The Mayor of Farnham, dignitaries and community leaders gathered outside the Town Hall on 13 March for a flag-raising ceremony to mark Commonwealth Day 2023.
The day also marked the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme which was established to deliver support for people under 30 to reach their full potential.
The theme for this year’s Commonwealth Day was ‘Forging a sustainable and peaceful common future’. The theme combines the active commitment of the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries to support the promotion of peace, prosperity and sustainability so as to secure a better future, particularly for young people.
Assisted by students from St Andrew’s, St Peter’s and Potters Gate School, the representatives of the Young Commonwealth helped the Mayor of Farnham unfurl the Commonwealth flag for peace which features a dove in the bottom right-hand corner.
After the flag was raised, Deputy Lieutenant Steve Owen-Hughes MBE, QFSM read a short message from HM King Charles III.
This was followed by the Mayor of Farnham reading the Secretary General’s powerful Commonwealth Day message:
“Where there is violence and conflict, we work for peace.
Where there is insecurity, we protect the culture, process and institutions of democracy.
Where there is poverty, we tackle it.
Where there is injustice, we challenge it.
Where our brothers and sisters have their lives threatened and disrupted by the impacts of climate change, we stand with them, working tirelessly for climate action and a more sustainable world.
And at every turn, we work together to deliver a better future for the 1.5 billion young people of the Commonwealth.
The friendships and partnerships which have developed over decades mean that no Commonwealth country, or citizen, stands alone.”
Commonwealth Day 2023 was the first to be presided over by His Majesty King Charles III both as King and Head of the Commonwealth.
