COMMONWEALTH DAY SERVICE 2023

On Tuesday 14 March, student leaders and members of the St Peters Multicultural Committee were privileged to attend the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane City.

Commonwealth Day, celebrated annually in March, is an opportunity for individuals, organisations and communities to promote the Commonwealth’s shared values of peace, democracy and equality and to celebrate its rich cultural diversity.

During the service, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, read King Charles III’s Commonwealth Day Message and several school groups including St Peters students Mahi Kar Ray (Year 12) and Navya Tembe (Year 10) entertained attendees with cultural performances.

Mahi and College Vice Captain Joy Fiske (Year 12) delivered a Commonwealth Reflection, inspired by the 2023 Commonwealth 'The Year of Youth', urging young people to "unite in diversity so that we can face adversity together".

Excerpt from Mahi and Joy’s Commonwealth Reflection:

"The youth of today will determine the successes of our future. United under the Commonwealth, passionate young people like us will dream up the solutions to transform our troubled present to a sustainable future. It is such an exciting time to be a part of something bigger than us, to embrace the diversity of the Commonwealth and to be at the forefront of positive activism and change. The reality is, there has been no better time to exist within a world that is getting closer and closer to embracing the open-minded, diverse and tolerant values of the Commonwealth. There is still so much to be done in empowering those of all walks of life to reach equal opportunity for success, and that starts with us. Let us unite under the Commonwealth to celebrate this Year of Youth, and join hearts to work towards tolerance, equity, sustainability, justice and more. In a world striving for peace the Commonwealth has the power to transform and connect our youth, passing on the baton from our current problem solvers to those of the future."

Click on the QR Code below to watch a video recording of Mahi and Joy’s Commonwealth Reflection (starting at 55:22).

Our students Joy Fiske, Mahi Kar Ray, Evelyn Bond, Maddy Fu and Navya Tembe were honoured to be a part of this special service and proudly represented St Peters’ strong multicultural community.

What was it like being involved in the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service?

As an American, an outsider to both Australia and to the Commonwealth, being involved in the Commonwealth Day Service was a unique opportunity that I am grateful for. It was truly amazing to be in the company of people from so many different cultures and backgrounds in the beautiful space of St John’s Cathedral. At the Service, Mahi and I shared our own reflections on themes from the Commonwealth Day celebration, including the ‘Year of Youth’. Especially when considering the impacts of oppression, violence and cultural erasure enabled by the Commonwealth’s history of colonisation, I wanted to stress positive themes of healing, rebuilding and activism that youth living under the Commonwealth are now pioneers of. I am glad that Mahi and I were able to be a voice for people from all walks of life to celebrate Commonwealth Day as an opportunity to listen to each other and work towards peace, equity, sustainability, justice and more. Joy

Fiske

What were the highlights of the Service for you?

For me, the highlight of the Service was watching the student groups perform, including our very own Mahi and Navya dancing in a fusion of semi-classical Bollywood and bhangra, a blend of Indian dance styles. Other performances included those from Māori, African and Aboriginal Australian students, using dance and song as a medium to tell cultural stories and keep traditions alive. It was especially powerful to watch the Aboriginal Australian students perform. I had never heard a didgeridoo played in an acoustic as reverberant and grand as the Cathedral. It was haunting, moving and had so much energy. Joy

Fiske

The highlight of the service for me was having the opportunity to perform with my friend Navya in front of my peers as well as students from other schools and important individuals like the Governor of Queensland, Dr Jeannette Young. I also loved the community aspect of the event where I got to talk to different people of different ages from different backgrounds. It’s always a nice feeling being surrounded by so many open-minded and positive people who are interested and willing to learn about your cultural heritage. Mahi Kar Ray

What were the key messages you took away from the Service relating to the 2023 Commonwealth Day theme 'Forging a sustainable and peaceful common future'?

The key message I took away from the service is how we all have to work together to collaborate and build solutions for the issues that threaten our future. Issues like climate change, man-made conflict and racial inequities all need the active commitment of Commonwealth citizens to make a positive change. This ties into a Commonwealth Reflection Joy and I presented about how this year is The Year of Youth. For the 1.5 billion people in the Commonwealth under 30 years old, it is an exciting time to embrace diversity and become the healers of the future. We are all united under the Commonwealth so we can face adversity together, work through these divisive issues and be able to create a sustainable and peaceful common future. Mahi Kar Ray