Commonwealth Day
Commonwealth Day
On Commonwealth Day, the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II, delivers her Commonwealth Day message and leads a multifaith observance at Westminster Abbey in London. This is attended by representatives of Commonwealth countries and children offer the flags of member nations for blessing. Flags also fly in Parliament Square and at Marlborough House in London, where the Commonwealth Secretariat is housed.
The Queen’s message is broadcast throughout the Commonwealth, and in many countries augmented by a message from the president or prime minister, or another senior minister. The Commonwealth Secretary-General also issues a statement, which is read on radio or published in many countries. The multifaith observance held at Westminster Abbey, too, is replicated in the cathedrals, temples, mosques and churches of other member countries. As with the London ceremony, these include readings from the sacred texts of the Commonwealth’s major religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and others.
Message from Her Majesty The Queen
Message from Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Young people are central to Commonwealth Day, and the second Monday in March was selected by Commonwealth leaders because it was a day when most schools would be in session. The many activities schools have initiated include mini-Commonwealth Games, simulated Heads of Government Meetings (where students play the roles of different leaders), project studies of the geography, ecology, products or societies of other Commonwealth countries, and celebrations of the cultural and artistic diversity of the Commonwealth through exhibitions, readings, dance and drama. Quizzes to test student knowledge of Commonwealth affairs are popular, as are collections of stamps and product labels.
The Commonwealth Day message is addressed to the people of the Commonwealth, not to governments, and each year The Queen takes as her theme an issue of importance to the Commonwealth on which she thinks the people can have an impact. Over the years, she has dealt with the sense of the Commonwealth as a family, human rights, the position of young people and of women, and working together for the eradication of poverty. Messages have thus covered a very wide range of important subjects over the years and the themes of recent messages have been as follows:
1994 The Commonwealth Games
1995 Tolerance
1996 Working in Partnership
1997 Communications
1998 Sport
1999 Music
2000 The Communications Challenge
2001 A New Generation
2002 Celebrating Diversity
2003 Partners in Development
2004 Building a Commonwealth of Freedom
2005 Education - Creating Opportunity, Realising Potential
2006 Health and Vitality
2007 Respecting Difference, Promoting Understanding
2008 The Environment - Our Future
Other heads of governments around the Commonwealth also issue their own messages to celebrate Commonwealth Day:
Message from His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
Message from President Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana