The Shared Island Youth Forum’s Outcome Statement, setting out their vision and values for a shared future on the island of Ireland, was launched by the Taoiseach Simon Harris TD on 20 September 2024 at an event in Dublin Castle. The keynote address by Taoiseach Simon Harris TD can be viewed here.
Shared Island Youth Forum Outcome Statement
The Shared Island Youth Forum’s Outcome Statement sets out the Forum's vision and values for a shared future on the island of Ireland.
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Members of the Youth Forum also spoke at a panel discussion during the Third Shared Island Forum in Dublin Castle on 8 February 2024, which can be viewed here .
The Youth Forum was launched as part of the Government’s Shared Island initiative, in September 2023.
The Forum brought together 80 young people aged 18 to 25 from across the island, who met over the next year to develop a statement of their vision and values for a shared future on the island of Ireland.
Members were nominated by a wide range of civic and community organisations from North and South, and reflecting the diversity of the island of Ireland today.
The Forum was organised by the Shared Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland and Youth Action Northern Ireland.
The Forum met 9 times to develop a statement of their vision and values, under the themes of Sustainability, Opportunity, Wellbeing, Culture and Identity, and Equality. Further information about the Forum’s meetings can be found in Appendix 3 of the Shared Island Youth Forum Outcome Statement.
The Forum’s meetings, which took place in Dublin and Belfast, were informed by leading experts and advocates working in these thematic areas, in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Forum members had the opportunity to engage in direct discussion with these contributors, and with each other, to develop practical actions for building a shared future on the island across themes of Sustainability, Opportunity, Wellbeing, Culture and Identity, and Equality. These actions provided a basis for the Forum’s final workshop, where members discussed and set out their collective vison and values for a shared future on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
The Youth Forum’s Outcome Statement will inform development of the Government’s Shared Island initiative and contribute to broader discussions on building a shared future for all communities on the island of Ireland.