BBC World Debate: ‘The Commonwealth at 60 – Does it Have a Future?’
Posted by ZoeWare - 11/02/10 at 03:02 pm
On Thursday 26th November, the Royal Commonwealth Society facilitated a BBC World Debate in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. On the theme, ‘The Commonwealth at 60 – Does it Have a Future?’, the World Debate focused on many of the issues highlighted by participants in the Commonwealth Conversation. Watch it by clicking on the picture or follow this link.
The debate was moderated by the BBC presenter Zeinab Badawi, with a panel comprising David Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; Stephen Chan, Professor of International Relations at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies; and Dipu Moni, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister.
The one hour programme was broadcast seven times over the weekend of 28-29 November and carried on BBC World Service Radio to an estimated worldwide audience of 100 million.
What do you think about the debate? Leave your comments below.
Category : Conversation Events, The Commonwealth's Relevance, homepage items
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:23 am
”Commonwealth – does it have a future?”
If the Commonwealth is all about world peace and prosperity, it means peace and prosperity in each state. As many countries in the Commonwealth are struggling to have peace and prosperity within their borders the Commonwealth should be about how best to help struggling member countries.
The main problem among these struggling members is that they are actually struggling to get good governance in place.
Most of them have ”periodic elections”. That’s only a step to DEMOCRACY. Periodic elections aren’t themselves DEMOCRACY. They are truly democracy when good governance is in place.
So the Commonwealth should be mainly about helping good governance in place. That cannot happen as long as human rights violators gang up together and prevent their problems discussed in CMAG or whatever.
When the Commonwealth members are ready to discuss their problems and get help from the group only, it’s useful to have the group. Otherwise it’s a meeting place for the elites and the privileged in the member countries.
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:33 am
”Commonwealth – does it have a future?” could be partially answered y analysing the data gathered earlier to present the TT conference last November – analysing the data about the opinion from the oppressed sections in countries with ethnic conflicts, eg are they from the people in situ or are they from the diaspora? Are the people in situ able to contribute to the ”conversation”?
as far as Sri Sanka is concerned, I wonder how many in the Northeast(hundreds of thousands are stuck in camps with scanty food, water, medicine and sanitation) even knew about the Conversation, leave alone participation?
Thus what section of the Commonwealth population knew about the Conversation would be a good indicator of what direction the Commonwealth should take.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
”Does it Have a Future?”
Yes, if it listens to suggestions.
Forexample:
Commonwealth Journalists Association, 1 February 2010:
“If Sri Lanka’s efforts to ingratiate itself with the Commonwealth are to be taken remotely seriously, then Commonwealth leaders need to speak as one in condemning this appalling state of affairs.”
Not keeping quiet till the People’s Tribunal in Dublin says:
”the charge of genocide requires further investigation”.
Because I am from Sri Lanka I can speak about Sri lanka and I don’t know much about the other Commonwealth countries. Others will have to post comments about them and let the world know.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:36 am
”Does it have a future?”
Can the 53 members help a member get out of this decay:
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2399/
SRI LANKA: In this land of assassinations and threats of assassinations, what does independence mean?
It is not enough for Commonwealth to discuss a few countries with political coup. Part of its programme should be about helping members how to avoid having military coup.
Recently Sri Lankan government has been saying the opposition was planning a coup.
What is the response of the other members of the Commonwealth?
A doctor gives medication for temporary relief and then we have Health Education to avoid illnesses.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Does it have a Future? Well, as the block of countries that has the highest illiteracy in the world, the greatest single reference point for poverty and may even compete for world status on corruption in countries, it is quite a grouping of countries. With the exception of the UK, the countries with money are old colonies like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The rest, big and small are poverty stricken states and looking for aid money. If the wealth countries are able to provide for this need, there is no doubt a future for the Commonwealth.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:23 am
I think that Commonwealth does have a future but it needs to wake up! Commonwealth must FIGHT issues such as, illiteracy; poverty and I do mean FIGHT not just say that ‘we condemn what has happened or what is happening’! Also, I don’t think Commonwealth should be scared at all to suspend countries and put restrictions on them.
To be candid, the UN is useless now! Look at Iraq war; they did not do anything to stop it. I think that Commonwealth should also build relations between enemies, like India and Pakistan… if it does all this, then of course, it has a future but if it does not then there will be no future of the Commonwealth after Elizabeth II’s death. Her Majesty has done all she could to keep these countries together, in good times and bad.
Most importantly, Commonwealth should also have “publicity.” The issues they fight for should be reported in the newspapers!
March 9th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Poverty-stricken states do not mean they should be corrupt and undemocratic. It is not necessarily money they need, they need to have a sense of justice for ALL citizens.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:10 am
UN SEcretary General has annnounced that he would appoint an Advisory Panel on Sri Lanka about which Non-Aligned Movement(most Commonwealth countries are in it) has just said:
“There is nothing in the UN Charter that authorizes intervention in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.”
UN Charter was formed when the world was afflicted with interstate conflicts more than half a century ago. Now the world is afflicted with much more vicous intrastate conflicts and accordingly the UN has adopted R2P.
NAM must evolve to meet the changing needs of the society and should not remain stuck in the past.
March 18th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Asia should have a body euivalent to African Union and the courage to do what it does.