Over the next six weeks…
Posted by DannyRCS - 23/10/09 at 01:10 pmOver the next six weeks, in the run up to CHOGM, over fifty Commonwealth Conversation events are taking place around the world. From Abuja to Arusha, Nairobi to New Delhi, London to Lusaka, hundreds of people are adding their voices to the debate.
I’ve already had the pleasure of attending a few of these and I am about to head off on whirlwind tour to attend another half dozen of them (in four countries over seven days!) to explain what we are trying to achieve.
To try and build a picture of the work we are doing, we have included a new events section on the website. The green button at the top of the page will take you to a calendar which will include information of all past and future Commonwealth Conversations taking place around the world.
Photos and videos of the events are starting to come in and we will be putting those up on the website as well.
If you want to attend an event please get in touch, or if you have already been to one, and what to tell us what you thought of it, please leave a comment under the specific event post. Or, better still, if you want to organise your own event, there’s still time. This project is all about collecting your opinions, so make sure your voice is heard.
Category : Director's Blog
Tags: CHOGM, danny
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October 24th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Commonwealth or Common-poverty! African nations in perspective. Commonwealth comprising 53 independent sovereign states of the world consists of some strikingly rich nations, while most nations especially ?African? ones are wretched, and are poverty stricken. Aware it is objectives such as the advancement of democracy, human rights, promotion of sustainable economic growth and social development within its member?s state and other countries, One still wonder how possible it is to achieve these when the poor member states, especially its Africa members, are often sidelined in key issues by the same organization that could have done better. Can this be blamed on poor governance on part of the African states and if so who are to be held responsible? One can question the motive behind its existence, if majority of Commonwealth nations are still in the same socio-economic status decades after establishment. One tends to quarry its real usefulness to the African nations majority of whom daily life is full of miseries, poverty, lack of good education, depleting health infrastructure, malaria attack and of recent the scourge of HIV and AIDS, which has been taking lives daily across the continent. The commonwealth of nations has no other time but now, to fight the pandemic seriously in all ways, before it eats up the very people who are members of the commonwealth of nations. Today, the most threatening problem confronting the commonwealth of nations is that of HIV and AIDS, or how else could one describe ?most threatening? if nine of the most heavily infected nations in the world are found in such an organization. Most of the HIV/AIDS heavily infected nations are its Africa members. Even India, a very strong member of the commonwealth is a leading nation of people living with HIV and AIDS. It is therefore very timely for Commonwealth of Nations to take a very drastic action to this rapidly spreading global problem that is eating into every fabric of our society. And one good way of doing this is to fight poverty head on. Another is a very good research into the vaccine that could alter its spread, as well as facilitating the provision of cheap drug for ?poor? people living with HIV and AIDS among its members. It is of pertinent interest to know that the sub-Sahara Africa has so far recorded the greatest losses to AIDS, with a record of 84% of all AIDS death (UNAIDS/WHO1999).The commonwealth of nations should be reminded that a growing continent like Africa that?s just taken steps to build its economic growth and development, needs huge support and assistance, in order for it to reach a satisfactory level of socio-economic status. The Commonwealth nations should come up with a decisive action plan with immense political determination coupled with openness, and strong socio-cultural, political and economic support. Up till today, Africa, with a big chunk of Commonwealth of nations membership still record thousands of deaths resulting from HIV and AIDS. Besides, African nationals are still leading in death related to malaria. One tends to wonder what our affiliation with a body like Commonwealth nations has achieved. If the majority of the 68 million people that will be lost to the pandemic by 2020 would be from Africa, then no other time is the best time to act but now. The Commonwealth nations should take responsibility for more than 25 million people in need of drug to assuage their pain as people living with HIV and AIDS. This is the time to show that we are brothers, and not only for the rich members to wait and share our commonwealth, but also our common-poverty and suffering. The Commonwealth nations need not wait for more African lives to be lost before something is done. Our life as African is not less than that of other human from the rich commonwealth states. The gory tale of Africa today could be likened to what Carol Bellamy called ?a nightmare world of children without parents, of classrooms without teachers, and of school without students, a place where grand parents outlived grandchildren and orphans are object of fear and abuse?. This could be likened to unnecessary neglect and gross carelessness by the rich members of the Commonwealth nations. One would tend to conclude that if the rich nations of the world-Canada and Britain inclusive could raise over 100 billion dollars to fight terrorism at a G8 conference. Then it amounts to a deliberate negligence and moral lapses on their part to forget about the poor people of Africa who are daily been hunted by malaria, HIV and AIDS pandemic. The Africa continent should not be treated like an alien continent. We should remember that no one is safe until all are saved. The moral void should be bridged now. As members of the Commonwealth nations, the right time to share and proffer solution to our common sufferings in Africa is now. It is until we share our burdens and sufferings together (common-poverty), that we can truly be brothers from different nations sharing a commonwealth. Then can be truly proud to be members of the common wealth nations.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:28 am
The Commonwealth has long been a useless entity. I think it would be best if, particularly African, member countries pulled out of it. Commonwealth citizens from Africa and the Caribbean as well as India and Pakistan, do not benefit anything from it apart from it being a showcase for leaders to show their fly-whisks and jungle hats like one worn by Museveni at the last CHOGM in Kampala when escorting the Queen as she inspected a guard of honour. In short, the Commonwealth is a an entity that perpetuates the colonial mentality among former colonies by enforcing a wistful past. The only real beneficiaries are Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians for obvious reasons. We should start petitioning our leaders to withdraw from this shameful organisation which is just a window-dressing for old colonialism. May be we should draw lessons from Mugabe who saw through it long ago and took his country out of it. Britain as it is dealing with immigration now, is more and more falling back on the Hitlerite Aryan-race approach, nothing else. Britain recognizes EU citizens more and treats them better than those from non-Caucasian Commonwealth countries apart from giving them a token vote.