“When we nurture, celebrate, and empower young people, we are investing in the potential of our communities and our society”
This was the main message given by the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca during the award presentation of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award yesterday evening.
President Coleiro Preca praised the decision which the awardees made to be active participants in improving their lives and the lives of their communities, adding that this shares a strong message about the incredible potential of young people.
“You are highlighting the values of determination, resilience, and commitment, that have brought you success, and that you will continue to guide your journeys in life. Through the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme, you have fostered the ability to be dynamic contributors to society and active agents for positive change”, President Coleiro Preca said.
Addressing those present, the President said that we must be all the more determined in our commitment to the values that constitute a resilient society – “values of inclusion, of participation, and of respect for the fundamental dignity of each individual”.
The President stressed the importance of the decision that the awardees make at this stage in their lives, to follow the mentioned values and to share them with others, stating that this decision will have a tremendous impact on the kind of culture which we are creating in our countries for the future – “when you will be the leaders of our nation”.
“We must work together, across the generations, to promote solidarity within, and among our communities; in our nation; and throughout our Mediterranean region. Furthermore, we must prioritise a global solidarity approach which honours the contribution of every individual, creating a culture of active inclusion and participation. Alone, we can only accomplish so much. However, together, we can produce a sustainable and deep-rooted change, which both our country, and our world, needs so much.”
The President said that this ethos, which priorities social responsibility, and recognises that personal and community development are two sides of the same coin, is at the heart of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Scheme, an award which offers youths the opportunity to empower themselves, to be bold and to be courageous. President Coleiro Preca encouraged the youths that were present to find new and innovative ways of putting into practice the fundamental principles of peace and wellbeing, as these are essential to achieving the goals of social justice and solidarity.
“The award you have received are a celebration of your commitment to these principles. They are evidence of the practical peace and wellbeing you have created in your own lives and the lives of others.”
The President’s final appeal to the awardees was to go out in their communities and be leaders of change, and ambassadors for peace, for resilience and for wellbeing.