The Queen's 2007
Commonwealth Day Message
Theme: Respecting difference, promoting understanding
HM Queen Elizabeth II
Click here to for video clip of HE The Governor
Deborah Barnes Jones delivering the message>>>
Today's Commonwealth is home to nearly a third of the
world's population. Its almost two billion citizens come
from so many faiths, races, cultures and traditions.
I think that one of the reasons for the success of this
organisation is that it draws not only on certain shared
values, but also from the principles and practices of
everyday life, which can be observed day after day in
the cities, towns and villages of our 53 member
countries.
Over thousands of years, the very basis of community
life has been the pooling together by individuals of
their resources and skills.
Rather than having to be good at everything, people were
able to practise their own skill or craft. The lesson of
community life is that to flourish we must help each
other. To do this, there has to be a sense of fairness,
a real understanding of others' needs and aspirations,
and a willingness to contribute.
Despite its size and scale, the Commonwealth to me is
still at heart a collection of villages. In close-knit
communities like these, there are beliefs and values we
share and cherish. We know that helping others will lead
to greater security and prosperity for ourselves.
Because we feel this way, our governments and peoples
aim to work even more closely together. And as
individuals, we find that taking part in Commonwealth
activities can be inspirational and personally
rewarding.
In today's difficult and sometimes divided world, I
believe that it is more important than ever to keep
trying to respect and understand each other better. Each
and every one of us has hopes, needs, and priorities.
Each of us is an individual, with ties of emotion and
bonds of obligation - to culture, religion, community,
country and beyond. In short, each of us is special.
The more we see others in this way, the more we can
understand them and their points of view. In what we
think and say and do, let us as individuals actively
seek out the views of others; let us make the best use
of what our beliefs and history teach us; let us have
open minds and hearts; and let us, like the
Commonwealth, find our diversity a cause for celebration
and a source of
strength and unity.
This is a thought worth bearing in mind as we gather on
Commonwealth Day: we are a thriving community; we value
our past; we make the most of our present; and we are
working together to build our future. By respecting
difference and promoting understanding, that future will
be a better one for us all.
Elizabeth R.
12 March 2007
Home | GOM Home | Photo Gallery | Contact Us
This site is designed by Golden Communications and Government Information Unit (GIU) Updated and Maintained by (GIU). Hosted by Government Information Systems (GIS). All rights reserved. Copyright 2005.