The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Prime Minister of Australia, urges member countries to respond to change and control conflict by nurturing respect and understanding, right at the very heart of Commonwealth values.
Mutual respect and understanding of other nations, other cultures, other faiths and races – these are the keys to a harmonious world and indeed to harmonious societies. Mutual respect, of course, can be misconstrued as a sort of good-natured tolerance. But it needs be more than that: it must involve understanding others, a curiosity about other peoples and their ways and a desire to learn from them.
My country, Australia, has one of the most diverse communities of any nation. We are a successful multicultural nation with 28 per cent of our population born overseas and 44 per cent with a parent born overseas. Our citizens include the most recent arrivals from every corner of the world as well as our First Australians, the descendants of those who settled in Australia over forty thousand years ago. Australians are enriched by the diverse cultures of their friends and neighbours. And our by and large very harmonious multicultural society is founded on mutual respect and understanding. So we share and practice the values of the Commonwealth…
*Statistics within article correct at original publication date of CHOGM 2015 Report.
The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP
Prime Minister of Australia
