Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

An International Network
Branch and Society activities
The RCS international network continues to expand with the recent appointment of RCS
Contacts in the British Virgin Islands and Japan. A South African branch of the RCS was
launched during the 2008 Commonwealth Day celebrations and an RCS Contact will be
appointed in the Maldives shortly. The possibility of establishing a new branch in the UK in
Yorkshire is also being explored and other branches are showing signs of becoming more
active following recent changes of personnel.
It is hoped that many branches will be
represented at the International
Meeting in Cyprus in September 2008.
Africa
In Cameroon, the RCS branch launched
its ‘Kurume Project’ which aims to restore
the local village to its former economic
and environmental status and to provide
an example of how the exodus of village
youths might be reversed. The project
encourages dialogue between local
people, seeks to identify their needs, to
bridge the poverty gap and to restore
hope. The branch circulated a newsletter
about the project and the Bristol
Commonwealth Society is generously
contributing to its maintenance.
RCS Cameroon held their
Commonwealth Day 2008 celebration in
the Government Bilingual Teacher
Training College in the South West
Province, Kumba. The venue reflected
their belief that young teachers can play
an instrumental role in educating the next
generation about today’s most pressing
environmental issues. Activities included
cultural dance, performances by a local
school choir, a parade of Commonwealth
flags and a Commonwealth quiz. In
keeping with the theme, ‘The
Environment – Our Future’, other
branches of the RCS also organised visits
to wildlife reserves, including the Korup
National Park.
The Chairperson of the Kenya branch,
Mr James Foster, presented books to a
Commonwealth Essay Competition
winner’s school and laid a wreath at the
War memorial in the Military Cemetery
near Nairobi on Armistice Day. Mr Foster
was an Official Observer at the highly
controversial elections which took place in
Kenya in December 2007 and has provided
an account of his observations and the
Members of RCS Cameroon take part in
the Kurume Project
subsequent developments to the RCS.
The Commonwealth People’s
Association of Uganda has been very
active over the course of the last year. It
staged a Mini Youth CHOGM, held a
Commonwealth Essay Competition prize
ceremony, contributed to the National
Task Force that organised the first
Commonwealth Week in Uganda, and
hosted Korean Internet volunteers
training students in the use of IT. It also
trained teachers in the use of IT, formed
part of the National Working Group for
the Commonwealth People’s Forum and
was represented at a Global Knowledge
Conference in Malaysia. In addition, the
branch has established partnerships with
the Institute of Commonwealth Studies,
Kibissa and the UN Association of
Uganda. In particular it worked with the
international RCS delegation at the
Commonwealth Summit in Uganda, in
November 2007, on numerous campaigns
and activities.
Asia
The Commonwealth Cultural Society of
Bangladesh held an English
Communication Workshop for journalists.
The Commonwealth Students’ Welfare
Group of India has been working on a
joint Indo-Canadian RCS Community
Youth Project and has undertaken several
initiatives with the Commonwealth Youth
in Action group.
The Commonwealth Peoples
Friendship Association of Pakistan
submitted proposals to the UK High
Commission in Pakistan regarding a new
RCS Sri Lanka hold a farewell lunch and presentation ceremony for outgoing President
Tissa Jayaweera
www.rcsint.org
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