Commonwealth Day 2005
WHAT IS COMMONWEALTH DAY?
Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March every year. The aim of commemorating Commonwealth Day is to promote understanding on global issues, international co-operation and the work of the Commonwealth to improve the lives of its 1.8 billion citizens.
The modern Commonwealth, which has its origins in the former British Empire, today comprises 53 independent member states. Thirty-two members are republics, 16 have constitutional monarchies which recognise HM Queen Elizabeth II as their Head of State, and five have national monarchies (Brunei Darussalam, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland and Tonga).
COMMONWEALTH DAY 2005 - A FOCUS ON EDUCATION
WATCH
Commonwealth Day 2005 Observance (14 mins)
Westminster Abbey, London, 14 March 2005
56K Standard Quality / ADSL Best Quality
Pictures from Commonwealth Day 2005
Pictures from Commonwealth Day 2005 in the Caribbean
The theme for Commonwealth Day 2005 was 'Education - Creating Opportunity, Realising Potential', which focuses on the importance of education in socio-economic upliftment.
Some 75 million children around the Commonwealth lack access to basic education that equips the individual with life skills. Education enables each person to achieve his/her full potential by promoting knowledge, skills and experience. Education cultivates the mind and nurtures critical thinking and creativity. It promotes ideas and innovations. It also empowers the individual. An educated society can make informed decisions. Education and knowledge contribute to socio-economic and political development that enhance the well-being of each society and nation. Education fosters progress.
The Commonwealth is promoting action on six key areas of education:
• Achieving Universal Primary Education
• Eliminating Gender Disparities
• Improving Quality in Education
• Using Distance Learning to Overcome Barriers
• Supporting Education in Difficult Circumstances
• Mitigating the Impact of HIV/AIDS on education
A new and exciting initiative in the area of education is the Centre for Commonwealth Education in Cambridge. Funded by the Commonwealth Institute, this new Centre will provide a forum for new ideas and will identify and disseminate best examples of educational practice. Its main focus will be on primary and secondary school teacher training, leadership and research. Through its work, the Centre will demonstrate one of the key strengths of the Commonwealth: its ability to act as a global forum for cooperation and partnership.
Ways to Celebrate Commonwealth Day:
There are lots of ways to celebrate Commonwealth Day and share valuable skills along the way. Here are four popular activities:
- Country projects or topic work exploring aspects of the Commonwealth's cultural, historical and geographical diversity.
- Activities to encourage students to think about Commonwealth principles such as democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law.
- Learning about the way governments, organisations and people in the Commonwealth work together to promote development and reduce poverty.
- Projects, debates, essay competitions on the theme of Commonwealth Day.
Books
A Family of Nations
Teacher Resource Pack
Fun stuff: