THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS
MR LAISENIA TUITUBOU

Address at the Closing of the Central and Eastern Divisional Youth and Sports Conference at Civic Centre, Suva on Friday 27 January 2017 at 06.00pm.  

•    Permanent Secretaries;
•    Youth Delegates to the 2017 Central and Eastern Youth and Sports Conference;
•    Distinguished Guests;
•    Ladies and Gentlemen.
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Bula vinaka and a very good evening to you all

I understand that you have all had a long two days at your respective venues and I will try to keep my address tonight as brief as possible.

At the onset, please allow me to thank the people who have contributed to the two divisional conferences that will conclude with this evening’s program. I trust the conferences have well and truly accomplished the intent in bringing together youths to engage in thorough dialogue. I also acknowledge the contributions of the stakeholders that took part during the two day programme, without whose challenging but informative input, the conference would not have been fruitful.  

This conference reaffirms the special place young people occupy in our nation’s development, the need to connect with our young people and to hear your voice. With the composition of participants varying from rural and urban youths, it sets the ideal platform to gauge the effectiveness of our role in empowering our young and future leaders.  
Your deliberations during this forum will be our guide into the new financial year and onwards and I take this time to thank each of you for contributing towards our strategic direction as a Ministry.
At this point in time, I want to reassure you all, our prospective and able custodians of the future, that we are not here for our own personal gain but in fact to render our service to the fullest as civil servants; the service that encompasses all aspects of your development, so that you are not just given a hand-out but instead “a leg up”.
Government hopes that its programmes and assistance will plant the seeds for prosperity in our nation. We hope that through our various services, individuals and groups will take that leap into entrepreneurial ventures. Collectively, we have to have something to show for what we are doing; to see tangible results from our service because all of this otherwise can be likened to throwing money down the drain. I say this not to discourage you but to do the exact opposite, to encourage you to be innovative and robust, creative and energetic, knowing your rights and your responsibilities.
This evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, we will recognize the efforts of individuals and youth clubs that have contributed to their community in one way or another; but it undoubtedly belongs to those who have indeed taken that step into entrepreneurship. Individuals and groups who have become successful in managing and sustaining viable self-owned enterprises have toiled hard and long to reach this far. Tonight is just rewards for their splendid efforts.
I want to spur all of you to emulate their achievements and to succeed.
I have always been optimistic about the potential of our young people. Young minds are filled to the brim with innovation and originality that are needed to steer our beloved country forward.
You are no longer leaders of tomorrow but are in fact leaders of today. You may need extra motivation from your peers if you are to indeed succeed in realizing our combined aspirations.
With all that being said, before I conclude, I want to reiterate Government’s fervent call to all Fijians, that of the importance of your physical wellbeing and health.
We as a nation are making inroads into creating better opportunities and greater prosperity. The only obstacle hampering our collective growth is the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and the death toll that comes about as a direct result of an unhealthy lifestyle. We must take that stance together to alleviate this trend of life threatening illnesses and work together to introduce healthier alternatives to our not so ideally healthy lifestyles.
Time and time again, we hear the gospel of healthy living and the importance of an active physical lifestyle being preached by concerned authorities but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Government is invested in physical activity and sports at the grassroots level in the hope of fostering a culture of healthier living and sporting excellence to bring about rejuvenated energy and fun in all communities. Your wellbeing is our priority and we will continue to do our part to ensure that; but the onus is on each of us to approach life with a renewed perspective and a much healthier one.
It is on this note that I wish officially to close the two divisional Youth and Sports Conferences.
I trust that the desired outcomes have been achieved and will ensure that the perfect impetus is provided for your growth.  Remember that the dialogue must continue.
May God continue to shower his blessings on the young people of this beautiful nation.
Thank you and vinaka vakalevu.