Sixty-three youth from nine schools and organizations across Sri Lanka were recognized with top international honours presented by The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation yesterday (4). The presentation was organized through the National Youth Services Council.

The awards were presented at a ceremony held at Temple Trees by Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, who is also the chair of the award’s international organization, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the chief guest.

The Gold Award challenges participants over 18 months in the areas of physical activity, skills development and service to community, according to Tissa Samarasinghe, the National Director of the Award in Sri Lanka. Gold, silver, and bronze awards were given out yesterday.

“I hope you feel the award and the journey you’ve undertaken has made a difference to your lives, and has given you the confidence to go out and make a difference to other people’s lives,” Prince Edward said at the awards ceremony.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe praised the awards programme, and said it brought him personal satisfaction to see its continuance in Sri Lanka for the past three decades. “(The award) had withstood wars, withstood instability, withstood many ministers, and is still available for young people today,” he said.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global, non-formal education framework which challenges young people aged 14 to 24 to “discover their potential” through service, according to the organization. It operates in more than 130 countries and territories around the world and is given to over 1.3 million young people every year.