Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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“ They’re not like us, they’re terrorists” Holding human rights hostage in the Commonwealth It has always been a convenient formula – “they’re not like us, they’re terrorists”. Yet there is always the danger of the simplistic notion of otherness, real or imagined, being used to legitimise the abuse of human rights. In seeking to protect and uphold human rights, the political Commonwealth has certainly acted on the state level: there has been legal support extended by the Commonwealth’s inter-governmental machinery to small Commonwealth jurisdictions to secure them against the threat of extremism. The Commonwealth also responded to the United Nations Security Council resolution on terrorism at a time when other countries did not have the capability to respond. The Commonwealth Secretariat was able to produce, for many Commonwealth countries, a model law dealing with terrorism, money laundering, deportations, extraditions and the like. A common legal language has helped in the process and consensus on Security Council resolutions has been achieved with substantial efficiency. Yet this remains a long way from ensuring the rights of individuals, particularly against new forms of abuse – kidnapping, rendition, Land of no return In November 2006, the RCS hosted, for the first time in 38 years, a public debate – Diego Garcia: land of no return? - addressing the illegal removal of native islanders from the Chagos Islands (from the late 1960s onwards), and their subsequent fight to return home. Coming at a key moment in the campaign for return, the meeting sparked strong media interest and drew together a diverse and outspoken group of stakeholders. A special interest group on Chagos was convened and the RCS continues to act as a platform for engagement and public outreach on the topic. The decision to allow islanders back to their homes has been upheld three times by the UK courts, most recently in May 2007, a ruling which was appealed by the UK government. It is hoped that a final, positive decision will be made and upheld by the end of 2008. 14 Annual Review 2007/08 Journalist and author, Victoria Brittain Moazzam Begg, former Guántanamo Bay detainee detention without trial – all legitimised by the war on terror. Introducing a public debate held at the RCS in February 2008, entitled ‘Holding human rights hostage: the role of the Commonwealth in protecting its citizens’, Dr Karen Brewer, Secretary- General of the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association, questioned what the Commonwealth has done to protect its citizens and their human rights, bearing in mind the assistance which it has given to governments in the implementation of anti-terrorism measures since 9/11. She suggested that, with the exception of the UK and Australia, there has been little concerted action. Yet, as Dr Brewer was at pains to point out, this is not for a lack of tools: although the Commonwealth does not have a peacekeeping force to call on, it has been at the vanguard of promoting good governance, human rights, the rule of law and democracy for many years. Its fundamental principles, including the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles, can act as a powerful force in the fight against terrorism by “providing the essential building blocks for the construction and sustenance of democracy”, she said. Speaking at the same event, former Guántanamo Bay detainee, Moazzam Begg, spoke of his kidnapping and the de-humanisation that he faced in the Bagram and Guántanamo detention sites. In his opinion, Commonwealth countries are failing to protect their own citizens, sometimes even using them as political pawns to reap rewards from their allies in the war on terror. Yet, recalling its actions in forcing the need to end South African apartheid onto the world agenda, journalist and author Victoria Brittain urged the audience not to forget the “absolutely key role” which the Commonwealth has shown itself capable of playing with regard to human rights. Echoing this sentiment, Dr Brewer proposed that a greater respect and implementation of the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth could play a vital role in “the fight against intolerance, bigotry and fanaticism”. Governments sometimes play what is described as their ‘internal affairs’ card, insisting that issues such as terrorism and security must be dealt with by the State. However, if the Commonwealth is serious about being a values-based organisation that truly believes in the primacy of human rights, it must convince its member governments – and others – of the imperative of protecting their citizens, in accordance with internationally agreed covenants.
Migration: perception, policy and the importance of language Migration has become a defining feature of our times. Three events held as part of the RCS’s migration series have addressed differing aspects of the phenomenon, whilst also highlighting several key emerging strands. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the FCO, Meg Munn MP and Aidan McQuade, Director of Anti-Slavery International, opened the series by exploring the phenomenon of forced migration and modern slavery. Trevor Phillips OBE then questioned whether, in today’s society, difference equates to inequality and, if so, what must be done to alter this reality. In the third event of the series, a distinguished panel of speakers examined the spread of English as a concurrent feature of migration, explored the movement of communities between Bangladesh and the UK and proposed that the movement of people must become an integral component of the process of globalisation. One issue which emerged repeatedly in all three meetings was that of language and its crucial role in how migration is perceived and approached. A final conference on ‘Migration, Citizenship and the Commonwealth’, to be held in the spring, will provide a round-up to the series, identifying key outcomes and proposing a way forward. To download full reports of the Migration series events, please visit the RCS website “Migration isn’t a policy, it is a fact. The only thing that matters is how we respond to it.” Trevor Phillips OBE, Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission “We have globalised finances; we are globalising trade; we have globalised crime. The last thing left to globalise is the movement of people.” Guy Arnold, author of ‘Africa: A Modern History’ and writer on developing world affairs “The laissez-faire multiculturalism of the past is no longer sufficient.” Trevor Phillips OBE, Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission Kenya: what route to peace? A large audience at the RCS panel debate, ‘Kenya: What Route to Peace?’ On 27 December 2007, Kenya held presidential and parliamentary elections. Almost as soon as Mwai Kibaki was proclaimed the winner, violence in the country erupted. Its repercussions, 300,000 people displaced and at least 1,000 dead within six days, sent shockwaves through the international community. That trauma, and the desire to move forwards, was manifest in February 2008 as around 240 people gathered for a debate entitled ‘Kenya: what route to peace?’ A well-qualified and influential panel of commentators including John Githongo, Dr Wangui wa Goro, Joseph Warungu, John O Oucho, Max Caller CBE and Chair, Laurence Cockcroft, explored the underlying causes of the violence which had rocked Kenya and debated ways in which the country must now move forward to rebuild its peace. The RCS intends to stage further events as the situation in the country develops. To download a full event report, please visit the RCS website “If necessary, we must suspend democracy for the sake of peace.” Joseph Warungu, Editor, BBC World Service Network Africa and BBC Focus on Africa magazine “Kenya is important to the international community; the Kenyan people are not.” Dr Wangui wa Goro, public intellectual, academic, writer, translator and human rights activist “We must tackle these issues head-on now; we cannot avoid them any longer … We have taken our peace and security for granted. We have made serious mistakes and we must admit them.” John Githongo, Senior Adviser, World Vision International and former Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, Government of Kenya www.rcsint.org 15
Page 1 and 2: Creating ideas, building with visio
Page 3 and 4: Contents Royal Commonwealth Society
Page 5 and 6: Director-General’s Report My eigh
Page 7 and 8: Events, Conferences and Banqueting
Page 9 and 10: Building on the past, creating the
Page 11 and 12: Speakers at the RCS during 2007-200
Page 13 and 14: Another important development was t
Page 15: Can faith and politics meet on peac
Page 19 and 20: Lobbying Parliament ‘Making an im
Page 21 and 22: experiences of the catastrophic eff
Page 23 and 24: “I think that you can grow the ec
Page 25 and 26: Throughout November and December 20
Page 27 and 28: The voice of youth Young people hav
Page 29 and 30: The new Business Area, housing the
Page 31 and 32: Write around the world The Commonwe
Page 33 and 34: network of tiny fibres and capillar
Page 35 and 36: An International Network Branch and
Page 37 and 38: The Caribbean In the Caribbean, the
Page 39 and 40: Supporting the work of the RCS The
Page 41 and 42: It is not only the volume, but also
Page 43 and 44: like me, they were helpless. It nev
Page 45 and 46: Dr David Suzuki, Co-founder of the
Page 47 and 48: Consolidated balance sheet As at 31
Page 49 and 50: Prince Edward Island (The Royal Com
Page 51 and 52: Nexus Strategic Partnerships is an

Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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