Up Front

ANew Generation

Message for CommonwealthDay 2001 from her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

The theme this year "A New Generation"captures the reality of a young Commonwealth. More than half orour 1.7 billion people are under the age of 25. They are the futureof the organisation.

These young people face a world of challengeand change. Many must cope with a life where the basics of humanexistence - food, shelter and clean water - are far from guaranteed,or in very short supply. Others have had their lives blightedby war, disease, or environmental damage. Far too few enjoy theprospect of a decent education, or work, which can give expressionto their talents and energies.

Yet for all its ills and difficulties, theworld of the new generation also offers opportunities: instantcommunication, the transfer of knowledge, and advances in scienceand technology which, if applied sensibly, can help people achievea more fulfilling life.

Despite all these opportunities, we stillseem transfixed by our differences. This is where our young peopleare so important. They know there are many problems which canonly be resolved when people in different countries work together.I hope we can persuade them that the Commonwealth, whose verystrength is in its diversity, has much to offer them in chartinga path across the barriers of race and religion, distance andeconomic circumstances.

Making our Commonwealth matter to its youngermembers is the task for those of us who have lived through itsdevelopment over the last 50 years or so. I hope that when the10 Commonwealth leaders who have been charged with conductinga review of our association's future report to the Summit in Brisbanein six months' time they will bring with them a message of hopeand renewal.

For what the Commonwealth becomes will dependon its success in addressing itself to the new generation; capturingtheir imagination; firing their vision; and enlisting their energyand commitment to an association which I believe can be as importantto the 21st century as it has been to the 20th.

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