MINISTER PRAVEEN KUMAR BALA'S ADDRESS AT THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARDS CEREMONY

Honourable Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports;
Chief Executive Officer - National Fire Authority;
Director Community Police- Fiji Police Force;
Commissioner Central Division;
Fiji National Sports Commission;
Suva City Council;
Nausori Town Council;

Bula Vinaka and a very Good Morning to you all. Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, I am indeed honoured to be a part of your prize giving ceremony and awards ceremony for the Fifty-Five (55) students who are part of the Duke of Edinburgh International Awards.

I know all of you have done your very best during the year in your work with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. And it is through your diligence and efforts to achieve the required standards of self-development and leadership in the scheme to be part of this ceremony.

I believe that in itself represents the true spirit of the scheme to impart good values of proactive youth citizenship and its implementation in your respective schools and the youth clubs.

Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, it is timely that we remember and recognize the vision of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who sadly passed away last year, as we conduct this award ceremony for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

As some of you may be aware, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was formed in the immediate period after the Second World War, and soon after his wife Prince Elizabeth, became Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Prince Philip, accompanied HRH Queen Elizabeth II, in their official visit to Fiji later that year, when among official duties, she opened the expanded facilities for the then Central Medical School, which then became the Fiji School of Medicine. The late Prince Philip, was deeply committed to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Awards, and it was his determination to provide solutions to what was then seen as a decline in values among youth.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was founded to recognise youth and young adults for their completion of a series of self-improvement exercises. This was based on Kurt Hahn’s ideas and solutions written in his book “Six Declines of Modern Youth.”

Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, Fiji is among 144 countries where the award has expanded. Thousands of Fijians youth and young adults have benefited from the scheme that have been run in Fiji under the auspices of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation. The Ministry of Youth currently promotes the awards in Fiji and acts as a coordinating body for the awards, which is implemented through schools and youth clubs.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Awards is based on attainment of certain levels of proficiency in order to be certified under the program. This means that there may be participants who might have narrowly missed out on receiving a prize, please do not be disheartened. Your participation is rewarding in itself and gives you more knowledge and skills to contribute positively to your school, community and families. You will get many more opportunities both at school and in life. You will be rewarded for your individual hard work, discipline and dedication. And this is a positive life lesson to revisit and reward yourself by achieving the required standards in your next go. Your hard work will not go in vain. You all must continue to strive for excellence and believe me, you will all be successful when you set your targets right.

Ladies and Gentlemen, although we all know that taking part is a key element in team sports, events and life in general, winning is what makes us push ourselves and achieve our full potential. However, winning with humility is a mark of our character. Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself, but it means thinking less about yourself, and more about others. To those of you who are receiving prizes, you are a true reflection of everything that your school and the Ministry stands for. You are a credit to the hard work done by your teachers in sharing their knowledge with you. And a true reflection of participating in and gaining confidence and competency in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. When you aspire and achieve in programs like the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, you have shown commitment to its values and have achieved the required standards for the awarding of these certifications. 

Indeed, Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, you are a true reflection of your parents’ hard work, in ensuring that they are providing you with the best foundation for you to excel in your studies. And a true reflection of the gifted teachers among you who have worked so hard to provide you with the teaching and experiences of the scheme. I am always proud of teachers and the teaching fraternity for all the hard work they do.

Without them, you and I, and our beloved country, will be so much the poorer. And I applaud them for providing knowledge, wisdom and leadership day in and day out, to our children and youth, the leaders of tomorrow as they are already fashioning themselves as the leaders of today, through schemes like the Duke of Edinburgh.

So, it is with pride that I address the teachers and the parents present here today, you all are not only educating our young people for their future endeavours but also laying a very solid foundation for Fiji to have a vibrant and prospering youth sector in the years to come ahead. These young people will reflect the values and teachings instilled in them by you and you all should be proud of that. As you all know the Ministry of Youth and Sports is striving to build values that lead to success hence it is very pleasing to note these same principles being reflected by the youth and the school.

Ladies and Gentlemen all students have the right to education. We as teachers, parents, elders and as Government agencies must make every effort to ensure our children take up this right. I know that you have absorbed everything in being educated in the classroom and outside. I know that you are preparing for your future and that tomorrow does indeed belong to you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today we will also be witnessing the awards ceremony for 55 vibrant young people who have joined the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Foundation in inspiring over 8 million young people across the globe. The award being presented today is internationally recognized and it is rightly regarded to be the world’s leading youth achievement Award available to all 14 to 24-year olds.

Ladies and Gentlemen, with the Ministry of Youth and Sports being the lead Ministry in Non-formal education, programs such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is targeted at empowerment training. And this is targeted specifically in developing the young minds of our future leaders. Our Government continues to provide advocacy programs targeted at creating sustainable livelihood for each young person.

Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, we must be mindful of the fact that not all learning takes place in the classroom. Young people need experiences outside the classroom to become committed, responsible and fulfilled citizens of Fiji. The Award’s non-formal educational model provides an alternative way for young people to gain a sense of selfesteem and achievement. Both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Education through the Award programme, wishes to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills which ultimately improves the student’s academic performance.

Through this Award, many of you have learnt new things and developed skills that will provide you with a sense of leadership and responsibility. The Award also provides you with an opportunity to establish new friendships that could last for a lifetime.

Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls I reiterate the Government's unwavering commitment to the development of young people in the country. Your Government has always placed significant emphasis on the growth of our nation, whether it is from an economic perspective, social, health or from a political perspective. We do recognize that for our nation to reach the summit of accomplishment and to maintain a holistic and justifiable growth, we must direct practical and consistent effort towards the development of our young people as we are determined to develop leaders that are positive, optimistic and determined to build a better future for Fiji.

On this score, I am very proud of your achievements and firmly believe that you will all become responsible adults and move towards a positive and secure future. It is therefore important that we continue to dedicate our efforts and support the Government's initiatives towards the nurturing of young people at all times.

Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, with those words, I wish all the recipients and youth here the very best in your future endeavours. May you dream big and focus in order to achieve your aspirations.

Vinaka, thank you and have a blessed new year.