The Commonwealth
Helping every voice to be heard
by Helen Gwynne-Kinsey
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider the meaning of the Commonwealth
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (The Commonwealth) and the means to display them.
- Have available the YouTube video ‘The Commonwealth: helping every voice be heard’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 2.40 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNlgO7-n68
Assembly
- Have Slides 1 to 5 showing on a loop as the students enter and settle down.
Begin the assembly by asking the students to consider what links all of the flags on the slides. Explain that all of these countries are members of a voluntary association called the Commonwealth. - Tell the students that they may have heard that an important sporting event called the Commonwealth Games is taking place in Birmingham this summer. It will run from Thursday 28 July to Monday 8 August 2022.
- But what is the Commonwealth? Let’s watch this short video to find out.
Play the YouTube video ‘The Commonwealth: helping every voice be heard’ (2.40 minutes long). - Emphasize that the Commonwealth has some important common goals such as fairness, justice and peace. It also addresses important issues such as education, human rights, gender equality and climate change. Being a member of the Commonwealth is like being part of a big family in which everyone is looking out for each other. Commonwealth countries work together to bring communities closer for the common good.
Time for reflection
As a school community, we can take a lot from the goals of Commonwealth countries.
We may come together from different backgrounds and points of view, but we aim to promote fairness, justice and peace in our dealings with each other.
We aim to value the opportunities that our school gives us so that we can gain the skills that we need to be successful in later life.
We aim to think about our impact on the environment and treat the world’s resources responsibly and with respect.
Ask the students, ‘How can we play our part to achieve these aims?’
Pause to allow time for thought as you reread the aims.
- We aim to promote fairness, justice and peace in our dealings with each other.
- We aim to value the opportunities that our school gives us so that we can gain the skills that we need to be successful in later life.
- We aim to think about our impact on the environment and treat the world’s resources responsibly and with respect.
Prayer
Dear God,
We give thanks for our connections across the world.
We pray that fairness, justice and peace will be at the foundation of our dealings with others.
We pray that we may live together in peace.
Thank you for the Commonwealth.
Amen.
Song/music
‘When I needed a neighbour’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7a7LdgRh-k (1.49 minutes long)
‘A million dreams’ from the film The Greatest Showman, by One Voice Children’s Choir, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v49-3Xp5fPg (4.53 minutes long)
