XN000022-1984-03-11 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 1984

QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE 1984

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FOLLOWING IS THE COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, AS HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH:

+COMMONWEALTH DAY REMINDS US IN A SPECIAL WAY THAT WE ARE EQUAL PARTNERS IN A UNIQUE ORGANISATION, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION OF FORTY-NINE INDEPENDENT NATIONS, RICH AND POOR, LARGE AND SMALL, OLD AND NEW, CONTAINING OVER A QUARTER OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.

+IN A WORLD BEWILDERING IN ITS COMPLEXITY, THE COMMONWEALTH PROVIDES A FOCUS, A LINK, AND A FORUM: A FOCUS TOWARDS WHICH ALL ITS MEMBERS CAN LOOK FOR UNDERSTANDING AND SUSTENANCE A LINK WHICH UNITES US IN THE COMMON PURPOSE OF PRESERVING OUR PRECIOUS HUMAN FREEDOMS AND A FORUM WHERE SERIOUS ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO RESOLVE OUR DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH BESET THE WORLD'S POOR, THE HUNGRY AND THE SICK.

+ HAVE SPOKEN OFTEN IN THE PAST OF THE NEED FOR UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL TO GUIDE AND STIMULATE PEOPLE TOWARDS HELPING ONE ANOTHER. THE CHANGING PROBLEMS WHICH FACE US ALL CAN ONLY BE TACKLED BY PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION OVER THE WHOLE RANGE OF HUMAN AFFAIRS, AND FOR THIS THE COMMONWEALTH HAS AN UNUSUAL CAPACITY, AS I SAW YET AGAIN LAST YEAR IN VISITS TO COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AND AT THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING IN DELHI.

+ALL OF US WHO MUST GUIDE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS MUST GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH, ITS SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND ITS VALUES AND POSSIBILITIES. IF THE COMMONWEALTH IS ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL, IT IS SURELY ABOUT COMPASSION AND SERVICE. BECAUSE THE YOUNG LOVE A CHALLENGE, THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE UP TO THE COMMONWEALTH IDEALS OF FRIENDSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING BY HELPING THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN THEMSELVES. TOMORROW'S COMMONWEALTH WILL BE IN THEIR HANDS. LET US HELP THEM TO PREPARE FOR IT.+

VALUE OF FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION STRESSED ***

THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION AND IS PLANNING TO INCLUDE IT IN THE SENIOR FORM CURRICULUM, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S HONG KONG REGIONAL OFFICER, MRS ROSE GOODSTADT, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

MRS GOODSTADT WAS SPEAKING TO CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN A +FAMILY CARNIVAL+ HELD AT CHATER ROAD PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT TO AROUSE THEIR AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A HARMONIOUS FAMILY.

SHE SAIDI +FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS TO INSTIL IN FAMILY MEMBERS USEFUL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR GROWING UP, BEHAVIOUR, HUMAN RELATIONSHIP AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

/+MANY SOCIAL