• The General Superintendent of IYF Pastor HeonMok Lee
• Guest speakers and representatives of the IYF
• Organising Committee
• Youth Representatives, Officials
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Bula vinaka, annyeonghaseyo and a good evening to you all.

It is my pleasant duty this evening to officiate at the opening of the 2015 International Youth Fellowship Christian Mind Lecture and IT Academy Cultural Camp. There will be close to 700 young people engaged during the 3 days of this camp and I wish to convey my gratitude to the IYF for the foresight into holding camps such as these around the world.
Earlier this year, I was invited to attend the 5th Minister of Youth World Forum which was held in conjunction with the International Youth Fellowship World Culture Camp in South Korea. In the opening addresses, Pastor Ock Soo Park, the founder of the IYF emphasized the need for youths to attain a better life through a change of heart because the world of the heart is a very telling factor in the efforts to address issues that young people face such as drugs, sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol abuse and many others.

Therefore the significance of this camp is immeasurable as it cannot be over emphasized due to the prevalence and subsequent presence of social and economic problems that are derived from the absence or lack thereof of sound characters and values in our youth population.

It is no secret that young people are in need of constant support and endless motivation. In order for positive youth development to take place as a process in which young people’s capacity for being motivated by challenge energizes their active engagement in development, there needs to be emphasis place on the conditions under which this motivation towards development is activated. This is the very reason why I hold the IYF’s world camps in high regard because it is accompanied with intuitive programmes to actively engage youths in this development process.

Youths will also be introduced to the world of spiritual development which is one of the founding principles of the International Youth Fellowship. It involves the world of the heart which is the door to the mind, body and soul. You will also be taken through a series of mind lectures and I can confidently say that these are truly life-changing as you will find hope, strength, happiness and purpose in your lives as it provides training of the heart, mind and soul.

I am sure of the fact that the IYF has indeed been a corner stone for the development of young people throughout the world. Since its establishment IYF has grown exponentially and is now active in almost 80 countries and as such the Fijian Government saw it fit to collaborate with the IYF in recognition of its influential role in changing young lives.

During the National Youth and Sports Conference a fortnight ago, 400 youths from different backgrounds, representing their peers from throughout Fiji gathered to discuss issues that directly affected them. I am also pleased to note that this camp also has a similar objective which is to create awareness and identify solutions to the problems faced by youths of today. Taking into mind that this offers you the opportunity to address these issues by identifying solutions, I urge you to give your undivided attention to the programmes that you will participate in not only for your individual benefit but for that of your community as well.

It is on this notion that I wish to pay tribute to the work that the IYF strives to accomplish which is to advance Christian mission work in developed and developing countries as well as to administer alternative methods of post-secondary education. Moreover the IYF also endeavours to create international awareness and cultural exchange and promote the value of meaningful performing arts while at the same time facilitate short-term and long-term volunteerism in order to develop leadership skills that are applied on a global level. It is specifically for these and more that I wish to convey my sincerest gratitude to the IYF for conducting this second IYF camp here in Fiji.

Before concluding, I wish to reiterate the importance that culture and tradition has in our lives. Cultural values and tradition will also feature prominently throughout these 3-days as youth continue to be sensitized to society’s values and customs. Sharing common bonds espoused in our tradition and culture is critical to our harmonious and peaceful coexistence as one people in our multi-cultural and multi-religious world. Young people as carriers of and future custodians of our culture will present performances in various categories to showcase our rich tradition and culture. Therefore I wish to make this urgent plea to all young Fijians; please know your cultural identity in its entirety because there is no other who will pass on this knowledge to the generations to come. If you lose it, it will be lost forever.

I wish to thank all the stakeholders and those who have worked tirelessly to organize this IYF Christian Mind Lecture and Academy.

I thank all of you for availing yourselves for this IYF Camp and I therefore look forward to its outcomes. May it indeed be a successful and fulfilling gathering of young minds.

On that note, it gives me much pleasure to declare open the International Youth Fellowship and Academy IT and Culture Camp.

Thank you very much, Vinaka vakalevu and kamsahamnida.

END.