The Commonwealth Conversation

Derek Ingram, veteran Commonwealth journalist, muses on the Commonwealth’s finances:

One of the best outcomes of the recent Commonwealth summit in Trinidad was that at long last the leaders agreed to rationalise the organisation’s finances. Many people are under the impression that the Commonwealth costs a lot of money. Nothing could be further from the truth…

H.M. The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, highlighted the Commonwealth’s Relevance in its 60th Anniversary Year during her 2009 Christmas Broadcast. Her speech also featured video interviews with delegates at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Trinidad and Tobago.

I have been struck by two things. First, that the scale of what will transpire over the next few days in Port of Spain is unimaginable, at least by local standards.

After an intense few days, our report is off to the printers and will be published next week, just as Commonwealth leaders and officials turn up for CHOGM in Trinidad.

Will the average person walking down a street have any idea what a CHOGM is? My guess is no.