I am delighted to be here today at the Junior Chamber International Ireland National Convention to mark the start of Active Citizenship Week. Junior Chamber and Active Citizenship go hand-in-hand, with similar goals and attributes. The aim of Junior Chamber is to contribute to the advancement of the global community by providing the opportunity for young people to develop the leadership skills, social responsibilities, entrepreneurship and fellowship necessary to create positive change - these all fit in comfortably with the goals of Active Citizenship.

JCI is a fantastic federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs. There are 200,000 active JCI members and millions of JCI alumni participating in projects, meetings, learning programmes and events.

JCI attempts to create positive change. They seek to learn how to be better leaders and better people, and lead projects in areas of business, individual, community and international development. JCI and Active Citizenship believe in the advancement of communities and the creation of positive change by improving.

JCI is an organisation that seeks to bring about practical change. Meeting at local and national meetings and international conferences to exchange ideas and share best practices, Junior Chamber is an example of people being proactive, engaging with their peers in an effort to better themselves and the world around them. Learning by doing and actively participating in organising projects and activities for themselves and their communities shows how vital and practical a role JCI plays in accommodating active citizenship.

Active citizenship concerns everyone. We all have rights and responsibilities as members of different communities, be it as part of a family, a neighbourhood or even a country. Active citizenship is based on the values of inclusion, equality and solidarity, and a respect for those who may be disadvantaged.

The idea of citizenship entails many factors. It goes without saying that strong and healthy communities go hand in hand with active citizenship.

Citizens are the building blocks of a community. Active Citizenship Week highlights how we can all make a difference by working together for the common good. To this end dialogue is important, for without proper communication our ability to make progress diminishes considerably. I witnessed first hand the importance of dialogue when working on the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement. It was through dialogue that agreement was reached between all sides, as those with differing opinions came together and formed a better understanding of the views of others.

It is crucial that there is meaningful dialogue between Government, citizens and communities to seek the common good while acknowledging the differences that exist between them. A successful society depends on partnership. This partnership involves everyone - citizens, civil society, elected public representatives, the public service, businesses and others. We can all contribute in different ways.

I have heard it said that active citizens are made not born - we must never forget that throughout our lives we can grow and develop, bettering ourselves, becoming better citizens, no matter what age we are. It is never too late to become an Active Citizen.

If one was to summarise what Active Citizenship means, they could say that it is about shared values and a pride in one's place and country. It instills in people values that are a necessity for society to function to its full potential.

Active Citizenship is something that will never go out of fashion. It affects every facet of our lives - our families, neighbourhoods, communities, voluntary organisations, workplaces and political structures. Each and every one of us has a part to play.

Ireland in the 21st Century is a different place than before. There is a diversity of cultural and ethnic backgrounds that didn't exist previously, causing some to feel that a sense of community is more difficult to achieve. This makes the issue of Active Citizenship even more important.

I am happy to report that in my time as Taoiseach I encountered many inspiring stories of individuals and organisations contributing to the well-being of the community. It was always inspiring to hear such positive stories, and it was uplifting to see the many positive benefits to communities that Active Citizenship provided.

As a politician, one of the areas of citizenship that most concerns me is that of voter participation. The report found that there had been a decline in voting in elections, something that disappointed me. I would welcome an increased engagement by citizens in the voting process - democracy is at the heart of our institutions, and the voting booth enables a person to have their voice heard.

I established the Taskforce on Active Citizenship in April 2006 to lead a "national conversation" on the extent to which citizens engage in the issues that affect them and their communities. It was an effort to establish what 'Active Citizenship' means to people in the changed country that we live in today.

The Taskforce conducted a widespread and varied consultation process across the country, capturing what was happening in Irish communities. The work of the Taskforce stimulated a wide-ranging debate on the issue of Active Citizenship - a positive development.

The Taskforce outlines the rights and responsibilities we all have to ensure that we continue to develop and grow as a country of strong, civic-minded, independent citizens. They formulated many worthwhile recommendations which will assist in promoting a continued sense of community and greater engagement with the civic and democratic processes.

I know that the Government is committed to working to implement the many worthwhile recommendations from the report.

We should all remember that Active Citizenship is something that each and every one of us can participate in, be it Government, business, the media, and various other organisations. Active Citizenship is a practical activity that concerns how we engage with each other - it can contribute to an improved and better society for all of us.

This week offers us an opportunity to focus on what being an Active Citizen means - I would urge everyone to get involved, it can only have positive consequences for us all.