Diversity on display as Commonwealth Day 2015 is celebrated

09 March 2015
News

The diversity of 53 nations and more than 2 billion people was reflected in Commonwealth Day celebrations in countries across the globe today.

The diversity of 53 nations was reflected in Commonwealth Day celebrations today, as the Commonwealth flag was hoisted by local community groups in countries across the globe.

In London, United Kingdom, a multicultural, multi-faith observance ceremony at Westminster Abbey was attended by children, performers and dignitaries including the Head of the Commonwealth, HM Queen Elizabeth II. 

In Grenada, schoolchildren raised the Commonwealth flag together with the Grenada Scout Association and the Ministry of Education.

The theme for this year's celebrations was 'A Young Commonwealth', reflecting the capacity and contribution of young people to national development, as well as the Commonwealth's status as a dynamic and innovative global network.

On Twitter, Joel Gill, from London, UK, said: “Today is #CommonwealthDay, focusing on #YoungCommonwealth. They are an important voice & we should listen carefully!”

Emmanuel Wabwire, a youth activist from Mbale, Uganda, said: “To the #Students Happy #CommonwealthDay as we fight for quality affordable education and share the #CommonwealthinAfrica.”

At Westminster Abbey, flag bearers in their national dress stood side by side, reflecting the different cultures and comradeship that exists in the Commonwealth. The audience was treated to the tones of the Commonwealth Festival Choir, the Commonwealth Festival Orchestra and the melodic performance of The Soil – an award-winning three-member group from Soweto, South Africa.

HM Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, delivered her Commonwealth Day Message, which specifically addressed this year’s theme. “The youthfulness and vitality that motivate our collective endeavours were seen in abundance last year in Glasgow. They will be seen again in a few months’ time when Young Leaders from islands and continents gather to make new friendships and to work on exciting initiatives that can help to build a safer world for future generations," she said.

"And last November in India, talented young scientists from universities and research institutes conferred with eminent professors and pioneers of discovery at the Commonwealth Science Conference where together they shared thoughts on insights and inventions that promise a more sustainable future.

“These are stirring examples of what is meant by ‘A Young Commonwealth’. It is a globally diverse and inclusive community that opens up new possibilities for development through trust and encouragement. Commonwealth Day provides each of us, as members of this worldwide family, with a chance to recommit ourselves to upholding the values of the Commonwealth Charter.”

Other prominent speakers at Westminster Abbey included the Honourable Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the first female speaker of the Parliament in Bangladesh, children’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, and Queen’s Young Leader PJ Cole, a Sierra Leonean who has been mobilising community leaders to help ex-child soldiers and those affected by Ebola.

Dr Chaudhury spoke about the prospects and promising future of a Young Commonwealth, while Mr Cole stressed the importance of investing in the youth in order to transform their lives, and Mr Satyarthi challenged governments to make a commitment to put an end the “scourge of child slavery”.

The Observance ended with prayers by leaders from Christian, Jain, Judaism, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities, and an Act of Affirmation to the Commonwealth lead by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma.

Earlier, Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, in a Commonwealth Day message, said: “Commonwealth Day is a good time for each of us to reflect on how, as members of ‘A Young Commonwealth’, we can draw on its vast reservoirs of goodwill and realise its immense potential.

“It is by working together that we achieve greatest impact and maximise the beneficial effect of each practical action, turning the dreams and aspirations of our youth into reality.”

In line with the theme of ‘A Young Commonwealth’, youth leaders from across the Commonwealth were special guests at Commonwealth Day celebrations in London, including the four regional winners of the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2015, executive members of the Commonwealth Youth Council, and representatives of Commonwealth youth networks focused on education, climate change, entrepreneurship and human rights.