Commonwealth Day Message

| 09/03/2014

In July this year, the opening of the 20th Commonwealth Games will be marked by the arrival in Glasgow of the baton that started its journey from Buckingham Palace five months ago.
Many of us are following closelythe news of the baton relay as it passes through the 70 countries and territories whose teams will gather for the Games.

The images bring vividly to life what we mean by the Commonwealth family: it is wonderful to see the warmth, shared endeavour and goodwill as the baton is passed through the hands of many thousands of people.

Affinities of history and inheritance from the past are strong, yet we are bound together by a sense that the Commonwealth is a powerful influence of good for the future.   People of all ages from different cultures are weaving an ever-growing network of links which connect us in our diversity and our common purpose. It is this unity that is expressed in this year's theme: 'Team Commonwealth'. 

While national teams will be concentrating on the competition in August, Team Commonwealth will have a longer focus, working together to achieve a more enduring success.

Experiences of life differ widely throughout the Commonwealth, and we each make contributions from sometimes very different viewpoints.  But we are committed to the same goals.  Together we offer each other encouragement and draw strength from this mutual support.

The understanding that we belong together, and are able, through teamwork, to achieve far more than we could do alone, has always been at the heart of our approach.  For all of us this is now captured in the Commonwealth Charter which sets out the values and principles which guide and motivate us.

This year, more children and young people are participating in Commonwealth Day celebrations.  Advances in technology enable us to reach a greater number of young people in schools, on-line using the 'Commonwealth Class' initiative, and through events in local communities where the Commonwealth flag is being raised.

I am delighted that in this, the year of 'Team Commonwealth', we will be working to build a brighter, united future in which every one of us can play a part and share in its rewards.

 

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Category: Viewpoint

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The wealthiest monarch of a country with the highest poverty.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world and look at his home, Mexico.  It seems like persons of extreme wealth get wealthy off the backs of poor people.

  2. anonymously says:

    oh great i wonder when she is going to comment about the chagos islanders, you know evicted the natives off their island for a u.s. / british military base not far from iran  🙂

  3. Fan says:

    Clock also ticking down to FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes it is. So please comment on a football article and not one on the Commonwealth games.

    • Anonymous says:

      Which group are Cayman in?

      • Anonymous says:

        I don't know what group Cayman are (???) in.

        • Anonymous says:

          In English collective nouns can take the plural and this applies to teams in sport.  One would say "England are on the attack", as "England is on the attack" would sound as if English is your second language, or third.  So the sentence is grammatically correct and you are showing your ignorance.  I know that in that some forms of patois, for example "American English", collective nouns exclusively are more likely take the singular, but for the sake of the children one should try to keep to true English as much as possible when writing.

          • Anonymous says:

            If the English don't like the usage, then I'm all for it.

            • Anonymous says:

              Someone who uses contractions in the written form should stay away from this type of thread.

        • Anonymous says:

          Few things in llfe are funnier than someone trying to show they are smart but instead proving that they are a bit dim.