The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is the oldest and largest civil society organisation devoted to the Commonwealth. Founded in 1868, it conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. Its educational, youth and cultural programmes include one of the world’s oldest and largest schools’ essay competitions, and an innovative international youth leadership programme. The RCS has some 4,000 members in the UK and a presence in over fourty Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies. The RCS is a Registered Charity (No. 226748) in England and Wales. www.thercs.org Photographs from this event are available from www.picturepartnership.co.uk/events The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge 2013 The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge is a business competition for young people who want to make a difference in the world. The competition asks school students to start an environmentally friendly enterprise that will solve a problem in their local community. The competition opens for registrations today as part of the celebrations for Commonwealth Week. The competition takes place in two stages. In the first stage, students are asked to design a business plan and in the second, to launch and run an enterprise, generating income either for their school or for a cause of their choosing. This year, Teach A Man To Fish is delighted to bring you the Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society and Ashoka. We look forward to welcoming energetic young entrepreneurs from all fifty-four Commonwealth countries into our network in 2013! The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge offers prizes of up to $5000 for the best business plans and businesses, as well as individual prizes for the most inspirational teachers and the most enterprising students. If you are interested in the competition, please visit www.schoolenterprisechallenge.org or email [email protected] for more information. The Abbey is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T. Members of the congregation are kindly requested to refrain from using private cameras, video, or sound recording equipment. Please ensure that mobile phones, pagers, and other electronic devices are switched off. It is my great pleasure, in my first year as Chairman of the Council of Commonwealth Societies, to welcome you to this very special event. Every year, on the second Monday in March, the Council—the association of key Commonwealth organisations working under the auspices of the Royal Commonwealth Society—organises this flagship occasion, the Commonwealth Day Observance. The Observance marks Commonwealth Day, when people across the world celebrate the great partnership and network of nations, peoples, and ideals which constitute the modern Commonwealth. The Observance is the UK’s largest annual multi-faith gathering, and today we are honoured by the presence of the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, the High Commissioners of Commonwealth nations, and the faith leaders of each major religion. I am delighted that we are also joined by almost 1,000 young people, representing the bright future of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Day Observance takes a different theme each year, and in 2013 we are celebrating ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’. Through a mix of music, dance, and personal testimonies, the event will celebrate innovation throughout the Commonwealth and our shared commitment towards the role of young people, and towards creativity and sustainable enterprise as the pathways to development and prosperity for the Commonwealth’s two billion citizens. I hope you enjoy this great event, which crystallises our hopes for the future and our global responsibilities. The Council of Commonwealth Societies is deeply grateful to the Dean of Westminster and his staff for their support. The Right Honourable The Lord Howell of Guildford 1 Rivers State Government Come to an unexpected place. A place where untapped potential thrives, with a welcoming culture that’s fresh and dynamic. It is a place where you will be inspired to be a part of something big, with one vision – to make tomorrow’s dream, today’s reality. Our Mission Strategic Economic Hub Our mission is to • Largest on-shore oil and gas • Rivers State is home to serve our people producing state. numerous oil and gas multinationals such as Bonny with humility Headquarters of Nigeria’s • NLNG, Shell Petroleum and render hydrocarbon industry. transparent and Development Company (SPDC), accountable • Rivers State possesses three MOBIL, AGIP and Chevron; stewardship major universities: University as well as an established Free anchored on of Port Harcourt, University of Trade Zone. Science and Technology, Port integrity and good Rivers State is credited with Harcourt and the University • governance. We long term foreign and local of Education. shall use our God- currency ratings of B+, and a given resources • Rivers State is served by a national long term rating of to improve the number of major refi neries, ‘AA’, as determined by Fitch. quality of life of two signifi cant seaports and Rivers State is also the fi rst our present and airports (one of which services state in Nigeria to receive a future generations international fl ights), and Standard & Poor’s rating: a ‘B’ and empower well-maintained road and rail rating, indicating its ‘stable our people in a infrastructure. outlook based on improved peaceful, just • Rivers State has an extensive transparency’. and harmonious Atlantic coastline – linking it society under God. with the world. Governor Amaechi has exhibited transparency and accountability in his administration as Governor of Rivers State and has made the offi ce of governor as approachable as never before. He leads a participatory style government, maintaining constant communication with the people. www.riversstate.gov.ng Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi Opportunity Through Enterprise: Unlocking potential with innovation and excellence WHAT IS THE COMMONWEALTH THEME? Every year, the Commonwealth chooses a theme to provide a focus for its activities. The theme is celebrated throughout the year, with special events taking place during Commonwealth Week, including the Commonwealth Day Observance and the Commonwealth Lecture. WHAT DOES ‘OPPORTUNITY THROUGH ENTERPRISE’ MEAN? This year’s Commonwealth theme, ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’, celebrates the ways in which citizens around the Commonwealth use innovation, hard work, and creative thinking to find opportunities to improve lives around the world. Through a series of events and programmes, in 2013 the Commonwealth will celebrate the enterprising spirit which unlocks opportunities in small rural communities, large urban centres, businesses, governments and civil society, and encourage us to find ways to nurture enterprise through education, skills development, and political action. To find out more about the theme and how you can get involved, visit www.commonwealththeme.org. 3 Order of the Observance Before the Observance The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra, conducted by James Ross, Guest Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, plays: Movements from King Arthur Z 628 Henry Purcell (1659–1695) Dance of the Spirits: an African Epiphany Joshua Hagley (b 1995) Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’ Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) Paraphrase on the National Anthem of Sri Lanka Toby Hession (b 1997) Suite in D HWV 349 George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) from Water Music Peter Holder, Organ Scholar, plays: Prelude in E flat BWV 552 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) English Folk Song Suite Ralph Vaughan Williams arr. James McVinnie (b 1983) i. March: Seventeen Come Sunday ii. Intermezzo: My Bonny Boy iii. March: Folk Songs from Somerset 4 The Procession of Flags As the procession of Commonwealth flags moves through the Abbey, it is accompanied by drummers from The Commonwealth Resounds! playing ‘Morosa Mosepele’. The flags of the member countries of the Commonwealth are carried in the order determined by the date of membership (when read from right to left): Canada United Kingdom New Zealand Australia India South Africa Sri Lanka Pakistan Malaysia Ghana Cyprus Nigeria Tanzania Sierra Leone Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica Kenya Uganda Malta Malawi The Gambia Zambia Guyana Singapore Lesotho Botswana Mauritius Barbados Nauru Swaziland Samoa Tonga The Bahamas Bangladesh Papua New Guinea Grenada Solomon Islands Seychelles Dominica Tuvalu Kiribati Saint Lucia Vanuatu Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Antigua and Barbuda Belize Saint Christopher and Nevis Maldives Namibia Brunei Darussalam Mozambique Cameroon Rwanda 5 All stand. The Procession of Honoured Guests and Participants An Honorary Steward The Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society Mr Peter Kellner The Chairman of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship Mr Lyn Hopkins The Chairman of the Royal Over-Seas League Sir Anthony Figgis KCVO CMG The Deputy Chairman of the English-Speaking Union Mr Jonathan Dye The Representatives of the Faith Communities A Verger The Representative of the Chief Rabbi The Representative of the and the Orthodox Jewish Community Jain Community Rabbi Alan Plancey Mrs Alpha Kotari The Representative of The Representative of the the Sikh Community Zoroastrian Community The Lord Singh of Wimbeldon CBE Mr Malcolm M. Deboo The Representative of the Sunni