This year marks 60 years since our first independence celebrations in 1962. Our
journey as a nation throughout these long years has not always been plain sailing;
challenging? Yes definitely – but has also been rewarding for all the generations that
have traversed this important phase of our history.
We thank God for His divine guidance and direction over our Independent State, for
without Him we would not have survived the torrent and raging seas of nation building.
We acknowledge with humility and gratitude the efforts and sacrifice of our forefathers,
past and present leaders, and all citizens of Samoa for their contributions to building our
country to what it is today. We also pay tribute to all our development partners who
have worked in partnership with Samoa to help us achieve our development aspirations.
Reaching this 60 year milestone of our independence anniversary is no small feat.
Earlier this year, Cabinet through the advice of the Independence Committee approved
the commissioning of a logo and theme to mark the year long celebrations. The public

was invited to express their reflections of what their journey through 60 years has meant
for them and what they would aspire to for their country over the next decades
After months of open advertisements, 59 entries were received from talented artists and
graphic designers in Samoa and from our diaspora abroad. The Committee assessed
each entry and subsequently recommended to Cabinet the winning entry for the prize
money of SAT$5,000.
Ladies and gentlemen, the service this evening is to officially launch the logo and theme
for our 60th Independence anniversary celebrations.
The logo depicts significant historical events that shaped our path to independence, our
traditions, and our our Christian values and beliefs as stipulated in our Constitution.
1. The logo depicts the Mau Movement, a significant historical event of our strive for
independence, symbolised by the single white stripe on the number ‘60’.
2. The colours used are official colours of our national flag.
3. The Southern Cross constellation, as shown in our national flag, portrays our
faith in Jesus Christ, as a Christian nation.
4. The logo’s design illustrates traditional Samoan motifs that reflect our unity as a
nation and support for each other.
As such, the Theme selected for the 60th Independence anniversary is “Folau ma le
Faatuatua” (Sail with faith). It is the theme that we believe best describes our journey
over these 60 years, where we are now, and the future.
As the Chairperson of the Independence Committee I am pleased to announce the
winner of the 60th Independence Celebrations Logo and Theme competition – a
company based in New Zealand and in Samoa, owned and managed by Samoans, the
BLUWAVE SAMOA. Congratulations to Bluewave Samoa.
Let me also take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the competition.
The wealth of your artistic expressions and creativity is commendable.
The logo and theme after the launch this evening will become the property of the
Government of Samoa. For those wanting to use it for any purpose, please ensure that
all legal requirements are satisfied.
It gives me great pleasure to launch the official logo and theme for our 60th
independence anniversary 2022, as our first event for the year-long celebrations
programme.

SOIFUA