Shared Island Youth Forum Information

Shared Island Youth Forum’s Outcome Statement

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.

Shared Island Youth Forum

As part of the Shared Island initiative, a new Youth Forum was announced by the Government in June 2023 and launched on 8 September 2023 in Dublin Castle, by the then Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD.

The Forum brought together 80 young people aged 18 to 25 from North and South across all communities meeting in a deliberative process over a year to set out their visions and values for a shared future on the island.

The Forum membership includes 40 young representatives from Northern Ireland and 40 from the South and reflects gender, ethnic, community, faith and other identity diversities.

The Shared Island Youth Forum objectives

• Convene all-island dialogue by young people, to discuss common concerns and values for a shared future underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
• Build on wider cross-border and cross-community interactions by young people in civil society, in particular youth organisations.
• Provide a leading space for all-island civic dialogue, acknowledging both North/South and East/West relationships.
• Publish an outcome document of the Forum’s deliberations to inform further development of the Irish Government’s Shared Island initiative.
• Outcome document to contribute to broader public and political discourse on a shared future for all communities on the island of Ireland.

The Shared Island Youth Forum was organised by the Department of the Taoiseach in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland and Youth Action Northern Island.  Members met regularly over a twelve-month period at locations across the island of Ireland.  

The youth forum members explored the themes of Sustainability, Opportunity, Wellbeing, Culture and Identity and Equality, developing actions for building a shared future on the island.   Members 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 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 Youth Forum’s 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.

The shared island report was launched in Dublin Castle on the 20th of September 2024. See the outcome here Shared Island Youth Forum. 

See also gov.ie – Shared Island Youth Forum (www.gov.ie)