SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 1983
QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE
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THE QUEEN, IN HER COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE THIS YEAR SAID THE COMMONWEALTH IS A WORLD-WIDE COMMUNITY AND IT WORKS FOR PEACE AND FOR THE ELIMINATION OF POVERTY.
+ THE COMMONWEALTH CANNOT OF ITSELF SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS OF THE HUMAN RACE.+
HOWEVER, IT DOES CARE ABOUT THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUAL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, SHE ADDED.
+THROUGH ITS YOUTH PROGRAMME, ITS TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES, AND ITS WORK IN THE FIELDS OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION, THE COMMONWEALTH HELPS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND UNDERNOURISHMENT AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILLIONS OF FAMILIES TO ACHIEVE THE FULFILMENT IN LIFE WHICH IS THEIR NATURAL RIGHT, SHE SAID.
FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE:
IN THE SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE SECOND MONDAY IN MARCH WAS ADOPTED AS COMMONWEALTH DAY BY ALL THE INDEPENDENT NATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH, THEIR NUMBER HAS GROWN FROM THIRTY-FIVE TO FORTY-SEVEN, AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE STARTED, AND INDEED COMPLETED, THEIR FORMAL EDUCATION.
IT IS WORTH REMINDING OURSELVES, THEREFORE, THAT THE DAY WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT WAS LIKELY TO BE A SCHOOL DAY IN EVERY COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY. THE CHOICE REFLECTED THE DESIRE OF GOVERNMENTS THAT THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD LEARN ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH AND, ONCE A YEAR, SHOULD BE GIVEN A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO THINK WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE YOUNG, IN MANY COUNTRIES THEY MAKE UP NEARLY HALF THE POPULATION. AT ITS MOST SPECTACULAR AND EXHILARATING IT IS ABOUT ATHLETES SUCH AS I SAW LAST YEAR COMPETING BRILLIANTLY IN THE UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES; AT ITS MOST ENCHANTING IT IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN WHO GAVE ME SUCH A WELCOME ON MY FIRST VISITS TO SOME OF THE ISLAND NATIONS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN; BUT FUNDAMENTALLY IT IS CONCERNED WITH ALL THOSE WHO IN THE FR EARLY YEARS HAVE TO LEARN HOW BEST TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN THE WORLD TODAY.
THIS IS WHY, THROUGH ITS YOUTH PROGRAMME, ITS TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES, AND ITS WORK IN THE FIELDS OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION, THE COMMONWEALTH HELPS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND UNDERNOURISHMENT AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILLIONS OF FAMILIES TO ACHIEVE THE FULFILMENT IN LIFE WHICH IS THEIR NATURAL RIGHT.
THE COMMONWEALTH CANNOT OF ITSELF SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS OF THE HUMAN RACE BUT AS A WORLD-WIDE COMMUNITY IT WORKS FOR PEACE AND FOR THE ELIMINATION OF POVERTY. IT DOES CARE ABOUT THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUAL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THROUGH THE READY SHARING OF IDEAS, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND RESOURCES BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND BETWEEN PEOPLE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE IT SEEKS YEAR BY YEAR TO ENRICH THE WORLD IN WHICH ITS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GROWING UP.