25, the organisation remains a strong and practical force for good. Recently I attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago and heard how important the Commonwealth is to young people. New communication technologies allow them to reach out to the wider world and share their experiences and viewpoints. For many, the practical assistance and networks of the Commonwealth can give skills, lend advice and encourage enterprise.

It is inspiring to learn of some of the work being done by these young people, who bring creativity and innovation to the challenges they face. It is important to keep discussing issues that concern us all – there can be no more valuable role for our family of nations.

I have been closely associated with the Commonwealth through most of its existence. The personal and living bond I have enjoyed with leaders, and with people the world over, has always been more important in promoting our unity than symbolism alone. The Commonwealth is not an organisation with a mission. It is rather an opportunity for its people to work together to achieve practical solutions to problems.

In many aspects of our lives, whether in sport, the environment, business or culture, the Commonwealth connection remains vivid and enriching. It is, in lots of ways, the face of the future. And with continuing support and dedication, I am confident that this diverse Commonwealth of nations can strengthen the common bond that transcends politics, religion, race and economic circumstances.

Perhaps unsurprisingly older generations in Canada think the organisation is a more valuable to their country than young people (43% versus 27%).

But this trend is not repeated in Australia (57% to 62%), Malaysia (49% to 61%) or South Africa (37% to 43%) where young people are much more enthusiastic about the significance of the Commonwealth. This is potentially good news for the Commonwealth because it shows that support for the association is not just found amongst the older generation. Since our polls only ask relatively simple questions, its hard to know why younger folk in these countries (but not the others) are more supportive of the Commonwealth. Any suggestions welcome.

However, more worryingly, young people in all our polls showed more ignorance of activities undertaken by the Commonwealth. Not such good news.

Intriguingly, women seem to view the Commonwealth as more important than their male counterparts.

When asked which region or world grouping they thought most important to their country, 27% of Australian women responded ‘the Commonwealth’ compared with only 18% of men. The same was seen in India (47% to 33%) and Malaysia (41% to 24%).

These gender differences seem sizable. The Commonwealth markets itself as an association of equals, the Games are ‘friendly’ and the Secretariat certainly doesn’t have the macho bombast of say NATO. Maybe these stats are a representation of this.

I wonder if these variables between countries are down to latent perception of the Commonwealth or particular work the organisation is doing?

Are young Malaysian’s generally more engaged with world affairs than their parents? And are lots of Indian women looking forward to the 2010 Delhi Games? As with most poll results we are left with more questions than answers.

Watch Lord Janvrin, former Private Secretary to H.M. The Queen, explain the Commonwealth’s unique role in bringing people together in an era of globalisation.

Q: Lord Janvrin, how do you think the Commonwealth can be relevant and add value?

Janvrin: I would like to make three points. The first is that we live in?an era of globalisation, and I think the Commonwealth is a unique organisation that spans continents and countries in different levels of development. It has a real role to play in helping people understand some of the global issues of climate change and?the economy in this day and age.

The second point is that I think it works best at a people-to-people level -the associations, the sporting levels -which bring people from all these countries of the Commonwealth together and where they can exchange views and compete together. These are the kinds of activities which are the real strengths of the Commonwealth.

My final point is that we shouldn’t take the organisation for granted. We need to ensure that younger people understand the importance of the Commonwealth and he role it can play in todays world. And thats why I certainly welcome the idea of the Commonwealth Conversation.

Do you agree with Lord Janvrin? Why not post a comment below?

“We are just a few of over one billion people, or 60% of the Commonwealth population, aged under 30 years. We are also just some of those who will inherit and build on Commonwealth ties that have served generations before us…

Commonwealth member states, with the rest of the world, are going through the hardest food and financial crises of the last 60 years while facing an environmental future more precarious than at any time in human history. These conditions often impact young people disproportionately. At the same time, young people are often the ones left out from discussions about solutions…

As we look to the future of the Commonwealth, it is the hope of the Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus and myself that this will change. As the Commonwealth Secretary-General has remarked, in generations past, one would look to the older generations for guidance as to how a problem should be fixed. In the advent of increased technology and in a time when fresh and creative ideas may provide the best solutions, older generations are now looking to young people for the answers. Never has it been truer that nothing should be done for young people, without the input of young people…”

Click here to read the full text of Matthew Albert’s article on the Royal website.

And then let us know what you think below.