Commonwealth Conversation Emerging Findings Published
Posted by ZoeWare - 30/11/09 at 03:11 pm
After an intense few weeks, we are delighted to publish the emerging findings of the Commonwealth Conversation. In this report we say that the Commonwealth must be bold to halt its declining profile, and to do this must focus on three Ps: Principles, Priorities and People. You can download Common What? here, and see the full press release below.
Commonwealth must be bold to halt declining profile
As world leaders gather for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a new global public consultation shows that the association risks fading into irrelevance unless leaders take bold action.
Conducted to mark the association’s 60th anniversary, The Commonwealth Conversation has so far engaged tens of thousands of people across almost all of its 53 member states via online and offline activities.
The emerging findings of the Conversation are published today by the Royal Commonwealth Society in a report entitled “Common What?”.
The report presents evidence that the Commonwealth has a worryingly low profile amongst the public and many policymakers. Less than one third of people in the Commonwealth could name anything the association does and the majority of those could cite only the Commonwealth Games. Many policymakers who took part in the consultation struggled to identify any area in which the Commonwealth clearly and distinctively adds value. Those working within Commonwealth organisations seem frustrated that the association is being neglected by member governments and lacks an ambitious vision for its future.
Research for the Conversation suggests that the Commonwealth is more often valued by Anglophiles and those who are nostalgic for an imperial past, than those committed to the internationalist values of the association. The report suggests that rebuilding the Commonwealth’s profile is a critical and urgent challenge. It recommends a renewed focus on:
- Principles. There is widespread confusion about what the Commonwealth stands for today. Adherence to the values it purports to uphold is patchy at best. Its principles must be re-articulated in a way that captures public imagination, clearly distinguishes the Commonwealth from other international bodies, and directly informs its work in meaningful ways.
- Priorities. While the Commonwealth does good work in many areas, it is seen as spreading itself too thinly, diluting its impact and identity. There are consistent calls for it to focus on where it can add value in a crowded international marketplace of organisations. The Commonwealth must identify and deploy its unique strengths if it is to thrive in the 21st century.
- People. The Commonwealth’s network of civil society organisations is unparalleled. Yet, many of these bodies urgently need to engage a younger generation or risk dying out. They must become more innovative, more coordinated and better-resourced.
Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, said: “This is a wake up call for the Commonwealth. After 60 years of fantastic work, the Commonwealth has to choose between quietly retiring or boldly revitalising itself for the 21st century. Leaders meeting in Trinidad this week need to do more than issue long communiqués. They need to convince a new generation unfamiliar with the Commonwealth that this association can tackle global challenges in a meaningful way.”
Among thousands of contributions to the Conversation, the following said:
Rt Hon. Malcom Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia: “If the Commonwealth is to survive as an effective organisation, it should not be shy and retiring.”
Dame Kelly Holmes, President of Commonwealth Games England: “I think the Commonwealth isn’t known that much to the younger generation. We need to talk about the Commonwealth in a more positive light.”
Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer and politician: “[The Commonwealth] is a historical thing but I don’t know if it is of any direct benefit to Pakistan. It should be more of an effective forum.”
H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka, Vice President of Kenya: “We don’t hear the voice of the Commonwealth loud enough. It is a very well established body but I do feel that it needs a sense of renewal.”
Notes to Editors
Commonwealth Conversation: On 20 July 2009, the RCS launched the ‘Commonwealth Conversation’, the largest-ever public consultation on the future of the Commonwealth. The centrepiece of the Commonwealth Conversation is an open, interactive website to host discussions and invite ideas. (www.thecommonwealthconversation.org) The Conversation has also involved:
- Nationally representative opinion polls in 7 Commonwealth countries with a combined sample of 6,200
- Over 30,000 visits to the website from almost all Commonwealth countries (and 100+ other countries)
- 1,500+ comments via the website, email and post
- Surveys of more than 1,250 people, including key opinion leaders, in over 40 countries
- Almost 70 events in 21 Commonwealth countries across all regions involving some 2,600 people
- Extensive media coverage, including 15 op-ed pieces in leading national newspapers around the Commonwealth
- 8 expert groups on key aspects of the Commonwealth’s work
- Bespoke online focus groups involving young people from around the Commonwealth
Contacts:
For all media enquiries, please contact Joanna Bennett on +1 868 374 4355 and joanna.bennett@thercs.org.
RCS Headquarters, London: Mr Alex Try, conversation@thercs.org, +44 (0)20 7766 9235; 25 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP, UK.
Category : The Commonwealth's Relevance, The Official Commonwealth
Tags: Common What, Commonwealth Conversation, people, principles, priorities
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November 26th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I think you have hit the nail on the head. Without profile (bar this bit meeting every few years) the association has no teeth.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
The question is how do you make it relevant again? its a circular question – relevance brings profile, profile brings relevance.
Does this question even go deeper – what is the point? That is my 4th P.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I concur with what the Honourbales quoted above said about the Commonwealth though Iam in Zimbabwe were it has or the governement has disengaged.
It was the Commonwealth’s role to continuously engage the government in Harare if it was committed to common development agenda.It is saddening to see that most young people are not aware of this organisation. It worries a lot that it is known only in the field of sports mainly ny some section of young people.The question is?
WHERE IS IT GOING WITHOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE EMBRACING IT?
This requires more commitment and action.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Completely agree Solomon – more commitment and action. You cant just say you are going to engage the young people – when it means nothing to young people.
It needs to be inovative and BOLD. Like the report says.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
If the Commonwealth is to survive then leaders need to take it seriously as a body.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
This report is a good start, but it does not go far enough. It identifies the problem, but does not offer concrete solutions. Free trade among member countries, improved access for people among member countries, military cooperation and peacekeeping, a permanent Commonwealth body for policy-making – all of these were suggested and would make the Commonwealth much stronger – yet they are all missing from the report. These issues must be addressed. I fear that this will result in nothing except talk and the further decline of the Commonwealth into oblivion.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Regarding Sri Lanka.-
Sri Lanka is to be charged for Human Rights violation and Sexual abuse. Sri Lanka is the third dangerous country for Journalists after Iraq and Afganistan as per RSF report. The Draconian Emergency Law and PTA gives wide powers to the Armed forces to commit crimes and get away with it. There is no Democracy in Sri Lanka. Five democratically elected parlimentarians and 34 journalist were killed recently. during the last days of the War in May 2009 more than 30,000 IDPs got killed and thousnads injured including infants and clildren. Please expell Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth until Democracy is restored. Thank you. Please open your eyes.
In Sri Lanka Democracy works only for the rich and powerful.
FEW ARE THOSE WHO SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES AND FEEL WITH THEIR OWN HEART. Hope and pray that
Commonwealth Organiztion will start to see with its own eyes and own heart. JUSTICE DELALYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Re: Sri Lanka should not be allowed to pull wool over the Commonwealth eyes’; Please do your utmost to put Sri Lanka on agenda and suspend Sri Lanka’s membership in Commonwealth
The brutal war in Sri Lanka ended more than six months ago with many credible reports were pointing that over 20,000 Tamil civilians were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan forces in the final days the war early this year.
Close to 300,000 civilians including over 60,000 children are being illegally detained in the internment camps without adequate food, medicine, water and sanitary conditions for the past six months in many internment camps what many including the Times, UK describing as concentration style camps.
Sri Lanka committed crimes against humanity, and continue to lock up innocent civilians including women, elderly and children in their hundreds of thousands for the past six months against the international laws in many internment camps in Vavuniya.
It is paramount important for the Commonwealth that member states of the Commonwealth adherence to the Harare Commonwealth Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other internationally recognized human rights instruments, as well as domestic instruments supporting human rights in Commonwealth member states at all times.
But Sri Lanka by all accounts violated the human rights of Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka and continue to violates the rights of Tamils with impunity which Commonwealth cannot be practicing “wait and see” approach. Sri Lanka should be at least on the agenda of the Commonwealth meeting.
Unfortunately, the watchdog body of the Commonwealth, has been refusing to put Sri Lanka in its agenda. The additional irony is that Sri Lanka itself continues to serve as a member of CMAG during this period for a third consecutive term contrary to the 1999 Durban Communiqué that limits a country to a maximum of two consecutive terms.
Sri Lanka should not be allowed to pull wool over Commonwealth’ eyes’; Please do your utmost to suspend Sri Lanka’s membership in Commonwealth at least until significant progress on rights situation in the country realized by its Tamil citizens and until Sri Lanka completely and genuinely unlock the IDPs from the illegal internment Camps.
The international community’s including the Commonwealth speedy actions of holding Sri Lanka accountable, doing utmost to release IDPs speedily from the camps, forcing sustainable and acceptable political solution to address the root cause of Tamils very urgent now than ever before. Please serve some justice to curesed Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
May I draw your attention to a proposal sent to CHOGM and championed by the Government of India, for Commonwealth countries to take it in turn to organise future Commonwealth Expeditions and host The Green Pennant Awards, along the lines of Comex in Zambia when President Kaunda called upon his fellow Commonwealth leaders to ’set in motion a tide of goodwill from the Zambesi to reach people all over the world’. He was echoing an initiative taken as long ago as 1963 by Jawaharlal Nehru to which ten Commonwealth Expeditions over over 3000 young men and women have responded.
Perhaps the reason why the Commonwealth profile is so low among young people is that there is a little too much talking by organisations and not enough of letting loose the idealism and energies of young people to revitalise the Commonwealth – not for what they will get out of the experiences but for what they can contribute to a better world.
Annie Gregory
1 Lennox Street,
Edinburgh EH4 1QB
0044 131 332 2621
Annie Gregory
November 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Seems very good. I am particularly pleased with the two comments on monarchy and also ‘Bold not Old’.
Hopefully the Commonwealth will son rise out of a slump.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Soon*
November 26th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Sri Lanka is the number one human rights violator in the world now.Many world reputable organizations such as the United States-Based the Human Rights Watch (HRW), London- Based Amnesty International (AI), Hong Kong-Based Asian Human Rights Organization (AHRC), Journalists Without Boarders (RSF) and many other rights groups documented that the Sri Lankan state committed serious rights abuses with impunity such as enforced mass abductions, mass disappearances, unlawful execution style summery killings, mass murders, tortures, rapes, destruction of personal, public and cultural properties, forceful displacements of Tamil minorities in Sri Lankan and got away with it.Still 150,000Tamil civilians including 50,000 children who are languishing in the inadequately managed, barbed wired and military guarded detention camps must be freed immediately. Their inhuman treatments from the Sri Lankan state must be stopped at any cost by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.We reguest CHOGM to play a leading role alongside with the like minded governments of the world to hold Sri Lankan authorities accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing of Tamil citizens in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka must be expelled from the Commonwealth until the human rights violators punished in the International Criminal Court.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I think it is pretty clear that people what want from the organisation is consistency and a strong voice (maybe not member governments.. but certainly the people). If the Commonwealth was about the people then they would slap down Uganda about this horrible anti-gay law and pull their fingers out re. gambia and sri lanka.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
kana and Esan,
I’m afraid the Commonwealth wont do anything about Sri Lanka while its balls are being held by other member governments.
It has no money or political support to go ranting and raving about Sri Lanka. I wish it would, and Uganda, and Nigeria… and Gambia.
Its not ‘The commonwealth’ thats failing – but the member governments failing to understand thats needed.
I see Brown has released typically inane statement today about the CHOGM trip. same old same old.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Let’s look at the bigger picture: Survival of man on this planet.
Human population is increasing and natural resources are decreasing. Pollution of air, water and land is increasing. Intergovernmental bodies have to do their best. There need to be cooperation and collaboration. Gaps and overlaps between intergovernmental bodies need to be minimised.
We have the UN – almost all countries are there. We have European, African, South American, Asia-Pacific, … regional groups.
We need to decide what purpose the Commonwealth(inter-regional body) serves that cannot be served by the World body and the regional bodies.
We need to increase the effectiveness of these intergovernmental bodies.
I think we can do away with the Commonwealth and increase the man and material resources for the other two levels – the higher international level and the lower regional level.
CMAG needs to be reviewed and strengthened By Maja Daruwala, Executive Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 20 October 2009 tells us how the Commonwealth is creating Global Democracy Deficit and oppresses the oppressed.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Violation of fundamental human rights should be throughly investigated. People cannot be help hostage in their own land. Attrocities of “War without Witness” shoul dbe exposed.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Nice report. Looks good. Hard hitting. I think you have got the tone about right.
One question: What about the recomendations on how to improve this malaise?
November 26th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
On the whole, I agree with the report, as well as its determination to find a stronger voice in the world.
I am, however, a bit uncomfortable with the view that much of the support for the Commonwealth has been portrayed as somehow incorrect. Whether one is an anglophile or not, monarchist or not, really should not enter into the equation.
The reality of the Commonwealth is that of a partnership of independent and sovereign states. If there are a group of people who believe that a stronger Commonwealth will usher in a new era of Old Etonians in pith helmets, then they will be sorely mistaken.
Relevancy comes from utility. The Commonwealth naturally has a greater affinity in those states where it is most active, and less so where there is little direct interaction with the public.
I am a proponent of free trade not due to a misplaced sentiment, but because:
1. It provides a tangible good;
2. It builds on a history and number of shared attributes that ensure its success;
3. It gives the developed nations new markets and investment opportunities;
4. It gives developing members a chance to develop their own economies and raise living standards among their own citizens; and,
5. It still respects the right of members to live according to the wishes of their own citizenry, and not some resurrected “Empire.”
If the Commonwealth is to be saved, it will be because member governments make it a priority, and that will only happen if we exert pressure as citizens and electors.
November 27th, 2009 at 1:33 am
I agree with Dave.
We are at a critical juncture of human history.
materials and man(time and effort) are at apremium.
We need to do the best for all.
Sentimaents must be out of this equation.
Please save ourselves and our children and grandchildren and ….
November 27th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Historically the Commonwealth is a free association of States that used to be part of the British Empire (though recently some States that were not, have been joining). These States have reached independence, and are all self-governing. However they all still share elements of a common heritage, to a greater or lesser extent:
- the use of the English language,
- a recognition of the role of the Queen of England as Head of the Commonwealth and in several cases as their Head of State, and
- a traditional ethos based on the concepts of freedom and fairness, epitomised for many in
- the legal systems, which ensure Habeas Corpus and Trial by Jury as practical safeguards to ensure that these concepts be not just empty words.
I believe that a major reason for the decline in the Commonwealth’s profile is that, as an Association of Independent States, its future is now in doubt, since the mother country herself, the United Kingdom, has been handing over her own independence to a body of States in Europe, who do not share our traditions or language. This has been presented not as a loss of sovereignty but as a “pooling” of sovereignty, but in fact this is a fig-leaf to mask the reality, that the states of the EU are now governed, from Brussels, by Institutions that the citizens did not elect and cannot dismiss (especially the Commission, and now the all-important figures of the President of the EU and the High Representative. They are all nominated by politicians, none of them elected by the people).
As from Tuesday December 1st, the Lisbon Constitutional Treaty will come into effect, and Brussels will obtain decision-making power over our Justice and Home Affairs.
This will enable it to deploy its own armed riot-police batallions (the European Gendarmerie – see their official website http://www.eurogendfor.eu) and introduce a European Public Prosecutor, who will surely be supported by a European criminal code – the Corpus Juris blueprint, first published by the Commission in 1997 – based on the Napoleonic-inquisitorial method which is alien to that of Britain and the English-speaking nations of the world. This will explicitly erase our safeguards of Habeas Corpus and Trial by Jury. The United Kingdom will in effect become a province of what the President of the EU Commission senhor Barroso called “a new Empire”. Two other Commonwealth members, Cyprus and Malta, are also englobed under this new governance.
How can the British Commonwealth survive when the country at its heart becomes a subordinate part of another Empire, that does not share its traditions or values?
November 27th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Torquil, I guess thats the point the report is raising- if the Commonwealth is seen only as an alternative to the EU, and a hark back to an empire when britain was the beating heart of the world… political realities mean this will never happen.
I am not going to get into an argument defending the EU (there are so many problems!) but the Commonwealth has to find its niche alongside this association.. and recapture the relevance it once had when fighting apartheid.
November 27th, 2009 at 10:20 am
JackL – my point is not that the Commonwealth should hearken back to an empire with Britain at its heart as the dominant partner governing all the others.
My point is that the Commonwealth today is an association of *INDEPENDENT* self-governing states, but Britain (of all countries) is now no longer an independent state. As from 1st December, the EU acquires “legal personality” ie it becomes a State in its own right, and its laws are supreme over our national laws. Its President has therefore supremacy over the Queen. The EU is much more than an “association” of states – they have bound themselves together now to become virtually one state, with all the trappings (flag, anthem, passport etc) of a sovereign State.
There is today even a Party – the UK Independence Party – fighting to win back our national independence!
Just as back in the earlier part of the 20th century there were such parties in the colonies of the British Empire. It is so ironic. Britain is now battling for its own Uhuru (as they said in Kenya), or Home Rule (as they said in Ireland)…!
One of the central values of the Commonwealth today is the concept of national independence of its members. How can this continue if the founding member loses its own national independence?
The only way forward for the Commonwealth will be if Britain too re-acquires its national independence, and it can only do this by leaving the EU.
November 27th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Brent and James Alcock,
To the important issue of Free trade.. or to a lessen extent trade relations.. I think this would be important. But for the Commonwealth do have the power to do such things then it needs to be relevant to its member governments, and the Secretariat needs a wake up call.
Its under funded, unloved and mis-understood.
You can’t do anything with it without this first step of realising there is an issue here.
As one comment on this site said… the Commonwealth is an ideal vehicle for so many things… but the vehicle needs to move!
November 27th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Every countries know how Sri Lanka abuses human rights by killing and torturing tamils. it’s intention is erase tamil community. It is very dangerous like Sri Lankan country to be a dictatorship but it is called democracy. Where is the democracy? Journalists are killed, whoever asked their rights they are killed. Is that democracy? So, please expell Sri lankafrom Commonwealth. Thank you. Pavallam
November 27th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
When the world is moving in a common platform to fight poverty and climate change, the Sri Lankan government which engaged in suppressing the political quest of the tamil people and which violated human rights grossly, is trying to hide the war crimes committed in the final phases of the bloody civil war. It is evident from the resignation and dissident view of the former commander of Sri Lankan Army, Sarath Fonseka, that the Sri Lankan Army was not at the control of the President Rajapaksa. Even though he promised the world not to use heavy weapons in the final days of the war, civilians were indiscriminately bombarded amid restriction on food and medical supply. We expect the Commonwealth leaders to be cautious on the possibility of war crimes, possibly a genocide made by the mono ethnic Sri Lankan forces over the Tamil minorities. The commonwealth countries should press Sri Lanka to come clean hand. It has to prove its genuineness. Sri Lanka should be investigated for war crimes. Commonwealth leaders should use their relationship with Sri Lanka to get justice to the people who were killed by the unfettered Sri Lankan Army.
November 29th, 2009 at 5:48 am
I agree with Dave – it’s time we evaluate the intergovernmental bodies.
There is no change in the lives of the oppressed.
Please put away nostalgia. Please think afresh.
What’s best for ALL?
Periodic review is essential.
Why is there a need for more and more NGOs?
IOppressive governments and ineffective intergovernmental bodies!!
November 30th, 2009 at 7:00 am
The Commonwealth is seen as a conservative organisation that is fairly inward looking and hardly relevant to young people in today’s world.
It appears to have no teeth even for older citizens of the Commonwealth. For example, Britain freezes the state pensions of half a million people entitled to British state pensions in all but a handful of Commonwealth countries. Meanwhile Britain uprates the pensions of half a million people living in Non Commonwealth countries.
This is British discrimination based on country of residence. Efforts to get this issue placed on the CHOGM agenda have failed over many years even though it affects the great majority of Commonwealth countries.
Until the Commonwealth becomes relevant to Commonwealth citizens it is doomed to die a slow death.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I entirely agree with Peter Morris. Why does the UK Government freeze the state pensions of UK expats in Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada but uprates those in the U.S.A. and Israel? To remove this discrimination against all countries affected (primarily Commonwealth countries) would only cost annually 1% of the National Insurance Fund balance of 50,000,000,000 pounds, being the accumulation of contributions for state pensions and some social security benefits. At the same time they expect Commonwealth countries to co-operate on other issues. Let’s hope that Britain can show some leadership, end this discrimination and make the Commonwealth relevant.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I agree with both Peter and Richard above.I am a Commonwealth citizen of both Australia and Great Britain and love them both. But when it comes to freezing pensions for half a million British ex-expatriate pensioners, Commonwealth Heads of State apparently lack the courage to tackle UK’s obstinate Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the subject. CHOGM presented Commonwealth leaders with a wonderful opportunity to rebel, so having the matter resolved there and then.But the opportunity was missed in spite of many pleas from pensioners for them to do so. Gordon will quite happily pocket the 500,000.000 million pounds that his Treasury acquires every year, at Commonwealth countries expense. We can only hope that our efforts at Strasbourg prove successful.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
The real test will be if groups like the Secretariat and civil society improve.
certainly governments will not.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Cassie has nailed the problem on the head.
I will apologize, in advance, for being provocative, but certain governments, including mine, provide the lion’s share of the Secretariat’s funding.
Not to name and shame, but the three main funders are Australia, Canada, and the UK.
They pay the freight, and could give the Commonwealth a stronger remit, but:
1. Australia is focused on China;
2. Canada is focused on the US; and,
3. The UK is focused on the European Union
Until one, two, or all three wake up and see the squandered opportunities in this organization, it will muddle through, neither dead nor fully alive.
At a bare minimum, citizens in the aforementioned countries, plus New Zealand, Singapore, India, and South Africa should lobby their politicians to have named a Cabinet Minister responsible for Commonwealth Affairs.
Not perfect, but a step int he right direction.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Brent,
Britain currently has a minister for Commonwealth affairs.. but she also represents Africa, Asia, Carribean, the UN, climate change… blah blah blah
On her FCO page it doesnt even show she is Commonwealth minister.
Nobody takes it seriously. the pressure it on the Secretariat to make people take notice.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
True, which means that the ball is in our court.
A couple of years ago, I met someone employed within the FCO hierarchy who suggested that because of the dual problems of Europe and the legacy of Empire, the UK would prefer that Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand and the like take the lead in the Commonwealth.
Too much of the problem is this “After you, Alphonse” attitude.
The Secretariat does what its benefactors want, and those benefactors want whatever will get them re-elected in their respective states.
Pressure on the Secretariat, yes, but also pressure on the governments who control its budget and give it its marching orders.
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I see myself as a long term supporter of the ‘British’ Commonwealth and saw this recent meeting as a wonderful example of what the former colonies can do together. I don’t think your report offers anything substantial or welcome to discussions on the future of the Commonwealth. It has served us well these past years, so why change anything?
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
In my opinion the Commonwealth has to be presented as a clear alternative to Britain’s membership of the EU.
I believe that the british people are extremely tired of EU directives from people who have not even been elected and that the EU will implode at some stage.
The main metal and mineral resources of the world are in the Commonwealth not in the EU. – Mainly Australia, Canada,India,Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The people of the Commonwealth share our language and our values.
I believe that the major members such as Britain, Canada, and Australia must take the lead to create the appropriate bodies or strengthen existing bodies and entrepreneurial business opportunities. As it is we are allowing the Chinese to make all the investments and to control resources in Commonwealth areas.
Through Canada we ( all Commonwealth Countries) can perhaps have an associate membership of NAFTA and an associate membership of the EU so that Britain ceases to be a full member.
Naval, air and armed forces of the Commonwealth should be united to defend it.
The Commonwealth could also negotiate an associate membership of what will be an Asian free trade area.- particularly through the Australian connection.
Trade must be the key to this so that emerging nations of the Commonwealth can develop and get fairer treatment.
A new currency area may be needed.
heads of the main players have to be convinced of this and I feel that David Cameron has to be persuaded to support and present an alternative to the EU.Then the PMs of Canada and Australia must also take the lead.
This is the only way forward. The alternative is extinction.
John Allen
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I totally agree with John Allen.
December 5th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Global warming and it’s associated environmental issues are obviously and important matter worthy of discussion between members of the Commonwealth but for a two yearly event the CHOGM agenda should be expanded to include other matters affecting the Commonwealth and there is one issue that should be placed on the agenda involving the illogical and unfair discrimination bought about by the UK government’s selective practice of indexing the State pension to half of the expatriate pensioners but the vast majority of Commonwealth members are denied uprating to their accredited UK pension which over time not only reduces their pension to a mere pittance of it’s original value but denies the affected Commonwealth countries of vital foreign income..
December 8th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
John Allen is absolutely right. And it would be fantastic if that were what was being worked towards. But i dont think it will ever happen. They ask questions about the importance of a free trade agreement “its time to talk trade” but is the commonwealth secretariat or any member state’s government actually working towards that? Or is it simply for the great unwashed (us) to debate and no one of any importance to take any notice of it? And if the commonwealth is trying to get a free trade agreement, why has it nevfer been mentioned?
December 9th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Well done Zoe, Alex & Commonwealth Conversation Team,
Theres lots of great comments posted here however, would just like to congratulate the Royal Commonwealth Society for echoing our voices via their Commonwealt Conversation. Now theres so many other groups like Climate Change etc picking up the vibes & using this Conversation format.
As for smaller developing nations eg in Oceania, there is a need to align with super power-nations as in this instance UK.
Although some may have got their independence prematurely as in the case of Fiji which has now result in a ‘coup coup land’, UK is still being viewed as a last hope to assist the people there make sense of what the military & its regime are doing to the country.
However, on the other hand, UK can turn a blind eye & ignore these little developing nations which ultimately can be disastrous. It is initiatives taken by a Non Governmental Society as evident in what RCS via Commonwealth Conversation that has enabled a free flowing discussions of where & how the Commonwealth can assist smaller developing nations that are being bullied or caught up in coup de tats as happening in Fiji.
Thanks again RCS/CC Team. Its a win-win for both parties so keep up the great work. You had started a Big Conversation & lets continue with it as alot of good has come out of it. Had it not been for your initiatives little island nations & developing 3rd world will have very little to show for as their voices will be one crying out in the wilderness.
Vinaka.