How can we give back?

Her Excellency, PATRICIA SCOTLAND, KC, The Rt. Honorable Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, visited Kanha Shanti Vanam in January 2024. During her visit, she received the inaugural Heartfulness Changemaker Award for outstanding commitment to service through compassionate action in her work. Here, she speaks with students from The Heartfulness Learning Center on climate change, service, dreaming big, and making a difference.

Q: Good evening your Excellency. It is our pleasure to talk with you. We’d be delighted if you would tell us about your life growing up, and what influenced you to pursue your career?

SG: First, I am thrilled to be with you. And the performance you gave was so wonderful I had tears in my eyes.

As the Secretary-General, I am responsible for helping 56 countries—that’s 2.5 billion people—and 60% of them are under the age of 30. That’s 1.5 billion young people. All of you young people in the Commonwealth, I believe that you are all mine.

So, I was extremely proud to hear from you. And I was touched by what you sang: a million dreams, a million dreams, looking at how the world could be, should be, and can be. All of you are going to make it as beautiful as you would like it to be. I was so thrilled that you’re dreaming. So dream big and don’t let anyone tell you that your dreams cannot come true. Because they can.

You have to work hard. You have to love harder. And you have to pray and know that each of you has been given a talent by God. It’s your job to find that talent, hone it, and use it for the benefit of other people. And if what I saw on this stage is even a tiny drop of your talent, you are absolutely amazing.

Let me tell you a bit about me, because that was your question. I was born on a small island in the Caribbean, the Commonwealth of Dominica. Dominica has about 72,000 people.

I was born in the fishing village of St. Joseph. I have eleven brothers and sisters, and am the tenth of twelve children. My family moved to England when I was really small, and I grew up in the East End, the poorer end of London. At that stage, many people thought the likelihood of me succeeding in anything was small, because there was a pecking order. I was told it was white male, black male, then white female. And then at the bottom of the bottom of the bottom was black female.

I had a fantastic family, full of love, care, and great determination. And they told me what I’m going to tell you: You can do anything if you choose. Don’t believe anyone who tells you it’s impossible. Everything looks impossible until it’s done. And you are going to do it.
I said to my father, “But Daddy, nobody else has done this before.”
To which he said, “Oh, good, that means you can be the first!” So if anyone tells you, “No one has done this before,” what are you going to reply?

Q: I’ll be the first.

SG: Good.

The other thing I learned was that it’s really important to support your friends, and for your friends to support you. All of us need friendship and support. Never underestimate what a wonderful thing a smile can be. When you’re having a really bad day, you think things cannot get any worse, and a friend turns to you and smiles, it makes all the difference.

Kindness is an incredible, important part of your survival. I’ve found that being kind to friends means that your friends tend to be kind to you.

Q: That’s inspiring and heart-touching. Ma’am, we’re curious to know about your favorite subjects in school.

SG: My favorite subject was English. I loved English, I loved language, I loved literature, and I loved History; but I come from a family of scientists, and they wanted me to be a scientist. There’s almost every form of scientist in my family—chemical engineering, pharmacology, agronomy—you name it, they are doing it. They thought I should be a physicist, because we didn’t have one. I had no intention of being a physicist, and my seven brothers thought that maybe the brain had started to run out when it got to me, because I was only a lawyer.

You can do anything if you choose.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you it’s
impossible. Everything looks
impossible until it’s done.

I also loved knowing about people. Whatever you choose, choose a subject you love, not a subject someone else loves. If you choose a subject you love, it will never be work, it will always be joy.

How were my subjects related to my career? The most important thing about being a lawyer is understanding language, construct, the love of language. How to communicate, and how to create ideas have been really important. I love law because I can use it as a tool to deliver justice. I always was absorbed by things that were fair and unfair. I hated to see people being bullied, people not having their say, having their rights denigrated, not being cared for. And I always wanted to make a difference so that people would get their rights.

Q: Could you please help us understand the Commonwealth? What are its goals, and how can the youth of India be more inclusive and more involved with the Commonwealth?

SG: India was pivotal in helping to create the new Commonwealth. Many of the countries had been members of the British Empire. In 1949, when a total of eight countries (including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) became independent, the question was: Were they going to stay within the family of the Commonwealth? India’s Prime Minister made the decision to stay. When they asked him why, he said it was because the Commonwealth brought a touch of healing; the Commonwealth family of nations shared so many things.

We have the same language, we communicate in English, we have the same common law structure, the same parliamentary system, the same institutions. We fought together through two world wars. If you go to the Millennium Gates in London, you will see the names of those who sacrificed their lives. And you will see that India had the highest level of Distinguished Service Orders.

In 1953, the Queen of the UK and the Commonwealth said that it was an entirely new concept, built on the fundamental and best elements of humanity, kindness, friendship, and respect. The Commonwealth could be a beacon for the rest of the world. Together, countries coming from five different regions—Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific—with different people, different languages, and with the same heart, looked at the values they shared. And they realized that if humanity needs to survive, we need to work together.

If you choose a subject you love, 
it will never be work,
it will always be joy. 

The Commonwealth was about democracy. It was about freedom. It was about human rights. It was about enhancing trade. Fifty years ago, the Commonwealth decided the most important thing was our children. We were the first organization to have a dedicated youth program. In 2022, when we met in Shogun, Kigali, the leaders reinforced that that fifty-year celebration of youth must continue, because the children of our Commonwealth are our future, the leaders of today, not just tomorrow.

The Commonwealth has been responsible for some remarkable things. Many of you were not alive when South Africa was divided on the grounds of race under apartheid. Black people had few to no rights, and white people dominated. It was the Commonwealth that said, “You cannot have a system where one citizen doesn’t have the same rights as the other. Everyone in our Commonwealth has to be equal.” The Commonwealth challenged South Africa and said, “You have a choice. If you wish to stay in our family, you cannot have apartheid. And if you want to have apartheid, you cannot be in our family.” South Africa left, but the Commonwealth continued to fight hard to end that system.

You talked about climate change. In 1989, in Langkawi, the Commonwealth came out with a Declaration saying that if we do not change, climate change would become an existential threat. We have continued to fight for climate justice ever since. We are pushing for a regenerative approach that will reverse the climate decline. Looking at all the things you’re doing here in Kanha, I believe we can do this.

You can join the Commonwealth Youth Network. We need your voice, your passion, your courage, your knowledge, and your innovation, because this Commonwealth is only going to remain wonderful if you make it so. It has to be how you want it to be. Nothing changes unless we change it. It starts with us.

You cannot have a system where 
one citizen doesn’t have the same rights as the other.
Everyone in our Commonwealth has to be equal.

Q: I’m sure many of us here are inspired by your answer and want to take up a career in the field and express our opinions to make the world a better place.

How can we as students contribute directly to the fields of sustainability and innovation?

SG: One of the most important ways is by sharing your ideas. We looked at those who are making the biggest difference in the world, in terms of discovery, innovation, and change. And most of them are below the age of thirty. If you look at the founders of some of the biggest unicorns, many of them started as micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, which were innovative, different, and challenging the norms.

We each have to start from wherever we are, 
and someone has to put the first foot forward. 

I would invite you to think about a problem you’re passionate about, and then ask yourself this question, “How can I help to solve it?”

Remember that you won’t have to solve that problem on your own. But someone has to take the first step. You can do it in school. A group of you can take something, research it, understand it. Then you can ask yourself, “How do I make it better?”

Everything you are doing at school can be part of the Commonwealth Year of Youth, because other young people will want to know what you’re doing. You’re learning things, you’re growing, you’re changing, and that knowledge needs to be shared with others. The Commonwealth is great at pooling the knowledge from all different areas.

There’s a lot to do. Please join us. Never worry that what you’re doing is too small. It is never too small. We each have to start from wherever we are, and someone has to put the first foot forward.

Remember that you won’t have to solve that problem on your own. But someone has to take the first step. You can do it in school. A group of you can take something, research it, understand it. Then you can ask yourself, “How do I make it better?”

Everything you are doing at school can be part of the Commonwealth Year of Youth, because other young people will want to know what you’re doing. You’re learning things, you’re growing, you’re changing, and that knowledge needs to be shared with others. The Commonwealth is great at pooling the knowledge from all different areas.

There’s a lot to do. Please join us. Never worry that what you’re doing is too small. It is never too small. We each have to start from wherever we are, and someone has to put the first foot forward.

To be continued.