The Commonwealth Conversation

This conversation starter is taken from an article by Vijay Amliwala, the Director of Commonwealth Business Council Technology. A longer version originally appeared in Overseas magazine, the quarterly journal of the Royal Over-Seas League.

With high growth predicted over the next decade in many Commonwealth countries, now is the time to take some initiative. There is the potential to reduce energy consumption in certain (wealthier) countries, while improving the quality of life for the world’s poorest.

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Title: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Event
Location: RCS
Description: Between 9-21 November 2009, 60 parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth visited London, Brussels, Glasgow and Edinburgh as part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch’s International Parliamentary Governance Seminar.

During their visit, parliamentarians visited the RCS to engage in a discussion about the future of the Commonwealth as part of the Commonwealth Conversation

As the end of the Seminar, delegates agreed a Communique to highlight the issues raised, which can be downloaded here.
Date: 2009-11-13

This conversation-starter is written by Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of EveryChild. For over 25 years, and in over 15 countries around the world, EveryChild has been fighting to protect children without the care of a family, and those at risk of ending up on their own.

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In an article for The Round Table published in October 2001, Gott thinks the Commonwealth should encourage us to see imperial history through the eyes of its former subjects. He claims the current British government comments rashly on developments in other Commonwealth countries because it retains an air of empire.

He thinks the British education system should emphasise multiple imperial narratives, ranging from the dominant British narrative of imperial triumphalism to the narratives of aboriginal rebels.

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Dr. Claire Auplat, an academic specialising in institutional theory, suggests building on the existing capacities of the Commonwealth to ensure the association’s survival.

Dr. Auplat classifies the Commonwealth as a ‘conditional organisation’, meaning one that links member status to specific conditions. In the case of the Commonwealth this refers to historical and cultural links to Britain and, more recently, the promotion of values such as democracy.

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Krishnan Srinivasan, former Deputy Secretary-General (Political) of the Commonwealth, says that although the Commonwealth has made a start in committing to the Harare principles, it is difficult to see where the process will end.

In an article published in The Round Table in October 2003, Krishnan Srinivasan charts the rise of CMAG – the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group – formed in 1995 to monitor adherence to the values of the Harare Declaration.

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Professor Deryck Schreuder, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and a leading scholar of colonial and post-colonial history, says the Commonwealth of Nations is an association whose time has finally come.

In an article published by the journal Round Table in October 2002, Professor Schreuder states that the Commonwealth continues to possess great value today. This is despite some commentator’s arguments that history has moved on, the 21st Century no longer has a place for the Commonwealth, and the failure of the association to meet its own goals in promoting democracy and development.

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In a closing statement from the Port of Spain Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday, Commonwealth leaders recognised the work carried out by the Royal Commonwealth Society in the Commonwealth Conversation and called for the creation of an Eminent Persons’ Group to look at options for reform.

The Commonwealth Conversation is a global public consultation on the future of the Commonwealth which, so far, has engaged tens of thousands of people worldwide. Emerging findings were published last week ahead of the CHOGM in a report entitled ‘Common What?’. The report called for the Commonwealth to be bold in rebuilding its worryingly low profile, by focusing on three Ps: Principles, Priorities and People.

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The post is written by Sir Peter Marshall, a former Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

I would be hard put to say precisely most attracts me about the Commonwealth. But if forced to make a choice, I think I would opt for its chemistry – the way in which people treat one another, a sublime blend of maturity, tolerance, respect, responsibility, commitment and warmth – a recognition of our mutual affinities as well as our common values and interests.

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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.

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