Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has shared her vision for the Commonwealth, which is anchored on innovation, leadership and inclusiveness, with emerging leaders.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has shared her vision for the Commonwealth, which is anchored on innovation, leadership and inclusiveness, with emerging leaders.
She was speaking with alumni and partners of a Commonwealth initiative delivering training programmes designed to nurture leadership and critical thinking as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues (ELD) Canada.
The organisation, which is based in Toronto, was at Marlborough House for its annual forum. The ELD president is The Princess Royal, Princess Anne.
The theme for the 2018 forum was “Creating Globally Connected Leaders; how is artificial intelligence changing education and the workplace?”.
The forum brings together leaders in the fields of law, human rights, economics, public policy, and many other disciplines.
“Innovation and inclusiveness lie at the heart of Commonwealth approaches to serving the needs of the people in all our member countries,” said Secretary-General Scotland. “Cross-fertilisation of ideas together with a personal connection in a spirit of mutual support and encouragement have always driven Commonwealth cooperation and innovation. These factors continue to nurture symbiotic growth and reciprocal enrichment, and Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues are a superb expression of these processes in action.”
The Secretary-General applauded the achievements of ELD Canada, highlighting the “strong and lively” partnerships among alumni, maintaining continuity and engagement in a turbulent world.
“The goodwill and ease with which we can interact within the Commonwealth give us a special ability to pioneer and implement innovative ideas and to achieve worldwide impact. We call this the Commonwealth Advantage,” she said.
Secretary-General Scotland also thanked the delegates for their commitment and contributions to elevating the capacity of young leaders from the Commonwealth countries to create positive change in their nations and communities.
She encouraged delegates to become involved with other Commonwealth organisations and stressed the importance of participation and collaboration if the many expressions of people-to-people connections were to develop and thrive.
