Malala Yousafzai Makes Impassioned Plea To The Commonwealth To Improve Education And Women’s Rights

Earlier today, Her Majesty The Queen and Their Royal Highnesses The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Earl and The Countess of Wessex marked Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey.

The Observance launched the 2014 Commonwealth on the theme 'Team Commonwealth'.

International campaigner, Malala Yousafzai gave a powerful address to assembled guests, reminding them that “In many parts of the world – including within the Commonwealth – access to education is denied to children and girls are the most affected…We need to…invest more on education to build up a bright future and protect children suffering from terrorism, child labour, child trafficking and gender abuse such as female genital mutilation…

“The future success of the Commonwealth – like the future success of any team – depends on the next generation. Today's children will be tomorrow's leaders– tomorrow's politicians, tomorrow's businesspeople, tomorrow's doctors and tomorrow's teachers….

“We need to work together to protect children from terrorism. If they are not given pens, then they will be given guns by the terrorists.”

In her Commonwealth Day Message, HM The Queen said “Experiences of life differ widely throughout the Commonwealth, and we each make contributions from sometimes very different viewpoints. But we are committed to the same goals. Together we offer each other encouragement and draw strength from this mutual support.

“The understanding that we belong together, and are able, through teamwork, to achieve far more than we could do alone, has always been at the heart of our approach.”

Other speakers at the Observance included one of Great Britain's most successful Paralympians Baroness (Tanni) Grey-Thompson and Olympic gold medalist, The Lord (Sebastian) Coe.

Looking ahead to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Lord Coe said: “…these Games have their own unique spirit. It is a spirit formed not only by the diversity of the Commonwealth but also the sense of belonging to something, a sense of family… The Games in Glasgow will be another chance to show what the Commonwealth represents: peace, order and equal rights for all…It will bring before us the very best of the Commonwealth. And that is a cause of celebration.”

The critically acclaimed MOBO award winner and Brit nominee, Laura Mvula performed her song, 'Unbelievable Dream'. And a poem, specially commissioned for Commonwealth Day, entitled 'Courage – it takes more', was read by South African writer and performance artist, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers.

The Observance, Britain's largest annual inter-faith gathering, was attended by nearly 1,000 children. Each young person present in the Abbey – including those presenting posies to The Queen, Duchess and Countess – had been involved in this year's Commonwealth Essay Competition which calls for creative entries on the theme 'Team Commonwealth'.

Commonwealth Day is marked annually on the second Monday in March. It is a celebration of the Commonwealth's rich diversity and an opportunity to promote understanding on global issues, international cooperation and the work of Commonwealth civil society organisations. In 2014, Commonwealth organisations are focusing on the theme 'Team Commonwealth'. In the run-up to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, this theme expresses the spirit of friendship and motivation towards shared goals and values that characterises the modern Commonwealth. www.commonwealththeme.org

Celebrations to mark Commonwealth Day take place around the world. The Observance at Westminster Abbey in London is organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society (on behalf of the Council of Commonwealth Societies). www.thercs.org

The Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world's oldest and largest schools' international writing competition. Run by the Royal Commonwealth Society for 131 years, it promotes the values of the modern Commonwealth, celebrates and nurtures the creative talents of young people and provides a platform for students to compete with their peers in the Commonwealth's 53 nations. The Commonwealth Essay Competition is run in partnership with Cambridge University Press. www.thercs.org/youth/competition

The Royal Commonwealth Society is the pre-eminent independent body working to promote the value and the values of the Commonwealth for the benefit of its peoples. An international network of individuals and organisations, the Royal Commonwealth Society is committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world. Founded in 1868, the Society is constituted by Royal Charter (most recently amended in 2013) and as a charity. It is non-partisan, is independent of governments and is supported by public generosity. The Society engages with its youth, civil society, business and governmental networks to address issues that matter to the citizens of the Commonwealth. www.thercs.org

The modern Commonwealth was established with 8 members in 1949. In 2014, it has 53 members with a total population of 2.2 billion. It is a voluntary association of governments and peoples, built around shared language, institutions, challenges, aspirations and values. Commonwealth countries work together to promote common values: democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all.

The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. For further information, see http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Overview.aspx

Phillippa Yaa de Villiers is taking part in the Southern African Poetry Project (ZAPP). This project aims to promote the learning and teaching of southern African poetry (in English) in schools in South Africa and the UK with the goal of instilling a knowledge, understanding and love of poetry in young students. ZAPP is founded upon research collaboration between the Centre for Commonwealth Education at Cambridge University's Faculty of Education and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The Southern Africa Poetry Project is sponsored by the Commonwealth Education Trust which commissioned Phillippa to write and perform her poem at the 2014 Commonwealth Day Observance. www.zapp.educ.cam.ac.uk

Posies were presented by Jocelyn Imms (age 10), English Martyrs Catholic Primary, Liverpool (to The Duchess of Cornwall); Jasmine Higgins, Belfast Model Girls School, Belfast (to HM Queen Elizabeth); and Sophia Reid (age 10), St. Fillan's School, Glasgow (to The Countess of Wessex).

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