Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

“I think that you can grow the economy,
alleviate poverty, develop people’s skills
and at the same time protect the
environment. It’s not to see it as two
separate things, but to actually work with
people in using sustainable methods and
renewable energy. There are so many
things that can be done by using
sustainable methods, bringing people in
[to the process] and bringing people up
to the level that they aspire to.”
Jacqueline van Meygaarden, on
reconciling the rights of those living in
developing countries to benefit from the
advantages of industrialisation with the
necessity of combating climate change.
“Film-makers, writers, they’re seers -
they can see the future. If you can see
that the future is going to be bleak, you
have a responsibility as a film-maker not
to be dogmatic and say ‘this is what you
should do!’, but to open up the
possibility of dialogue between people.”
‘Jaya’ Jayalakshmi on the role of the filmmaker.
“This earth is all we have and know and
anything we can do to make it a better
place, we should.”
‘Jaya’ Jayalakshmi on our collective
responsibility to protect the planet.
A young participant in Charlton
Athletic Community Trust’s
project, in the townships of
Johannesburg, shakes hands
with a South African
policeman
Khayelitsha rendez-vous
2008 has seen the beginnings of an
exciting new partnership between the
Royal Commonwealth Society and
Charlton Athletic Community Trust
(CACT). In 2002, CACT launched an
innovative programme in several
South African townships, called ‘Ikama
lelethu – the future belongs to us’. The
aim of the project was to use football
as a positive vehicle to steer young
people away from crime and disorder.
Over the course of the past five years,
its reach and impact has expanded at
a phenomenal rate. One of its most
Martin Simons, Charlton Athletic Club
recent expansions has been to the
Chairman, with a Commonwealth Essay
township of Khayelitsha, situated
Competition participant in Johannesburg
outside Cape Town. This very same
township is depicted in Jacqueline van
Meygaarden’s winning film entry ‘Free Energy’ and a team from CACT recently took
copies of the film out to the township for use in their youth projects. The RCS looks
forward to developing the exciting synergy which exists between the two organisations.
For more information on the work of CACT please see the April edition of the
RCS newsletter.
Jacqueline’s next project is a full length
documentary on sustainability and climate
change in South Africa which will focus on
the balance between economic growth,
sustainability and climate change. Jaya
will be making a feature film about a
second generation British Indian girl who
travels to India for the first time and is
changed as a result of her encounter with
a new culture.
www.rcsint.org
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