Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

Creating ideas, building with vision 

Annual Review 2007/08

The Royal Commonwealth Society founded 1868 

Patron 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 

The President 

Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCVO CFR 

Vice-Presidents 

HH The Aga Khan 

Mr David Alexander 

Mr Colin Ball 

Richard Bourne OBE 

Miss Margaret Brayton MBE 

Mr Roger Davidson 

Mr John Dove 

Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser AC CH 

Miss Myra Green OBE 

Mr Derek Ingram OBE 

Maj. Gen. B J Legge 

Lady Lewis 

Dr Peter H Lyon OBE 

Sir Peter Marshall KCMG CVO 

Sir Michael McWilliam KCMG 

Sir Michael Parsons 

Dr K E Robinson CBE 

Mrs Prunella Scarlett LVO 

Sir Patrick Sheehy 

Mr Peter M Smith 

Mrs Joan Tonkin MBE JP 

Miss Susan Wilcox 

His Excellency, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon 

Don McKinnon 

Their Excellencies the Commonwealth High Commissioners in 

London. 

The Prime Minister, The Secretary of State for Foreign & 

Commonwealth Affairs, The Leader of the Opposition in the 

United Kingdom, The Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the 

United Kingdom, The Lt-Governor of Guernsey, The Lt-Governor 

of Jersey, The Bailiff of Guernsey, The Bailiff of Jersey, The 

President of the Australian National Council, The Chairman of 

the Canadian National Council. 

Council 

The Royal Commonwealth Society's affairs are governed by an 

elected Council. The following constitute the Society's trustees: 

Chairman 

Baroness Prashar CBE 

Deputy Chairman 

Ms Claire Whitaker 

Hon Treasurer 

Mr Michael Bostelmann 

Councillors 

Ms Floella Benjamin OBE 

Ms Cheryl Dorall 

Sir David Green KCMG 

Ms Heather Honour 

Mr David Ives 

Ms Alexandra Jones 

Mr Peter Kellner 

Ms Pat Kelsey 

Dr Chris Nonis 

Princess Boma Ozobia 

Mr Andrew Richardson 

Mr Patrick Wintour OBE 

Vice-President representatives 

Sir Peter Marshall KCMG CVO 

Sir Michael McWilliam KCMG 

Branch representatives 

(In attendance but not trustees) 

Mr David Dent-Young CBE (Bath & District) 

Mr William Kirkman (Cambridge) 

Dr Joe Selkon (Oxford) 

Mr Keith Painter (Bristol) 

Management and administrative staff 

Stuart Mole OBE Director-General 

Bernadette Maguire Administrative Officer 

Chi Kavindele Special Assistant to the 

Director-General 

John Garnham Interim Director of Finance 

Gwendolyn White Senior Project Manager (Social & 

Cultural Affairs) 

Alice Kawoya Project Manager (Commonwealth 

Day & Commonwealth Vision 

Awards) & Secretary, Council of 

Commonwealth Societies 

Zoé Wilson Project Manager (Commonwealth 

Essay Competition) 

Jamie Gould Membership Officer 

Nigel McCollum Head of Public Affairs 

Claire Anholt Public Affairs Officer 

Joanna Stephenson Information and Publications Officer 

John Sutherland Branches and Special Projects 

Volunteer 

Althea Gee Social and Cultural Affairs Volunteer 

Commonwealth Club 

Shaun Whitehouse Club Manager 

Hans Schrader Operations Manager 

Marcin Goralczyk Assistant Operations Manager 

Rob Jordan Business Development Manager 

David Purcell Accounts Controller 

Ulrike Frauscher Events Manager 

Anastasiya Reshetnikova Events Administrator 

Kaliopi Carras Events Co-ordinator 

Richard Smith Events Assistant 

Mark Page Head Chef 

Richard Jennings Sous Chef 

Mohammed Khassal Maintenance Engineer 

Jarek Izdebski Maintenance Assistant 

Commonwealth Club Ltd 

Board of Directors 

Michael Bostelmann (Chairman) 

Baroness Prashar CBE 

Stuart Mole OBE 

Shaun Whitehouse

Contents 

Royal Commonwealth Society 

25 Northumberland Ave 

London, WC2N 5AP 

United Kingdom 

Tel: 020 7930 6733 

Fax: 020 7930 9705 

Email: info@rcsint.org 

Chairman’s Review............................................................................. 2 

Director-General’s Report ................................................................. 3 

Club and Membership ..................................................................... 4 

140th Anniversary of the RCS .......................................................... 7 

Public Affairs: A Platform for Change.............................................. 8 

2007 Kampala CHOGM .................................................................... 10 

Commonwealth Action for Zimbabwe ........................................... 12 

Inter-faith dialogue ............................................................................ 13 

Holding Human Rights Hostage ...................................................... 14 

Migration / Finding peace in Kenya ............................................... 15 

Climate Change: Rising to the Challenge ..................................... 16 

Lobbying Parliament ......................................................................... 17 

Commonwealth Day 2008................................................................. 18 

2007 Commonwealth Vision Awards .............................................. 20 

Art at the RCS: from India to Glastonbury ..................................... 22 

Commonwealth Carol Service: Opportunity for all........................ 24 

The Voice of Youth ............................................................................ 25 

Re-connecting with the Past............................................................. 26 

International Meeting and Nkabom ................................................ 28 

Write around the World .................................................................... 29 

An International Network.................................................................. 33 

Supporters and Sponsors of the RCS.............................................. 37 

Trevor Phillips OBE: People on the Move....................................... 38 

Ladi Darlya: Gender Rights and Education..................................... 40 

Dr David Suzuki: Setting the Real Bottom Line.............................. 42 

Financial Reports ............................................................................... 44 

A World Organisation ....................................................................... 46 

With thanks to those who have 

given kind permission for their 

photos to be featured: 

Carlos M. Bastos/RCS 

Lucy Baker 

PicturePartnership 

Imogen Mathers/RCS 

Miles Giljam/RCS 

Devapriyo Das/RCS 

Claire Anholt/RCS 

Chi Kavindele/RCS 

Joanna Stephenson/RCS 

The Royal Commonwealth Society Annual Review 2007/08 has been 

designed and published by Nexus Strategic Partnerships Ltd. 

St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, UK 

Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, and 

the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the 

publishers and promoters will not accept responsibility for 

inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication without 

permission is strictly forbidden. 

© Nexus Strategic Partnerships Ltd 2008. The RCS and the publishers 

make no recommendation in respect of any of the advertisers, and no 

recommendation may be implied by the way of the presence of their 

advertisements. 

www.rcsint.org 

1

The Chairman’s Review 

T he RCS carries its years well. I doubt if anybody passing through our doors to debate issues 

of migration in our modern auditorium, or to use the internet in the new business area with 

a link to the RCS library collections in Cambridge, or to participate in a myriad of cultural and 

social functions designed to promote understanding of the Commonwealth, would guess that 

they are entering the oldest and most venerable of the Commonwealth organisations. 

‘‘ 

We have no intention 

of living in the past or 

dwelling nostalgically on 

former glories … 

… we are continuing to 

provide a lively forum for 

debate, research and 

advocacy 

‘‘ 

We are very proud that we have been 

shaped by our past, and, in our one 

hundred and fortieth year, we celebrate 

our achievements, pay tribute to the 

people who have contributed to our 

success, and reflect on the events that 

have shaped our journey to the present. 

But, equally, it is abundantly clear that 

we have no intention of living in the past 

or dwelling nostalgically on former 

glories. A glance at our range of activities 

and projects – ranging from vigorous and 

timely debates on issues facing the 

Commonwealth to working with young 

people and in education – confirm that 

we are continuing to provide a lively 

forum for debate, research and advocacy. 

We remain a strong protagonist for 

change and renewal within the 

Commonwealth. 

It is now increasingly recognised that 

the modern Commonwealth is ideally 

2 Annual Review 2007/08 

suited to meet some of the challenges of 

the twenty-first century. The upcoming 

sixtieth Anniversary in 2009 of the London 

Declaration and the arrival in office of a 

new Commonwealth Secretary-General 

provide an excellent opportunity for the 

RCS to help raise the profile of the 

Commonwealth and contribute to 

redefining its role in the modern world. 

The RCS, therefore, has an enormous 

task ahead and I am confident that we are 

in a strong position to make that 

contribution. 

The RCS itself will also experience 

changes in leadership. In June, I will step 

down as Chairman, with Sir David Green 

KCMG, former Director-General of the 

British Council, nominated as my 

successor. Chief Emeka Anyaoku will 

conclude his second and final term as 

President. We are extremely grateful to 

him for his wise advice and practical 

assistance which he has generously given 

to the Society over the years. 

At the end of 2008, Stuart Mole will be 

completing his eight years with the Society 

and retiring as its Director-General. Stuart 

will be sorely missed. He has made a 

significant and lasting contribution to the 

Society, not least guiding the RCS through 

major changes, including the extension 

project in 2005/2006. 

This is my last Review and I want to 

take this opportunity to thank all the 

Trustees, Council members, Stuart, staff 

and members for their help and support. 

It has been a real privilege to serve the 

RCS and I leave with the confidence that 

the organisation is well poised to continue 

to make a significant impact over the 

coming years. I wish the new leadership 

team all the best for the future. 

Usha Prashar

Director-General’s Report 

My eight years, to date, as the Society’s chief officer are very little compared to the rich 

history that has unfolded since its foundation in 1868. In those 140 years, the RCS has had 

its triumphs and disasters and, on rare occasions, its very existence has been in doubt. Today, 

longevity and an eminent reputation are not sufficient, in themselves, to guarantee our future. 

The mission and relevance of the Society 

must be sound and compelling, its voice 

respected and its projects admired; the 

service, food and drink provided in the 

clubhouse need to be of the highest 

quality; the facilities, furnishings and 

ambience of the Club must continue to 

attract members and clients alike; and our 

finances, governance and administration 

– the underpinning of it all – must be 

soundly constructed and efficiently run. 

Of course, the RCS has always been 

both a meeting place and a cause; an 

attractive and comfortable venue for its 

members, but also a forum for the 

exchange of ideas and the living out of its 

international ideals. That is equally true 

today – even if there is an apparent 

separation between the RCS and its 

commercial subsidiary, Commonwealth 

Club Ltd. In practice, Club and charity are 

one, and need to remain so. 

As I see it, there are four immediate 

challenges for the RCS and the Club in 

the coming year. 

First, we need to communicate 

effectively with our members, listen to 

what they say and respond positively. 

There was a time when membership of a 

London club was seen as a lifelong badge 

of identity, rather than a more specific 

and limited contract for the delivery of 

certain facilities and services. But times 

have changed, and rightly so. The costs 

of membership are rising (given that 

operating in central London is an 

expensive undertaking) and members 

nowadays need to be able to justify the 

costs of club membership against the 

services and facilities provided, and for it 

to fit with their work and lifestyle choices. 

With a new, more interactive website due 

for completion in the next few months, 

better electronic communications, and 

our other initiatives to get to know our 

members better, I hope we can improve 

our service and tailor it more effectively to 

what members want. That way, 

membership will grow. 

Second, despite having spent £4.5 

million on the extension and 

refurbishment of the clubhouse, there are 

RCS has always 

been both a meeting 

place and a forum 

for the exchange 

of ideas 

‘‘‘‘ 

clearly improvements we can make, as 

funds allow. The new Business Area on 

the mezzanine is well used and much 

appreciated, and the electronic gadgets 

on every table, allowing a member to 

summon a variety of services at the touch 

of a button, are a welcome improvement. 

But not everything has worked out as we 

might have wished and the drive for 

improvements will continue. This will 

include changing the heavy and rather 

unwelcoming front doors (planning 

consent is currently being denied on 

aesthetic grounds) and doing more to 

create a more intimate Members’ Lounge, 

untroubled by intrusive business 

meetings. 

Third, we must maintain and extend 

the Society’s capacity to generate new 

ideas; to bring together proven experts 

from the Commonwealth, and 

internationally; to influence governments; 

and to be a neutral and safe meeting 

ground for civil society organisations or 

for those who otherwise feel that they are 

marginalised and their voices unheard. 

Recently, this was epitomised by an 

overflowing meeting in the new 

auditorium on the current crisis in Kenya. 

Fourth, the RCS must be unafraid to 

campaign and to speak out on issues of 

concern and principle. More is being 

done to lobby the UK parliament on 

international and Commonwealth issues. 

But we also take our case directly to 

Commonwealth governments – as we did 

on Zimbabwe, at the time of the 2007 

Kampala summit – and campaign with our 

international network of societies and 

branches, some of whom – in Pakistan 

and Fiji, for example – are in the frontline 

of upholding our values. 

None of this is, or will be, possible 

without the dedication, skill and hard 

work of our staff and the support of 

trustees, members and volunteers. This is 

perhaps exemplified by Mark Page, the 

Head Chef, and Chris Cloke whose ten 

years service, as part of Shaun 

Whitehouse’s team, are a crucial 

ingredient in what makes the Club 

special. This is as true of their staff 

colleagues, in both Club and charity. 

Similarly, the officers and trustees give 

their skills and their time freely and 

generously, and none have served the 

Society more than Sir Michael McWilliam 

and Sir Peter Marshall, who retire from 

Council this year. 

As my own retirement as Director- 

General beckons at the end of the year, I 

look back with immense pride at our 

achievements and feel honoured and 

privileged to have been able to make a 

contribution to our growth and 

development since the turn of the new 

millennium. 

Stuart Mole 


3

A flourishing Commonwealth Club 

During 2007, the Commonwealth Club has gone from strength to strength. Members have 

been able to enjoy the benefits of the Club’s first-class facilities and to reap the rewards of an 

enhanced service and member-benefit package. The RCS now has a membership of 

astonishing diversity, enabling the Club to flourish in its role as an international meeting place 

for the exchange of ideas. 

Member facilities and fine dining 

More members and guests than ever 

before are regularly making use of the 

Club’s exceptional dining facilities. Head 

Chef, Mark Page, and his team have 

expanded their already impressive 

repertoire and continue to produce 

consistently high-quality cooking at 

extremely competitive member rates. Hans 

Schrader, the Club’s Operations Manager, 

continues to provide attentive, individual 

care to members front-of-house with the 

able assistance of Marcin Goralczyk. With 

his encyclopaedic knowledge of members’ 

preferences, Hans remains the popular and 

familiar face of the Club. 

December 2007 saw the long awaited 

official opening of the Members’ Business 

Area on the mezzanine level of the Club, 

where Sir Patrick Sheehy unveiled a 

commemorative plaque. This MoreySmith 

design-led area now provides members 

with a dedicated space for conducting 

business meetings, internet research and 

private study. It holds eight individual 

work stations, all equipped with internet 

access and links to the RCS Library 

collections now housed at Cambridge 

University (for more information on the 

Cambridge University Library Link, please 

see page 26). Importantly, there are no 

additional charges for the use of this area, 

or for the WiFi system which now serves 


the entire club. Use of the new Business 

Area has surpassed all expectations and it 

has quickly become the most popular 

spot in the Club for business meetings, 

thereby relieving some of the pressure 

from the Members’ Lounge. 

In 2007, the Club invested in a new 

Service Alert system as a direct result of 

member feedback. The rugby ball-shaped 

pods which have appeared on tables 

throughout the Club enable members to 

Jazz Night at the 


in October 2007 

request catering services or IT assistance 

at the push of a button. When a member 

activates one of the pods, the system 

pages the appropriate staff member, 

alerting them to the member’s location 

and to the nature of the assistance 

required. A message is simultaneously 

sent to a central monitoring screen, 

allowing management to track how many 

members are waiting for service, their 

location and how long they have been 

waiting. This system has already proved 

to be a valuable asset in improving the 

efficiency of service to members. 

The Members’ Lounge

Events, Conferences and 

Banqueting 

Events business at the Club has 

continued to increase steadily during 

2007. This business is of particular 

importance, since it enables the RCS to 

maintain competitive membership rates 

and the Club to adopt preferential pricing 

policies for the members’ restaurant. 

Members are also offered highly 

preferential rates for events-hire and 

catering. The events hosted by the Club 

now extend far beyond only business 

meetings and conferences to include 

weddings, drinks receptions and birthday 

parties for members. 

People 

In recognition of its extensive training 

and development policies, the Club has 

recently retained its ‘Investors in People’ 

award for a further three years. The focus 

of this training in 2007 was customer 

The stylish Members’ Lounge bar 

Award-winning food at the 


care, its benefits now being enjoyed by 

both staff and members alike. 

The big success story of 2007 was 

the triumph of Josh Duncan, the Club’s 

Chef de Partie, in winning best-in-class in 

the finals of the ‘Academy of Culinary Arts 

Awards of Excellence’. Early 2008 saw 

Head Chef, Mark Page, and Sous-Chef, 

Chris Cloke, complete ten years of service 

at the Club. In recognition of this 

milestone, both were presented with a 

‘Red Letter Day’ voucher. They intend to 

use this gift, given in good faith, to jump 

out of an aeroplane with only a piece of 

cloth to slow their descent – something 

for which the Commonwealth Club 

cannot be held responsible! 

In 2007, the Club said its sad farewells to 

several long-serving staff members: Jason 

Barlass, Joe Ogden, Wasilatu Busari and 

Renata Wardle. Despite these departures, 

the average length of staff service at the 

Club remains over three years. 

Membership Profile 

During 2007, the RCS welcomed 587 new 

individual and corporate members. The 

The new Business Area, housing the link 

to the RCS Collections at Cambridge 

University Library 

total membership now stands at 5789. 

Since its refurbishment in January 2006, 

the RCS has not only maintained its high 

retention levels, but with its stylish new 

interiors, has also attracted members 

from increasingly diverse professional and 

cultural backgrounds. The outstanding 

Club facilities, which reflect our vision of a 

young and modern Commonwealth, now 

welcome an exciting mix of young 

professionals and students. The steady 

growth in young members (those under 

the age of 26) has led to the formation of 

an RCS Youth Committee and youth 

representation on the RCS Council. 

Feedback from the 2007 members’ 

survey made it clear that members 


5

wanted the opportunity to get to know 

their fellow members and to develop a 

community atmosphere and network. As 

a direct result of this, 2008 will see the 

launch of a new identity for the 

Commonwealth Club as a ‘centre for the 

exchange of ideas’. This recalls one of the 

original reasons for the establishment of 

the Society as a ‘meeting place’ for 

people from all backgrounds and walks of 

life. Several new benefits and events for 

the year are being planned beneath this 

banner which we hope will facilitate 

exchange, creating a community 

atmosphere with greater interaction 

amongst the membership. 

The Mackwoods Room (right) 

and the Members’ Lounge (below) 

in the Commonwealth Club 

Membership Services and Benefits 

As the RCS has expanded, so too has its 

list of member benefits which now include: 

• Reduced rates on room hire and Day 

Delegate Rate 

• Wireless broadband throughout the 

Club 

• A new business area with internet 

facilities, which have a direct link to the 

RCS Library Collections at Cambridge 

University 

• Access to over 90 private members’ 

clubs worldwide 

• Special offers from T.M Lewin, the 

exclusive shirt maker of Jermyn Street 

• Platinum membership of Wexas Travel 

Club at a nominal fee 

• Special price on Champagne 

Beaumet, not available on retail in the 


UK, with home delivery option 

• Preferential rates on accommodation 

at Citadines Europe 

• Access to accommodation at the 

newly renovated members’ hotel, Club 

Quarters 

• Special rates on accommodation at 

Hostellerie de la Briqueterie in France 

• Invitations to exclusive events, 

including public affairs meetings, art 

exhibitions, as well as social and 

cultural evenings 

Member Events 

Over the past year, the RCS has organised 

an exciting and lively social calendar for its 

members, including tickets to the annual 

Chelsea Flower Show, the Colonel’s 

Review (the dress rehearsal for Trooping 

the Colour), and complimentary access to 

the Grosvenor Arts & 

Antiques Fair. 

Once again, the ever 

popular afternoon of 

strawberries, cream and 

politics on the terrace of 

the House of Lords was 

hosted by RCS Chairman, 

Baroness Usha Prashar 

CBE. Special Guest of 

Honour, Rt. Hon. Peter 

Hain MP, who once 

referred to the 

Commonwealth Club as 

“the best club in 

London”, spoke of his 

continuing support for the 

Commonwealth and its 

core values. 

The autumn calendar 

began with an evening 

with winemaker, Matt 

Dicey, a fourth generation 

vigneron, and one of New 

Zealand’s most respected winemakers. 

The spectacular event included a tutored 

tasting of four wines over dinner followed 

by an opportunity for members and 

guests to ask questions and learn more. 

Theatre was also on offer to RCS 

members during 2007. ‘The Country 

Wife’, by William Whycherly, had the 

audience in fits of laughter. Such was the 

positive response from members who 

attended the play, the RCS is now 

planning a significant expansion of its 

theatrical programme. 

Jazz evenings at the Commonwealth 

Club continue to ride a wave of 

popularity. In October, and more recently 

in February 2008, guests were treated to 

the Branco Stoysin Trio’s unique blend of 

jazz and bossa nova. 

The annual Members’ Christmas Lunch 

was a sell-out once again and formed a 

perfect ending to 2007. Never one to 

disguise his own memorable past, Guest 

of Honour, Barry Norman, delighted 

attendees with his light-hearted, 

anecdotal speech. Special recognition 

must go to Head Chef, Mark Page, who 

created a unique seasonal three-course 

menu for the event. 

Opera-goers have continued to enjoy 

an assortment of productions at the Royal 

Opera House and the English National 

Opera. Over the past year these have 

included ‘Carmen’, ‘Swan Lake’, and most 

recently, Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’. 

The events team at the 

Commonwealth Club look forward to 

welcoming old and new faces alike over 

the course of the coming year.

Building on the past, 

creating the future 

RCS 1868–2008: Celebrating the 140th anniversary 

great want has often been felt by gentleman connected with our several colonies for 

‘A some meeting place, some centre of attraction where they might resort on their arrival, 

and where they might obtain the latest intelligence from their own part of the world, and place 

themselves in communication with other gentlemen connected with their own and other 

colonies, and with them concert such measures as should tend to the interest of all.’ 

So declared Viscount Bury upon the formal creation of a colonial society in 1868. 1 

The idea of a colonial institution had 

been pitched a year earlier, over dinner in 

London, by the prominent Australian, Sir 

Charles Nicholson. However, the 

proposal was not formally taken up until 

the following year when A R Roche, 

Hugh E Montgomerie and Viscount 

Bury called a meeting by public 

advertisement to consider the 

formation of a colonial society. At the 

meeting, held on Friday 26 June 1868 

at Willis’s Rooms in King Street, St 

James, Bury was voted into the chair 

and the meeting’s motion 

unanimously approved. 

In June 1869, with the approval 

of the Queen, the Society received 

its first Charter and became known 

as the Royal Colonial Society. This 

title was altered to the Royal 

Colonial Institute in 1870 

following complaints that the 

initials could be confused with those of 

the Royal College of Surgeons. 2 

An astonishing evolution 

In 1968, the organisation celebrated its 

centenary. RCS records show that 1,181 

people who were members in 1968 

remain members today. This remarkable 

figure evidences the continuing 

attachment to the RCS felt by many. It is a 

loyalty which has remained throughout a 

truly astonishing evolution from the 

founding of the Colonial Society of 1868 

to the Royal Commonwealth Society of 

today. 

2008 marks the one hundred and 

fortieth anniversary of the RCS. This 

significant milestone will be celebrated by 

a range of events and projects to be held 

Doctoral Student Ruth Craggs writes: 

1 Reese, T.R. (1968) The History of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Oxford University Press, London. (p. 14) 

2 Reese, T.R. (1968) The History of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Oxford University Press, London. 

over the course of the 

year, under the theme 

‘Building on the past, 

creating the future’. 

They will include the 

Annual General 

Meeting which will, this 

year, be held on the 

anniversary of the 

Society’s formation, 26 

June, and will be followed 

by a champagne reception 

and ‘birthday’ cake. 16–30 

June will also see an 

exciting photographic 

exhibition in the gallery 

space of the Club which will 

display images spanning the 

evolution of the RCS. 

The Royal Commonwealth 

Society Library (1928) 

My research (Geography Department, University of Nottingham) is concerned with the 

evolution, in the three decades following World War II, of ideas about the modern 

Commonwealth. My research uses the Royal Commonwealth Society as a site through 

which to understand the debates over what the Commonwealth could and should be 

in the future. By looking at the lectures and events held at the Society, as well as the 

travels of members of staff, I follow the evolution from imperial visions to those 

embracing diversity and difference, although my work also reveals some continuity 

between past and present visions, often in unexpected places. My work has involved 

extensive use of the RCS archives in Cambridge University Library, alongside oral 

history interviews. I have drawn both on material published by the Society (for 

example United Empire and the Commonwealth Journal) and unpublished papers. 

Records of committee meetings, accounts of trips abroad and photographs of events 

at the headquarters provide a rich record of the Society’s history, and, through that, of 

the evolution of ideas of Commonwealth itself. Though it has often been dusty, dirty, 

and painstaking work it has also been intriguing and compelling, revealing the myriad 

of characters, ideas and spaces involved in imagining a modern Commonwealth. 


7

A platform for change 

Over the course of the past year, the Public Affairs programme has flourished, attracting a wide 

range of high-profile and influential speakers. The RCS has provided a platform for the 

exploration of such diverse topics as migration, faith and education, gender, human rights, 

conflict and development, energy and the environment and Commonwealth leadership. 

Apart from themed debates, the RCS 

has also reacted to emerging 

Commonwealth issues. Meetings were 

held on Kenya and the violence which 

erupted following the elections; on Cuba 

and its emerging role in the 

Commonwealth Caribbean; and on the 

role of the Commonwealth in protecting 

human rights, particularly in relation to 

Guantánamo Bay. Other series in 2008 

include a focus on the South Asia region 

and a series examining key issues 

Commonwealth leadership: a new Secretary-General 

In the run-up to the Kampala CHOGM, the 

RCS turned its attention to Commonwealth 

leadership, particularly the race to appoint 

the next Commonwealth Secretary- 

General. Around 120 young people 

gathered to discuss ‘Leadership for 

Change in Africa’ and to formulate 

practical suggestions for young people to 

influence international organisations and 

governments on African policy. Summaries 

were then presented to the 

Commonwealth People’s Forum in 

Kampala. On separate occasions, Dr 

Mohan Kaul, CEO of the Commonwealth 

Business Council and Dr Michael Frendo, 

Foreign Minister of Malta, both spoke 


surrounding energy and the environment. 

Meetings were also held in preparation 

for the 2007 CHOGM, with debates on UK 

government priorities and the place of 

Commonwealth civil society organisations 

within the wider governmental agenda. 

This highlighted the widely held belief 

that the greatest challenge of the 

CHOGM must be to negotiate an 

agreement to mitigate climate change 

and to formulate a shared Commonwealth 

vision on climate security, a challenge 

persuasively on the necessity of good 

governance in the pursuit of development. 

The series culminated with an address 

to the RCS by HE Kamalesh Sharma, then 

High Commissioner of India in London, and 

shortly before his formal appointment as 

the next Commonwealth Secretary- 

General. Mr Sharma spoke on the 

emerging role of India in a globalising 

world and Commonwealth. India, the 

world’s largest democracy and fourthlargest 

economy is now a key player in 

global politics and has an important 

influence on Commonwealth memberstates. 

The country is enjoying rapid 

economic growth and investment rates, 

which was, at least to some extent, 

addressed in Kampala. Preparation for the 

CHOGM also included the building of an 

RCS campaign on Zimbabwe, under the 

banner ‘Commonwealth action for 

Zimbabwe’. For details of the Zimbabwe 

campaign, see page 12. 

For a full write-up of the Migration 

series and Kenya event, see page 15; for 

the Faith series and Human Rights events, 

see pages 13 and 14; for events on the 

environment, see page 16. 

yet Kamalesh Sharma suggested that a 

forecast based solely upon these factors 

would not take into account a number of 

“intangible human indicators”. Growth, he 

claimed, was not, in itself, sufficient: the 

nature and coherence of society that is 

engendering the growth was also of vital 

importance. “Democracy can be defined as 

the sustainable navigation of disturbance,” 

he remarked. Mr Sharma commented on 

the disempowerment of many Indians and 

urged the Commonwealth, and India itself, 

to work towards a mutually supportive 

international community, a human family 

and a unity which no form of difference 

could destroy.

Speakers at the RCS during 2007–2008 have included: 

• John Githongo, one of Africa’s most 

distinguished advocates for 

transparency and good governance; 

formerly Permanent Secretary in the 

Office of the President of the 

Republic of Kenya in charge of 

Governance and Ethics 

• His Excellency Maumoon Abdul 

Gayoom, President of the Maldives 

• Wangui wa Goro, academic, social 

critic, researcher, translator and writer 

and a campaigner for human rights 

in Africa and Europe 

• Trevor Phillips OBE, Chairman of 

the Commission for Equality and 

Human Rights 

• HE Mr Kamalesh Sharma, High 

Commissioner of India 

• Lord Watson of Richmond CBE, 

Chairman of CTN Communications 

• Dr Ali A Mazrui, Professor of 

Political Science, African Studies and 

Philosophy, Interpretation and 

Culture and Director, Institute of 

Global Cultural Studies, State 

University of New York 

• Guy Arnold, author of Africa: 

A Modern History and specialist in 

North-South relations, African and 

Third World Affairs 

• Moazzam Begg, former detainee of 

Guántanamo Bay and Bagram Air 

Force Base 

• Dr David Suzuki, Co-founder of the 

David Suzuki Foundation and awardwinning 

scientist, environmentalist 

and broadcaster 

• Victoria Brittain, author, journalist 

and former Associate Foreign Editor 

of the Guardian 

• The Hon. Prof. G L Peiris MP, 

Minister of Export Development and 

International Trade, Government of 

Sri Lanka 

• HE Burchell Whiteman, High 

Commissioner for Jamaica 

• Joseph Warungu, Editor of the BBC 

World Service’s main English 

language news and current affairs 

radio programmes; and Editor of 

BBC Focus on Africa magazine 

• Max Caller CBE, member of the 2007 

Commonwealth Observer Group at 

the Kenyan elections and Chair of the 

Boundary Committee for England 

• Prof John O Oucho, author and 

scholar; founder and chair of the 

African Population and Environment 

Institute, Nairobi 

• Deprose Muchena, Director of the 

Economic Programme, Open Society 

Initiative for Southern Africa 

• Geoffrey Nyarota, editor of 

TheZimbabweTimes.com and 

Founder and Editor of the currently 

banned daily newspaper The Daily 

News (Zimbabwe) 

• Meg Munn, Parliamentary Under- 

Secretary of State, Foreign and 

Commonwealth Office 

• Aidan McQuade, Director of Anti- 

Slavery International 

• Dr Michael Frendo, Malta’s Foreign 

Minister 

• Florence Malinga, former 

Commissioner for Education 

Planning in the Ministry of Education 

and Sports, Uganda 

• Gareth Thomas MP, Permanent 

Under-Secretary of State for the UK’s 

Department for International 

Development 

• Dr Mohan Kaul, Director-General 

and Chief Executive Officer of the 

Commonwealth Business Council 

(CBC) 

• Pedro Peréz-Sarduy, author and 

journalist 

• Judith Todd, veteran Zimbabwe 

activist and author 

• Emily Morris, Analyst, Latin America, 

Economist Intelligence Unit 

• David Jessop, Director, The Cuba 

Initiative 

Partner organisations: 

John Githongo HE Mr Kamalesh Sharma 

Trevor Phillips 

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office 

• Commonwealth Association 

• The Caribbean Council 

• The Caribbean British Business 

Council 

• The Cuba Initiative 

• Commonwealth Parliamentary 

Association 

• Commonwealth Foundation 

• Commonwealth Youth Exchange 

Council 

• Commonwealth Human Rights 

Initiative 

• British Council 

• Counterpoint 

• AFFORD 

• Africa++ 

• Royal African Society 

• Commonwealth Business Council 

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta 

• Commonwealth Countries League 

Education Fund 

• Africa Research Institute 

• The Society of Doctors in the Law 

• Commonwealth Scholarship 

Commission in the UK 


9

The Commonwealth after Kampala: 

an unfinished agenda 

With some 3,000 foreign delegates, several thousand local participants, a thousand journalists 

and hundreds of partner organisations, the 2007 Commonwealth Summit, held in Kampala, was 

a massive undertaking. The RCS played a significant part, and, with its small team of staff and 

supporters, returned impressive results. 

The ambitions of the meeting were 

many: to kick-start developing 

Commonwealth economies into achieving 

tangible political, economic and human 

development; to combat climate change 

through negotiated curtailment of 

greenhouse gas emissions; to deliver the 

good governance agenda and bring to 

account those member states who are in 

violation of Commonwealth principles. 

Within this broad sweep, the RCS tried 

specifically to put the crisis of governance 

and social equity in Zimbabwe on to the 

Commonwealth agenda; to put good 

communications at the heart of 

Commonwealth civil society relations; and 

to showcase its far-reaching educational 

projects aimed at young people around 

the Commonwealth. 


The successes are harder to assess, 

particularly in the short run. The Lake 

Victoria Commonwealth Climate Change 

Action Plan identified the right pressure 

points: cutting carbon emissions while 

protecting emerging economies; the 

threat of sea level rise to small island 

states; and moving beyond carbontrading 

and carbon-credit schemes. 

However, it failed to reach any binding 

commitments to reducing the carbon 

footprint of member Commonwealth 

countries. Emerging Commonwealth 

economies like India and South Africa are 

willing to balance growth against climate 

change, but insist on developed nations 

(including the ‘old Commonwealth’) 

being the first to make substantial cuts. 

This is clearly a work in progress. 

RCS-supported projects 

at the Nserester 

Complex and Orphanage 

A lively welcome to the Masaka Elders’ 

Bank formally opened by RCS 

Director-General, Stuart Mole 

The Commonwealth Heads of 

Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2007 also 

witnessed the formal suspension of 

Pakistan from the Councils of the 

Commonwealth. This was an important 

stand of principle for the Commonwealth 

– in contrast to Zimbabwe which, 

disappointingly, remained off the agenda 

for the official Commonwealth.

Another important development was 

the election of Kamalesh Sharma as the 

new Commonwealth Secretary-General. It 

took determined lobbying by Indian 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 

behalf of his candidate to push back a 

spirited challenge from Michael Frendo, 

Malta’s Foreign Minister. In the end, 

Sharma’s victory was a decisive one and 

sets the Commonwealth on a new course, 

with India expected to play a much 

greater role in driving the organisation. 

That aside, Uganda has a spruced-up 

Kampala, with new infrastructure, while its 

business leaders will have a clutch of new 

investments, and its political leaders the 

pride of an international meeting run 

without incident. The Commonwealth as 

a whole has set itself milestones to reach 

before the Trinidad and Tobago CHOGM 

of 2009 and the RCS itself can look back 

with much satisfaction. In its role at the 

Commonwealth People’s Forum and 

People’s Space, attended by around 1,300 

foreign and 10,000 local delegates, it 

made a strong case for its projects. It 

organised a major workshop on 

communication for development, smaller 

youth writers’ workshops, screened films 

from the 2007 Vision Awards, campaigned 

– despite constraints from both the 

official Commonwealth and the host 

government – for Commonwealth reengagement 

with Zimbabwe and lobbied 

delegates on leadership and citizenship 

education issues. 

Extensive preparatory work was 

required, with submission of RCS reports 

on Respect and Understanding, on 

Commonwealth Membership, on 

Zimbabwe and on Communicating the 

Commonwealth. Numerous conferences 

were conducted on faith and society, 

leadership education in Africa and 

citizenship education. The process of 

reporting to the Committee of the Whole, 

which is an integral part of the 

communiqué drafting process, was also 

addressed. 

The RCS’s initiatives at CHOGM 

resulted in a strong Commonwealth civil 

society and governmental focus on 

improving media freedom and 

communications to ensure good 

democratic processes. It ignited 

Commonwealth interest in Zimbabwe and 

renewed the pressure to engage with the 

Zimbabwean regime, re-forging links 

between the People’s Commonwealth 

and the people of Zimbabwe. Yet, in all 

this, there remains an unfinished agenda 

for the RCS – and the Commonwealth – 

as Trinidad and Tobago beckons in 2009. 

Devapriyo Das, former RCS Public Affairs Officer, invites questions from participants at the 

open-mike debate on Zimbabwe held at the “People’s Space”, Kampala 

Stuart Mole helps in the construction of a girls’ hostel at Nserester 

HE Joan K. Rwabyomere, High Commissioner of Uganda speaking at the RCS ‘Preparing 

for the Kampala CHOGM’ debate held in October 2007 


11

RCS leads call for Commonwealth 

action on Zimbabwe 

At the time of going to press, the future of Zimbabwe hangs in the balance. The results of the 

country’s recent presidential elections have yet to be announced and ominous signs of a 

dangerous volatility are beginning to emerge. Figures from Zimbabwe's Central Statistical 

Office show that inflation reached 7,634.8 per cent in July 2007, the highest anywhere in the 

world. Many economic analysts believe that the real figure is much higher and the International 

Monetary Fund has predicted that inflation could top 100,000 per cent by the end of the year. 

Four out of five of the country’s 12 million inhabitants now live in abject poverty; more than a 

quarter have fled to neighbouring countries. 

Since July 2007, the Royal 

Commonwealth Society has been 

campaigning for Commonwealth reengagement 

with Zimbabwe. In the runup 

to the 2007 CHOGM, the RCS lobbied 

persistently to see the issue of Zimbabwe 

on the Commonwealth agenda: it drew 

up and publicised a Commonwealth 

People’s Charter on Zimbabwe and 

maintained a strong presence at the civil 

society consultation to advise the 

Committee of the Whole which drafts the 

CHOGM communiqué. Prevented from 

holding meetings as part of official 

proceedings in Kampala, the RCS hired a 

private venue and attracted a 250 strong 

crowd, including a high proportion of 

media, to a debate with Morgan 

Tsvangirai, President of the Movement for 

Democratic Change (MDC), the official 

opposition party in Zimbabwe. At this 


The RCS Zimbabwe meeting in Kampala 

meeting, RCS Director-General Stuart 

Mole declared that the “desperate, 

terrible situation” in Zimbabwe was “one 

which the Commonwealth cannot 

ignore”. He called upon the 

Patsy Robertson, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Association and Morgan Tsvangirai, 

President MDC, at the RCS meeting in Kampala 

Commonwealth to “keep faith with the 

Zimbabwean people” and, above all, to 

act. Taking up this challenge in Kampala, 

the RCS handed out ‘Commonwealth 

Action for Zimbabwe’ wristbands, 

collected signatures for the People’s 

Charter and ran associated events as part 

of the Commonwealth People’s Space. 

Members of the team conducted media 

interviews and persistently lobbied heads 

of government and foreign ministers in 

the corridors of CHOGM. Their efforts 

succeeded in significantly raising the 

media profile of the situation in 

Zimbabwe and in making it the unofficial 

talking-point at and around CHOGM. 

Looking to the future 

In the aftermath of the March 

elections and in the light of the 

circumstances which result, the RCS 

will re-assess the direction of its 

Zimbabwe campaign. Media coverage 

and interest generated by the 

elections will be used to raise public 

consciousness, not only of the plight 

faced by the Zimbabwean people, 

but also of what the Commonwealth 

can do if it shows itself willing to reengage 

with the beleaguered nation. 

In April, a new Commonwealth 

Secretary-General takes office and 

the RCS will work to ensure that 

Zimbabwe is firmly fixed high upon 

his agenda. Other activities will 

include collaboration with civil society 

and Commonwealth organisations 

also lobbying on Zimbabwe, a fresh 

drive for support and signatures for 

the Commonwealth People’s Charter 

on Zimbabwe and continued public 

meetings and consultations.

Can faith and politics meet on 

peaceful terms? 

Inter-faith dialogue at the RCS 

At the Malta Summit in 2005, Commonwealth civil society received a mandate from 

Commonwealth Heads of Government to explore how to improve co-operation between 

different faith communities. In response, the RCS commenced a series of meetings (May–July 

2007) on the role of faith in society. The series examined the impact of religion on political 

systems in the UK and other Commonwealth countries, on women as faith leaders and on 

promoting inter-faith dialogue in Commonwealth communities. 

The centrepiece was ‘Beyond belief: 

faith and gender’, a conference that 

examined the intersections between 

theology, culture and civil rights. From the 

outset, the three speakers, Zarin 

Hainsworth (Chair, UNIFEM-UK), Canon 

Lucy Winkett (Canon Precentor, St Paul’s 

Cathedral) and Zohra Moosa (Senior 

Policy Officer for Race and Gender, the 

Fawcett Society), made clear that the 

equality of the sexes must be based upon 

much more than mere intellectual 

argument. They discussed the role of 

international organisations, including 

those that are faith-based, in promoting 

women’s representation in the political 

arena and brought to the fore the 

difficulties faced by women in moving 

from the private to the public sphere, 

particularly in a religious context. 

What emerged most strongly in the 

subsequent workshops was the 

convergence between gender rights and 

adherence to international codes on 

human rights more generally. It was felt 

that many Commonwealth nations were 

simply ignoring international conventions 

on rights, and that this applied in equal 

measure to both the so-called developed 

and developing Commonwealth. The RCS 

has now published the full outcome of 

the conference in a short report, ‘Women 

of Faith – the Agents of Change?’ 

Drawing on the report and its own 

extensive consultations, the 

Commonwealth Foundation in November 

2007 published a report which was later 

submitted to Heads of Government at the 

Kampala summit in 2007. 

The RCS faith series drew together 

young people from schools and 

educational institutes around the UK, faith 

groups, parliamentarians, and human 

Young delegates take part in a roundtable discussion with Professor Ali Mazrui in May 

2007 as part of the RCS series on faith 

rights bodies. Religious commentators 

like Theo Hobson, Lord Nazir Ahmed, 

Anjum Anwar MBE and Canon Chris 

Chivers, of Blackburn Cathedral 

frequently returned to the inherent 

complexities of putting faith, a private 

matter, into the mainstream of public life. 

The inherent danger in generalising the 

‘motives’ of faith-based groups, and in 

over-playing their impact, was also clearly 

set out. As indeed were other particular 

concerns: arguments against and for the 

‘Established’ Church in the UK; 

‘Established’ religion in other 

Commonwealth countries; and the uneasy 

relationship that Commonwealth 

governments have with faith issues, where 

constitutional secularism is professed, but 

rarely practised. 

The dialogue continues with the RCS 

exploring inter-faith matters in the 

Commonwealth through a variety of 

networks including youth, human rights 

and gender mainstreaming groups. It is 

hoped that this will help public rhetoric 

on the issue of faith in society to move 

away from ‘clash of’ towards ‘consensus 

of’ civilisations. 

To download ‘Women of Faith – the Agents of Change?’, please visit the RCS website 

To purchase the Commonwealth Foundation’s report, ‘Engaging with Faith’, please 

visit www.commonwealthfoundation.com 

To purchase the Commonwealth Secretariat’s report of the Commonwealth 

Commission on Respect and Understanding, please visit www.thecommonwealth.org 


13

“ 

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. 


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 


15

Climate change: rising to the challenge 

The Sixth Affirmation: “We recognise the grave threat to humanity posed by climate change 

and environmental degradation. We affirm our responsibility to communities across the globe, 

now and in future generations, to address this challenge. We pledge to work individually and 

through our governments to create a sustainable world.” 

His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldives, addressing the RCS on 17 July 2007 watched by RCS Director-General 

Stuart Mole 

In 2008, the Commonwealth has turned its 

collective focus upon the issue of the 

environment and the devastating effects of 

climate change. At the 2007 CHOGM in 

Kampala, Commonwealth Heads of 

Government resolved to support 

developing countries in their international 

negotiations on climate change and in their 

preparations for, and management of, 

natural disasters. They also launched a 

range of new environmental programmes, 

including land management and 

forestation initiatives and studies on the 

environmental effects of exporting 

agricultural produce. 

However, at the beginning of 2008, the 

Commonwealth widened this challenge to 

include action at every level of the 

organisation, from Heads of Government 

and Ministers, civil society and professional 

organisations, through to individual 

Commonwealth citizens. During the 2008 

Commonwealth Day Observance, HE Rt 

Hon Don McKinnon rallied the 

Commonwealth community, declaring that, 

“If we forget about future generations 

today, then tomorrow they will never be 

able to forget what we did to them”. 

President Yoweri Museveni, of the Republic 

of Uganda echoed this sentiment, stating, 

“All of us in the Commonwealth family 

must act now, not later”. It is this call to 

immediate and urgent action, to repair 

environmental damage and to halt the 

devastating advance of climate change, 


which the Commonwealth will strive to 

address during the course of 2008. 

Climate Change on the agenda at 

the RCS 

In 2007, the RCS was already turning its 

attention to environmental issues and the 

role of the Commonwealth in combating 

climate change. In July, HE Mr Maumoon 

Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic 

of Maldives, addressed a large audience on 

the subject of ‘Climate Change and Sea 

Level Rise: Small Island States in Peril’. He 

declared that global climate change is 

“unquestionably the most daunting 

challenge facing the world today, 

demanding a very serious, urgent, and 

comprehensive response from the whole 

community of nations”. President Gayoom 

spoke of his efforts over the past 20 years 

to lobby the world to take climate change 

more seriously. He concluded optimistically, 

saying that, “I believe that the argument is 

being won. And for the first time, I believe 

that the tide is in our favour and is leading 

us in the direction of a new international 

consensus.” 

In March of this year, Dr David Suzuki, 

Emeritus Professor in Sustainable 

Development at the University of British 

Columbia, co-founder of the David Suzuki 

Foundation and an award-winning scientist, 

environmentalist and broadcaster, 

delivered the 11th Commonwealth Lecture, 

‘The challenge of the 21st Century: Setting 

the Real Bottom Line’. Suzuki claimed that 

humanity’s ecological footprint has been 

massively amplified by technology, a global 

economy and spiralling consumption and 

“we are altering the biological, chemical 

and physical features of the planet on a 

geological scale with enormous ecological 

consequences”. Earlier the same day, Dr 

Suzuki had also met with eleven young 

delegates drawn from across the 

Commonwealth for a Roundtable 

discussion, hosted by the RCS and entitled 

‘Growing Up Green: Practical Action to 

Combat Climate Change’. This was an 

opportunity for young Commonwealth 

citizens to engage with one of the leading 

authorities on the environment and to 

voice their opinions as to what role they 

believe the Commonwealth can take in the 

fight against environmental degradation. 

The delegates drew upon their own varied 

backgrounds and experiences to challenge 

and question both Dr Suzuki and one 

another. It is hoped that the Roundtable 

will act as a springboard for a greater 

engagement of the Commonwealth with 

its constituent youth as it focuses upon the 

environment over the course of the 

coming year. 

For more information regarding the 

Dr Suzuki Roundtable discussion, contact 

Joanna Stephenson, 020 7766 9230 or 

joanna.stephenson@rcsint.org

Lobbying Parliament 

‘Making an impact: The Commonwealth in Parliament and in the Constituencies’: this was the 

important topic addressed at a joint half-day conference organised by the RCS and the 

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (UK Branch) at the Houses of Parliament on 

Wednesday 12 March. Following the event, guests were invited to a reception hosted by 

Rt. Hon. Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker. 

The programme for the day was 

divided into four sessions entitled 

‘The Commonwealth and the UK’, ‘The 

Commonwealth in the Constituencies’, 

‘Lobbying on Commonwealth Issues’ and 

‘Raising the Commonwealth’s 

parliamentary profile’. The sessions were 

chaired by Baroness Prashar, Lord Steel of 

Aikwood, Lord Luce and the BBC 

Diplomatic Correspondent, James 

Robbins. 

Distinguished speakers at the event 

included Lord Howell of Guildford, House 

of Lords Conservative Foreign Affairs 

Spokesperson; Richard Bourne, the 

founder of the Commonwealth Policy 

Studies Unit; Peter Kellner, political analyst 

and President of YouGov; Valerie Davey, 

ex-Labour MP for Bristol West and 

Executive Chairperson of the Council for 

Commonwealth Education; Patrick Orr, of 

Raitt Orr Associates; Cheryll Dorall, from 

the Commonwealth Association; Lord 

Anderson of Swansea; Stephen Crabb, MP 

for Preseli Pembrokeshire; and Baroness 

Northover, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson 

for International Development. 

The conference was well attended by a 

range of diplomats, representatives from 

Audience members listen attentively at the 

‘Lobbying Parliament on the Commonwealth’ event 

Rt. Hon. Lord Howell of Guildford, 

Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman 

the Home Office and Foreign and 

Commonwealth Office (FCO), as well as 

from numerous Commonwealth 

organisations. Key themes which 

emerged during the conference included: 

• The need for the Commonwealth to 

alter its mindset and to relate to the 

world beyond its boundaries; to 

engage with emerging key issues, and 

for NGOs/CSOs to explore new 

sources of funding, such as the EU 

• The need for diaspora groups to 

recognise the ‘Commonwealth within’ 

and to organise themselves in such a 

way as to influence policy-makers and 

fight the perception that there are ‘no 

votes in the Commonwealth”’ 

• The recognition that, although the 

Commonwealth is a great brand, it is 

relatively poor at selling itself 

• The need for the organisation to seek 

greater engagement with young 

people in Britain, widening their 

horizons and enabling them to 

become ‘global citizens’ 

• The need for the RCS and CPA (UK 

Branch) to work together more closely 

A report detailing these key themes, the 

outcomes of the conference and a future 

action plan will shortly be made available 

by the Royal Commonwealth Society. 

For further information, please contact 

Public Affairs Officer Claire Anholt on 

0207 766 9202 or claire.anholt@rcsint.org 


17

Celebrating Commonwealth Day 2008 

The Environment – Our Future 

Church services, multi-faith observances, cultural events, flag ceremonies, debates in 

Parliament and glittering receptions with Heads of Government and State, diplomats and 

celebrities all in attendance: there is little doubt that Commonwealth Day generates a certain 

sense of occasion. 

In the UK, the highlight of the 

Commonwealth Day celebrations was 

the inter-faith Observance held in the 

splendid surroundings of London's 

Westminster Abbey. The Observance 

took place in the presence of Her Majesty 

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and 

the Commonwealth Secretary-General, 

HE Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon. Other 

dignitaries in attendance included 

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, in 

his capacity as Commonwealth 

Chairperson-in-Office and the 

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary- 

Generals, Mr Ransford Smith and Mrs 

Florence Mugasha. Ministers, including 

the UK’s Minister for the Commonwealth, 


Lord Malloch-Brown and Uganda’s 

Foreign Minister, Sam Kuteesa, joined 

diplomats, other leading figures from the 

53 countries of the Commonwealth and 

around 1,000 school children in the 

Abbey. The Observance, organised by the 

Royal Commonwealth Society, is the 

largest inter-faith celebration of its kind 

held in the UK; representatives from all 

the major Christian denominations are 

joined by members of the Muslim, 

Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Baha’i, 

Zoroastrian and Jain communities. 

In her annual message, The Queen 

sent an unequivocal message to the 

developed world. She said: “The impact 

of pollution falls unequally: it is often 

those who pollute the least – notably in 

the least-developed nations – who are 

closest to the razor’s edge: most affected 

by the impact of climate change and least 

equipped to cope with it.” This message 

was broadcast to the assembled 

congregation using large plasma screens 

which had been placed around the 

Abbey. Following the success of the Royal 

Family’s YouTube site, an audio-visual, 

multi-media version of the Queen’s 

Commonwealth Day message was also 

launched Commonwealth-wide for the 

very first time. 

Five speakers, drawn from across the 

Commonwealth, delivered personal 

testimonies describing their first-hand 

Ngati Ranana, a London-based 

Maori cultural group, perform an 

official welcome celebration 

during the Commonwealth Day 

Observance (left). Having 

presented her flowers to Her 

Majesty The Queen, a schoolgirl 

enjoys the Commonwealth Day 

tea party at the RCS (above). 

Lucie Shigikile, of the 

Commonwealth Secretariat, 

carries the Commonwealth Mace 

at the Observance (right). Orders 

of Service (centre right). The 

Dean awaits the arrival of Her 

Majesty The Queen outside 

Westminster Abbey (far right)

experiences of the catastrophic effects of 

climate change and the challenges faced 

by the Commonwealth community. 

Fathimath Ghina, a UNESCO expert on 

the problems facing small island states in 

the face of rising sea levels, spoke of her 

terror as she witnessed her island home 

in the Maldives being submerged by the 

tsunami of 2004; Scottish-born scientist 

Gardiner Hill explained that the 

technology is now available to provide 

energy from fossil fuels with near zero 

CO2 emissions; Nobel Laureate Prof 

Mohan Munasinghe spoke frankly about 

the challenges facing the 

Commonwealth, but also expressed his 

optimism that effective action can be 

implemented; acclaimed naturalist 

Rebecca Hosking, who single-handedly 

succeeded in making her home town of 

Modbury in Devon the first English town 

to be declared plastic-bag free, spoke of 

her horror at watching albatrosses, their 

stomachs filled with plastic, die a slow 

and agonising death; and Ghanaian 

Dr Charles Abugre concluded the 

testimonies by explaining how 

humankind and the environment are 

interdependent, the urgency of the 

environmental challenge being one of 

life or death. 

The Observance encompassed a 

vibrant blend of dance, song and liturgy, 

reflecting simultaneously the unity and 

diversity of the Commonwealth. 

Performers included the acclaimed New 

Zealand mezzo soprano, Madeleine 

Pierard, who sang ‘With Verdure Clad’ 

(from Haydn’s ‘Creation’) and the world 

renowned African Children’s Choir who 

flew in from Uganda especially to perform 

at the Observance. They delivered a 

wonderfully energetic performance of 

‘Ndyahimbisa Mukama’ which means ‘I 

will sing for the Lord with all my heart, 

soul and mind’ in Runyankole Rukiga. 

Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group, 

presented a rousing and spectacular 

traditional Maori performance, which 

included ‘the haka’; and the Keith Waithe 

Quintet gave a moving and evocative 

performance of ‘Guyana with love’ 

(reflections of the rainforest). Other 

performers at the Observance included 

the young singers and instrumentalists 

from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson 

school gospel choir, Youth Music and the 

Royal College of Music. 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General 

addressed the assembled congregation, 

stating with poignant eloquence that, 

“…If we forget about future generations 

today, then tomorrow they will never be 

able to forget what we did to them… We 

have been asked to be stewards of this 

planet that we share, and to use it for the 

benefit of both ourselves and future 

generations. That is the challenge.” 

President Yoweri Museveni offered the 

response to Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon’s 

challenge, acknowledging the important 

role of Commonwealth governments, but 

also reminding the congregation that 

each individual has a crucial role to play, 

“Reducing, repairing, re-using and 

recycling…Conserving energy at home 

and in business.” He concluded by 

saying, “Many of us are already making 

the effort. We can all do more…” 

The Queen’s Message can be viewed in full on the official Commonwealth Day 

website, www.environment-our-future.org 

Images from the Observance and tea party can be viewed at 

www.picturepartnership.co.uk/cwdobservance08 


19

Changing communities, 

greening the globe 

Harnessing the power of film at the 2007 

Commonwealth Vision Awards 

Leading the way for the 2008 Commonwealth theme, ‘The Environment – Our Future’, 

South African freelance film-maker Jacqueline van Meygaarden triumphed in the 2007 

Commonwealth Vision Awards with her film ‘Free Energy’. All entrants into the competition, 

organised annually by the RCS, were asked to capture the theme ‘The Commonwealth – 

changing communities, greening the globe’, in just 30-90 seconds of film. 

This was the formidable challenge met 

with aplomb by Jacqueline’s winning 

entry. Her film offers a glimpse of daily life 

in the townships of South Africa and 

seeks to demonstrate how solar energy 

can be used to uplift the poor in an 

achievable and sustainable way. 

Jacqueline received her prize from Guest 

of Honour, Commonwealth Secretary- 

General, HE Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, at a 

glittering Gala Awards Ceremony held on 

6 December 2007 at the Commonwealth 

Club. Also commended in the 

competition was ‘Jaya’ Jayalakshmi of 

India/UK for her film ‘Paper! Paper!’ This 

fast-moving, vibrant film depicts 

innovative community initiatives to recycle 

paper in India. ‘The Gill Family’, a film by 

Jacqueline van Meygaarden and Jaya Jayalakshmi with their respective national flags 


Fijians Raltesh Chandra and Robert Zraick 

was also awarded a commended prize for 

its unique depiction of a ‘typical’ family 

living underwater due to the effects of 

global warming. The five other shortlisted 

entries came from India (2), 

Pakistan, Antigua and Barbuda, and 

Canada, evidencing the diverse nature 

and global reach of the competition. 

From January 2008, the winning films 

have been broadcast across the 

Commonwealth. On Commonwealth Day, 

plasma screens erected around 

Westminster Abbey displayed the 

winning films to a rapt audience. 

For further information, please contact 

Project Manager Alice Kawoya at 

visionawards@rcsint.org or visit 

www.rcsint.org/vision To view the 

shortlisted and winning entries, please 

visit the Commonwealth Vision Awards 

website www.rcsint.org/vision 


2007 

First Prize: 

Jacqueline van Meygaarden (South Africa) 

Free Energy 

Commended: 

G D Jayalakshmi (India/UK) 

Paper! Paper! 

Robert Zraick and Raltesh Chandra 

(Fiji Islands) 

The Gill Family 

Following the Vision Awards ceremony, 

the prizewinners shared some of their 

thoughts on protecting the environment 

and the role which film-makers can play:

“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. 


21

Photo: Imogen Mathers 

Global excellence: 

from India to Glastonbury 

From the Indian miniature paintings of the artisan trio, Kumari, Parekh and Mimbuk, in an 

exhibition entitled ‘Celebration’, to the UK hippy culture photography of ‘Glastonbury’, as 

portrayed by Royston E Naylor (Stone), the varied styles of the works exhibited in the gallery 

are united by one underlying rule – they are all Commonwealth art. 

The Club gallery has become well 

known to Commonwealth artists. 

These artists want to share their art forms, 

experiences and imagination, knowing 

that their exhibitions will be seen by a 

large selection of London’s varied 

communities who want to keep in touch 

with Commonwealth art trends. 

Popular viewings during the year 


included the photographic works of David 

Cleaves and the award-winning Australian 

photographer Jackson D Ferguson. In an 

exhibition entitled ‘Worlds Apart: 

Architecture and Portraits’, Ferguson, the 

recipient of the Royal Commonwealth 

Society’s Young Artist of the Year (2007), 

exhibited strong, interesting pictures 

taken in hostile and extreme locations. 

His images were computer-modified and 

re-configured to create a different 

atmosphere and composition. 

The Commonwealth Photographic 

Award Exhibition, organised by the 

Commonwealth Press Union, continued 

its long association with the gallery by 

exhibiting the winning images from their 

themed 2007 award: ‘Achievement’. 

Senior Project Manager Gwendolyn White discusses the image entitled "And Then...’, one of 26 images which made up the exhibition, 

"Glastonbury Festival 1990 -2007" by Royston E Naylor, alias Stone

Throughout November and December 

2007, Australian painter and printer Anita 

Klein exhibited twenty vibrant, large-scale 

acrylic works. These works represented 

the pick of Klein’s three-month Artist-in- 

Residency in Bundanon, Australia. The 

exhibition presented a truly unique 

collection of works, since the artist’s usual 

medium is oils. 

In the Members’ Lounge, Chinwe 

Chukwuogo-Roy, a world-renowned 

portrait painter, graced the walls with a 

maritime theme, adding a unique touch to 

the room’s already stylish surroundings. The 

paintings reflect the delicate fluidity of 

Chukwuogo-Roy’s brushwork and subtle 

use of colours and simultaneously display 

her artistic growth. She is the first of several 

high profile painters who have been 

chosen to exhibit in the Members’ Lounge 

area of the Club. Her exhibition will be 

followed by the works of Sandy Mallet. 

Other exhibitions in the main gallery 

during the course of the year included the 

works of portrait painter Roger P Thomas 

with a collection of commissioned 

portraits of sportsmen and musicians and 

‘Colours of Eden’, an exhibition by Pro-Art 

sponsored by Seychelles Tourism Board 

and Air Seychelles, and opened by HE Mr 

Claude Morel, High Commissioner for 

Seychelles. March saw the successful 

staging of ‘Four One, One: The Significant 

Minority’, a comedy by Ebony A White, 

followed by an open discussion. The cast 

included Adeyemi Ajibade and Anthony 

Ofoegbu and the production was directed 

by Luke Dixon. 

The RCS continued its Community 

Outreach Programme by supporting a 

variety of visual and performing arts 

initiatives. During Black History Month, 

the Senior Project Manager, Gwendolyn 

White, gave a well-received talk to 

community groups in Westminster on the 

works of the Commonwealth. 

Sales of artworks have continued to 

grow, with the works of Anita Klein and 

the three Indian Miniaturists all 

commanding good prices. With each 

exhibition running for four to seven 

weeks, members, guests and art 

collectors all have sufficient time to enjoy 

and study the works and to make any 

purchases they should wish. The 

exhibitions over the last year have 

attracted visitors from across the UK. 

Ms Althea Gee, now in her seventh 

year as a volunteer with the Cultural 

Affairs programme, successfully grouped 

and hung all exhibitions, ably assisted by 

Mohammed Khassal, the Commonwealth 

Club’s Maintenance Engineer. 

Anita Klein – Night Sky at Bundanon 

An Australian Returns 

Anita Klein – Australian Paintings, 30 October – 21 December 2007 

The works of renowned painter and printmaker Anita Klein, inspired by the beauty of 

the environment which the artist left as a child, combine vivacious forms, animal life 

and the beauty of the kaleidoscopic foliage of the Australian environment. 

In her paintings, Klein places the female form at the centre of nature. The woman 

featured, a self-portrait of the artist, is at one with all other living woodland creatures. 

We see her reclining beneath the stars in ‘Night Sky at Bundanon’, conversing with the 

wombat or fraternising with the kangaroo. The nude female almost mirrors the 

wombat posture as she comfortably squats, thickset with feet that resemble paws 

(Meeting a Wombat). 

Klein’s woman is natural and free in her skin like the creatures she watches or 

converses with. The use of smooth long brush strokes and vibrant colours which match 

the skin tones to the landscape make the nude bodies inconspicuous. In her painting, 

‘The Snake’, Klein’s woman is also subjected to temptation, the watching snake, 

entwined around a branch, lending the image a provocative symbolism. The over the 

shoulder glance is for us, the viewers, as well as for the snake and these compositions 

seem to represent the artistic expression of a twenty-first century Garden of Eden. 

Anita Klein’s work attracts a large following. Her paintings and prints are exhibited in 

major galleries throughout the United Kingdom, including the Royal Academy of Arts. 

Anita Klein - Meeting a Wombat 


23

A Christmas challenge: 

opportunity for all 

“A candlelight is a protest at midnight. 

It is a non-conformist. 

It says to the darkness, 

‘I beg to differ’.” 

Samuel Rayan, India 

(spoken by Amalda Quong Sing) 

Christian Dance Group, Movement in Worship 

Amalda Quong Sing stands in front of the Candle of Peace 


Thabani Nyoni 

performs 

at the 2007 

Commonwealth 

Carol Service 

To end global poverty, injustice and 

inequality, to refuse to believe that 

they are inevitable, to stand up and to 

‘beg to differ’: these were the challenges 

posed by the theme of the 2007 

Commonwealth Carol Service, 

‘Opportunity for all’. The service organised 

by the Royal Commonwealth Society in 

partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation, 

intertwined messages concerning trade 

justice, sustainable development and 

global poverty with a colourful, and often 

moving, Christmas celebration of the birth 

of Christ. Readings drawn from a range of 

biblical and contemporary sources 

highlighted a common responsibility to 

eradicate poverty and to work for equality 

of opportunity for all. 

These poignant and challenging 

messages were delivered by a number of 

high-profile speakers, including Gareth 

Thomas MP; Patsy Robertson, Chair of 

the Commonwealth Association; Adjoa 

Andoh, actress and supporter of the 

Fairtrade Foundation; HE Rt. Hon. Don 

McKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary- 

General; and Harriet Lamb, Executive 

Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. 

They were interspersed by stirring 

performances from the Zimbabwean 

singer Thabani Nyoni; from The Choir of 

All Souls, Langham Place; and from a 

Christian dance group, Movement in 

Worship. Children from around the 

Commonwealth gathered to light a 

candle of peace which gleamed within 

the newly-refurbished splendour of St 

Martin-in-the-Fields. The generous 

contributions of the congregation 

enabled the RCS to raise around £800 for 

a charity promoting fair trade in the 

Commonwealth and the service stood, 

both as a profound challenge, and as a 

colourful celebration: the perfect 

beginning to Christmas 2007.

The voice of youth 

Young people have opinions on many things: music, TV, football, the war in Iraq. But how often 

are their views actually sought? Or do too many assume they know what young people think? 

The RCS programme of Youth 

Commonwealth Heads of Government 

Meetings (Youth CHOGMs) reaches out to 

young people in the UK and beyond, from 

a multitude of socio-economic, cultural 

and religious backgrounds and 

encourages them to talk about the issues 

that matter to them most. Simulating the 

Commonwealth Heads of Government 

Meetings (CHOGM), Youth CHOGMs aim 

to build young peoples’ awareness of the 

Commonwealth, to engage them in 

politics and the practices of participatory 

democracy, to teach them essential skills, 

and to build their confidence as the 

leaders of tomorrow. 

Over the last twelve months, three 

key issues have emerged through the 

exchange of ideas at Youth CHOGMs: 

living in diverse societies; migration 

issues; and equity in global 

development. 

Religious diversity, and what it means 

to young people within the context of 

their own particular community, formed 

part of the discussion at the Blackburn 

Youth CHOGM, held at Blackburn 

Cathedral in 2007, where the tensions of 

living in a multi-faith, multi-cultural society 

were brought to the fore. The negotiation 

of these tensions led to some thoughtful 

outcomes: the signing of a peace deal on 

Kashmir by delegates representing India 

and Pakistan; a suggestion that the media 

must examine the way it portrays certain 

ethnic and religious minorities; and 

investment in education on human rights. 

At the RCS UK National Youth 

CHOGM, held in October 2007, 

President (and General) Dominic Rose of 

Pakistan suggested that a military 

government created a respectful 

environment where many faiths could coexist 

harmoniously. Pakistan’s formal 

suspension from the Commonwealth was 

then only weeks away, though the 

General did not know it. Premier Eoin 

Walshe of New Zealand supported intra- 

African trade as the route out of poverty 

in Africa, and slammed supporters of 

increased international aid. Prime 

Minister Rosie Reynolds of Swaziland 

queried whether education alone was 

enough to beat poverty – 69% of her 

citizens live below the poverty line 

despite high 

literacy levels in the country. 

And Southern African leaders 

unanimously called for the 

Commonwealth to re-engage with 

Zimbabwe before it dragged the entire 

region into decline. 

What emerged from the contributions 

of the sixty delegates, who represented 

some eight schools around the UK, is that 

the current language of international 

politics is perhaps unsuited to the needs 

of the developing world. There was seen 

to be little equity in the world because 

international relations and the people who 

drive them, were often unable to 

appreciate the complexities of the reality 

on the ground. While RCS expectations 

had been that climate change would 

emerge as the point of conflict in the 

Youth CHOGM, in the event, unfair trade 

policy and the impact of migration on 

donor and recipient countries, proved far 

more controversial. 

The training day for the National Youth 

Barbara Soetan, 

a Commonwealth Youth 

Programme Intern, speaking at 

the opening ceremony of the 

National Youth CHOGM in 

October 2007 

Ade Adepitan meets 

Youth CHOGM delegates 

at London City Hall 

CHOGM took place in 

the imposing Locarno Suite of the 

Foreign and Commonwealth Office and 

the debates themselves at the 

Commonwealth Secretariat. Delegates set 

the agenda for their debates, with topics 

such as ASBOs, identity cards and sexual 

health all being considered. They worked 

with FCO regional desk officers to learn 

more about how the countries they 

represented fit into regional groupings 

and learned that, in acting together on 

common problems, they would be more 

likely to achieve common regional 

objectives. Workshops run by the RCS on 

debating techniques, handling the media, 

communiqué-writing and ethics in public 

life, complemented the regional briefings. 

A media team comprised of students from 

greater London subsequently produced a 

short tabloid paper of the proceedings. 

During 2007, RCS branches in Uganda 

and Perth also ran successful Youth 

CHOGMs. The results and outcomes of 

these events and those held in the UK 

were fed to a wide variety of channels, in 

particular to educators and youth forum 

delegates at the 2007 Kampala CHOGM. 


25

Re-connecting with the past 

In 1993 the Royal Commonwealth Society Library Collections were moved from their home in 

Northumberland Avenue to Cambridge University Library. In December of last year a link for 

members was finally re-established. From the newly inaugurated Business Area in the Club, 

members can now access the catalogued library collections via a virtual link, enabling them to 

view digitised images and search descriptions of thousands of documents dating back through 

the history of the Empire and Commonwealth. 

The generous support of Sir Patrick 

Sheehy, who also originally 

headed the appeal which saved the 

RCS Library Collections for the nation, 

helped to create this remarkable 

addition to the Club. It is hoped that 

the new facility will enable members to 

re-connect with a crucial aspect of the 

Society’s past, and there are currently 

plans underway to encourage use of 

the link by school visiting parties and 

university students. For over a hundred 

years, the library collection was at the 

very heart of the Royal Commonwealth 

Society, taking up a large part of the 

Society’s headquarters and reflecting 

one of the core aims of the original 

Royal Colonial Institute “to establish a 

reading room and a library, in which 

recent and authentic intelligence upon 

colonial subjects may be constantly 

available”. It is hoped that the new 

virtual link will go some way towards 

restoring a connection with this 

important part of the Society's history. 

Although many members, old and 

new, are aware of the library collections’ 

move to Cambridge, little is known 

about the ongoing work which is being 

undertaken by a team of dedicated 

librarians to catalogue, preserve and 

improve access to the invaluable works. 

On these pages, RCS librarian Rachel 

Rowe describes the extensive, at times 

painstaking, but ultimately fascinating 

work being carried out at Cambridge 

University Library. It is hoped that this 

work, and the astounding array of 

material contained within the RCS 

collections, will not be forgotten by 

members for whom it affords a truly 

unique insight into a rich past. 

For further information regarding the 

Cambridge University Library Link or 

for assistance in accessing the 

collections, please contact Joanna 

Stephenson at joanna.stephenson@ 

rcsint.org or on 020 7766 9230 


The RCS Library: 

an ongoing journey 

From its foundation in 1868, the Society 

amassed a library on the British Empire, 

the Commonwealth and member 

countries, together with smaller 

collections on the empires of rival nations. 

The RCS Library today contains over 

300,000 printed items, over 700 archival 

collections and over 800 photographic 

collections. The archival collections 

include manuscript diaries, 

correspondence, pictures, cine-films, 

maps, scrapbooks and newspaper 

cuttings and the photograph collections 

of over 100,000 images. 

Long-standing members will be 

familiar with the background to the 

library’s transfer to Cambridge University 

Library in 1993, and many will have 

contributed personally to the appeal, 

launched in 1992, to save the collection 

for the nation. In May 1993, 'The Appeal 

to acquire the RCS Library for the Nation', 

led by Sir Patrick Sheehy, handed a 

cheque for £3 million to the Society. 

Housing the Library was a significant 

concern. The collection required 

considerable space and staff attention and 

thoughts initially turned to London. 

However, Cambridge University Library 

soon emerged as the preferred choice. 

Cambridge had existing strengths in 

Imperial and Commonwealth Studies and, 

perhaps most importantly, had only recently 

added a spacious new extension. The move 

began on 26 July 1993 and lasted for a 

fortnight. The Society's then Librarian, Terry 

Barringer, records that 700 metres of 

bubble wrap were used along with 1,500 

metres of heavy-duty sticky tape. 1 

While the future of the collection is 

now assured, the move to Cambridge is 

by no means the end of the Library's 

story. Although new publications are no 

longer added in great numbers to the 

RCS Library, they are added to 

Cambridge University Library’s main 

collections. European publications, rare 

photographs and archival collections 

about Commonwealth countries form an 

important part of the Library's 

acquisitions each year and serve to 

complement the RCS collections. 

Individual donations also continue to 

form a very important part of the RCS 

Library. Since its move to Cambridge, the 

collections have been enriched by the 

donation of over 100 archival collections 

of photographs, manuscripts, 

correspondence, memoirs and published 

accounts. Details of these deposits may 

be found on the National Register of 

Archives, hosted by the National Archives 

at Kew, 2 as well as on Janus, the 

Cambridge archives portal. 3 

The challenge facing Cambridge 

University Library is to preserve the RCS 

collections in the best possible conditions, 

whilst simultaneously delivering a range of 

services to promote the collections, to 

enhance public access to them and to 

facilitate and encourage academic research 

based on them. The University Library aims 

to achieve this by preserving the 

collections and identifying those in need of 

specialist conservation; by identifying, 

recording and researching the collections; 

by increasing public knowledge of the 

collections through retrospective 

cataloguing, co-operative projects, 

publicity, websites, exhibitions and 

publications; supporting users of the 

collections and providing an enquiry 

service; making publicly available copies of 

rare and unique materials – through 

microfilming, digitisation and other webbased 

education projects; and by acquiring 

small archival collections of historical 

1 Barringer, T.A. (1994) The rise, fall and rise again of the Royal Commonwealth Society Library, African 

Research and Documentation, no. 64. (p.2 & pp.7-8) 

2 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/default.asp 

3 http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk

The new Business Area, housing the link to the RCS Collections at Cambridge University Library 

importance which complement and enrich 

the RCS collections. The achievement of 

these aims requires the development of a 

highly motivated, knowledgeable and 

skilled staff but also a significant amount of 

fund-raising from external sources. 

To date, a huge amount has been 

achieved towards this ambitious vision. 

Nearly 40,000 online descriptions have 

been created for published material in the 

collection. This includes the internationally 

significant Cobham collection on Cyprus, 

rare books in all subject areas, monographs 

on Africa and Canada, periodical holdings, 

and, most recently, historically important 

runs of official reports, published in the 

colonies and Commonwealth. Records for 

all these items may be found in Cambridge 

University Library’s online catalogue, 4 and 

special web pages have been written to 

guide users as to how best to search for 

official publications. 5 

With the exception of the recent 

project to catalogue official publications in 

the collection, all the cataloguing of 

published works was funded by an 

external grant from HEFCE, the Higher 

Education Funding Council for England. 

A breakthrough was made last year when 

the Trustees of the Appeal to Save the 

Royal Commonwealth Society Library for 

the Nation agreed to release the 

outstanding £600,000 from the residue of 

the appeal to fund work to increase 

access to the collections. Work over the 

course of 2007 has concentrated on 

cataloguing rare runs of colonial Blue 

Books and monographs and serials 

published by government bodies in Africa, 

Malaysia and Hong Kong. Yearbooks and 

Directories will follow shortly. 

Funding to increase access to the 

library’s rich pictorial and archival 

collections has come from a variety of 

bodies and a huge amount of desperately 

needed professional conservation work 

has been undertaken on the collections 

since they arrived in Cambridge. The 

photograph collection has been 

completely re-boxed in acid-free 

containers and individual images sleeved 

in clear inert plastic. Glass plates and 

lantern slides have been individually 

wrapped in acid-free paper, interleaved 

by inert foam and protectively boxed. 

Thousands of volumes of official reports 

have been cleaned by hand using smokesponges 

to remove wartime debris and 

thousands more items have been 

restored using a specially purchased 

museum book cleaner. 

Preservation of rare and unique items 

in the collections has also been enhanced 

by major microfilming projects. Funding 

from several sources has enabled the 

Library to provide readers with robust 

working copies of very delicate and 

fragile periodicals and pamphlets. 

Microfilm and digital copies of unique 

RCS archival sources relating to the British 

Empire and Africa have now been 

published, making them available to 

scholars around the world. 6 

To give some idea of the growing scale 

of interest in the collections, in 1993 the 

RCS Library was used by 116 individual 

researchers and the RCS librarian, Terry 

Barringer, answered around 250 research 

enquiries received by letter and a further 

280 by phone. Today annual visitor 

numbers hover around the 500 mark, but 

the significant growth in use has been in 

distance-enquiries. In the last year, the 

RCS Librarian has answered 1,388 email 

research enquiries and the trend is 

continuing upwards as more people learn 

about the collection. Visits to the RCS 

catalogues on the University of 

Cambridge’s Janus server 7 have increased 

from about 5,000 a month in June 2004 to 

40,000 a month in June 2007, with the 

cumulated number of hits over that period 

topping the one million mark. 

None of the work which has been 

undertaken thus far to preserve, 

catalogue and enhance the RCS Library 

Collections would have been possible 

without the generous support of several 

external funding bodies and all that 

remains to be done will require 

continuing support. It is hoped that this 

article will have given you a taste of the 

challenges faced by Cambridge University 

Library today in meeting these aims. 

Rachel M Rowe, RCS Librarian 

February 2008 

If you would like to learn more about ways you can help the RCS Library, please contact 

the RCS Librarian, Rachel Rowe at Cambridge University Library. Email: rcs@lib.cam.ac.uk 

or by post to Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DR. 

For more information on using the collections in Cambridge, please see the RCS Library’s 

web pages: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/rcs/index.html or phone 01223 333146. 

4 http://ul-newton.lib.cam.ac.uk/ 

5 http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/rcs/rcs_op_project/index.html 

6 Africa Through Western Eyes and Empire Online: http://www.ampltd.co.uk/search/search.aspx?mainsearch=royal+commonwealth+society 

7 http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk 


27

Cyprus: RCS International Meeting 

& Nkabom 2008 

In September 2008, Cyprus will play host to the RCS International Meeting (IM). The IM 

provides a forum for strategic development and for the sharing of ideas and best practice 

between RCS programmes, branches and affiliate societies; it encourages wider discussion of 

the Commonwealth and its global role; it serves to develop and strengthen the RCS’s 

international network; and it acts as an opportunity to explore the politics, history and culture 

of the host country. Finally, the IM is held in association with an international Commonwealth 

youth project (Nkabom), allowing young people from across the Commonwealth to join the IM 

and to interact with other delegates. 

The next IM, to be held in the Cypriot 

city of Larnaca, will explore the 

theme ‘Conflict, Conquest and 

Migration’, reflecting the turbulent 

history of the region as well as some of 

the most pressing concerns of the 

Commonwealth today. It will come at a 

time when there is new hope that a 

lasting solution to the Cyprus issue may 

be possible. The meeting will be 

preceded by the Nkabom Project, a 

youth development and exchange 

programme. This project provides a 

unique space for talented young people 

to share experiences, deepen their 


understanding of key global issues and 

informally interact with peers from 

around the Commonwealth. In 2008, 

Nkabom hopes to conduct communitybased 

projects, in partnership with local 

youth movements, in four locations 

around Cyprus, including across the 

Green Line in Turkish-occupied Cyprus. 

Key dates: 

• Nkabom Project: Saturday 13 to 

Saturday 20 September 

• RCS International Meeting: Sunday 21 

to Wednesday 24 September 

The Nkabom youth project will precede the RCS International Meeting 

Dimitris Christofius, President of Cyprus, 

who has been invited to open the RCS 

International Meeting 

IM delegates have the option to extend 

their stay to include study visits, scheduled 

to take place on 25 and 26 September. 

The RCS expects branches to raise all the 

necessary funds for those attending the 

meeting, although there may be some 

bursaries available, on a matching funding 

basis, for young people involved in the 

Nkabom Project. More detailed 

information, including hotel bookings, 

flights and application forms, were 

distributed to branches early in 2008. 

Suggestions for thematic content of 

working groups and plenary sessions, and 

for keynote speakers at the meeting are 

most welcome and branches are 

encouraged to submit their ideas for 

consideration. 

For more information, contact Head of 

Public Affairs, Nigel McCollum: 020 7766 

9205 or email: publicaffairs@rcsint.org

Write around the world 

The Commonwealth Essay Competition 

The Royal Commonwealth Society’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is a unique 

international writing contest which each year inspires thousands of young people across the 

Commonwealth to put pen to paper and find their voice. 

The Commonwealth Essay Competition 

is one of the world’s most longstanding 

and popular writing contests. 

Designed for the young citizens of the 

Commonwealth, the competition provides 

a space within which they can reflect upon 

their worlds and articulate their thoughts, 

and an opportunity for these diverse and 

valuable voices to be heard. 

Since it was first established in 1883, 

the Commonwealth Essay Competition 

has evolved into a modern education 

project designed to encourage literacy, 

creativity and critical awareness. The 

competition topics are reviewed annually 

and, seeking to inspire academic and 

creative minds alike, they are designed to 

challenge the youth of the Commonwealth 

to think about important local and global 

issues. 

As such, the Competition gives young 

people a rare opportunity to be heard on 

issues which matter to them and 

encourages participants to grow into 

engaged and active citizens. The 

importance of this function and relevance 

of the Competition within a contemporary 

context is reflected by the tremendous 

growth witnessed by the Competition in 

recent years; participation has increased by 

almost a third since 2004. 

The goodwill and support the 

Commonwealth Essay Competition 

receives from around the world is further 

testament to its popularity and the 

diversity of those whose lives it touches. 

The Essay Competition enables young 

people from a wide variety of scholastic 

and social backgrounds to compete on 

equal terms with their peers, and all socioeconomic 

brackets are represented in the 

project, from village schools in Bangladesh 

and Botswana to elite schools in South 

Africa and Singapore. The Royal 

Commonwealth Society has worked hard 

to consolidate the recent growth of the 

Competition by strengthening its 

relationships with participating schools, 

which are in turn often eager to be further 

involved in other RCS activities. 

Lydia Adero, winner of Class A in the Commonwealth Essay Competition, with Hon 

Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, Ugandan Minister for Education & Sports and other 

Ugandan award winners at a prize-giving ceremony held in Kampala on November 19, 2007 

The 2007 Competition elicited a 

fantastic response, with over 6,300 final 

entries received by the Royal 

Commonwealth Society in London and an 

estimated 50,000 students participating in 

schools around the globe. As always, 

standards were high and the team of 24 

examiners singled out, as prizewinners and 

runners-up, 44 entrants from 17 countries 

and territories throughout the 

Commonwealth, including Australia, 

Canada, Falkland Islands, Ghana, Malaysia, 

Malta, Mauritius, Pakistan, Tanzania, Turks 

& Caicos Islands, Uganda and the UK and 

the Channel Islands. 

The topic ‘Welcome to my Family’ 

inspired writing from every corner of the 

Commonwealth touching on themes of 

relationships, power, conflict, love, 

education, recreation and discipline which 

pervade the lives of young people 

everywhere. Writing on this subject, the 

Competition’s top winner this year, Lydia 

Adero, from Uganda, captivated examiners 

with her description of a traditional 

polygamous family motivated by her 

desire to “write about a family which [she] 

believes is too rare and truly African”. 

Lydia and other Ugandan award winners 

were presented with prizes at an awards 

ceremony held in the CHOGM People’s 

Space in Kampala during November last 

year. 

Other winners submitted writing 

variously creative and imaginative, 

academic and rigorous in style. Canadian 

Andrew Wesson won the youngest age 

band (12 and under) with a wonderful story 

about ‘Colours’ which played on the 

everyday associations they evoke for us, 

while winning first prize in Class A, Laure- 

Astrid Wigglesworth of the Turks & Caicos 

Islands, tackled ambiguity found ‘Between 

worlds’. 

The Competition is a highly regarded 

and popular international education 

project, enjoying much esteem and 

support throughout the Commonwealth. 

For further information or a copy of the 

2007 Review, please contact the project 

manager, Ms Zoé Wilson, by post, via 

email, zoe.wilson@rcsint.org or phone on 

020 7766 9204. 


29

Laure-Astrid 

Wigglesworth 

British West Indies Collegiate 

Turks and Caicos Islands 

First Prize, Class B in the 2007 


Between worlds 

“Sit down and shut up!” was the usual 

imperious morning greeting for the Year 

Ten class of the British West Indies 

Collegiate as their teacher, Ms 

Wigglesworth, entered the room. The class 

was immediately silenced; Ms 

Wigglesworth was not someone who 

tolerated any form of nuisance or 

disruption. The students sat apprehensively 

with their notebooks open and pens at the 

ready in case she decided to fill the board 

with notes from left to right or even simply 

lecture them about not being prepared if 

she saw their books closed. 

“Today class, I think we shall go about 

our lesson slightly differently.” The 

students remained transfixed. This could 

be a hoax. Maybe she was testing them 

to see who would put down their pen first 

and hence be the one whose name would 

be first on the detention list. “Please put 

all your equipment away – that is except 

your ears as they will be carrying you on a 

special journey.” The class quickly 

complied and began to listen attentively. 

This had to be something important. 

“I’m going to tell you about a little trip 

I took to an art museum. Now, personally, 

I am fond of art. If you look closer at any 

piece you are able to discover things 


never imagined at the first glance of the 

naked eye.” 

“Ms Wigglesworth, what was the 

museum called?” 

“Marcus, you have two ears and one 

mouth; please use them in that 

proportion. As I was saying, I got up 

Saturday morning rather the same as any 

day yet with a slight feeling of 

unwrapping mystery. After getting ready, I 

began to make my way to the museum 

and eventually found myself at the foot of 

a large institute that had a modern look 

about it. 

“Now, this ‘museum’ was rather 

different than any other you might be 

familiar with but its art pieces were still of 

an extraordinary precision and originality. 

The first piece I saw was probably the 

most memorable. I wasn’t sure whether it 

was a giant cabbage or a viridescent 

crater. I could not decide whether it was 

attractive or repulsive but looking at it left 

a funny taste in my mouth. 

“The second piece I saw was what 

seemed to be a collection of fishing nets 

all bundled together. Now these weren’t 

just any normal fishing nets, they were a 

vibrant red and orange like a pool of 

magma waiting to engulf you in the 

rapture of satisfied hunger. Among other 

pieces I saw a tall sculpture of purple 

asparagus with a sort of waxy yellow filling 

which was rather an unnerving sight, and a 

canvas of red dots reminiscent of a literal 

sea of blood opening at the command of 

Seurat’s brush. 

“I came next to a large model of a 

cave with stalactites and stalagmites that 

seemed to be made out of what looked 

like baked beans soaked in tomato sauce. 

It was an accurate but seemingly odd 

replica of a cave should I say. The last few 

pieces were in what they called the 

‘Exhibition of Nature’ in which many 

natural elements of the world from 

vegetation to climate to marine life were 

displayed as art. The first piece of this 

exhibition was the painting of the tree of 

life. It had one thick trunk but separated 

into thousands of tiny branches which 

each seemed so delicate but each playing 

a part in the survival of this unique tree. 

However, the tree in the painting was not 

green but it was a magnificent red, like 

the fishing nets I had seen earlier.” 

“A red tree, Ms Wigglesworth??” 

asked a young girl named Jessica. 

“Yes, cardinal red. It was just like a tree 

but was in some way different… in an 

inexplicable way. The final piece I saw was 

a painting which had magnificent shades 

of blue, ranging from cerulean to 

aquamarine. The painting represented an 

exotic coral head found only in the most 

remote and untouched parts of the 

world.” 

“This sounds like the weirdest 

museum I have ever heard of in my 

whoooooole life,” said Marcus, who had 

finally built up the courage to say 

something again after being initially 

reprimanded by Ms Wigglesworth. 

“Well, Marcus, that’s because it wasn’t 

a museum that I was in at all but a science 

laboratory. All of those pieces of art I 

described to you are the substances, 

tissues, cells and chemicals working inside 

our bodies this very instant.” A wind of 

murmurs and surprised faces swept across 

the classroom. The children studied their 

hands from their every crease to their last 

cuticle. They actually began to listen to 

the steady drumming of their hearts 

instead of simply hearing it. 

“So what were all those things?” 

Jessica inquired. 

“That piece of cabbage was a taste 

bud that I viewed under a microscope. 

Without it, it would be impossible to have 

any sense of taste. The cells react to the 

chemicals in our food and send messages 

back to the brain which will give us that 

lovely sensation of taste we get when we 

eat our favourite food or squirm at the 

ones we don’t enjoy! The fish nets were 

the first layer of our skin – the epithelium 

– in our oesophagus. Those purple 

asparagus were a bundle of nerves that 

run throughout our body to give us the 

sense of touch; the canvas of red dots 

was our red blood cells that transport 

oxygen around our body; the cave of 

baked beans was the cells which line our 

stomach and secrete mucus which not 

only protects our stomach from gastric 

acids, but helps with the fragmentation of 

food and destroys any bacteria contained 

in the food. The tree of life was the 


award winners from British West Indies 

Collegiate, Turks & Caicos Islands

network of tiny fibres and capillaries 

which remove the toxins in our kidneys 

and that beautiful painting of a coral 

head was crystals of oestrogen, which is a 

female hormone secreted by the ovaries 

that stimulates the menstrual cycle and 

the growth of breasts. Without it we as 

females would be unable to have 

children.” 

“But Ms Wigglesworth why couldn’t 

you have just told us that in the first 

place?” Marcus asked in confusion. 

“Well Marcus, there is the world on 

the inside of the human body, and there 

is the world on the outside. We see the 

world on the outside everyday, but the 

world on the inside is not something we 

are likely to encounter, so I felt it was my 

duty to describe some of it to you. The 

world on the outside is your skin colour or 

your size and shape. The inside world is 

all about cells and tissue. As art is judged, 

so are we, but like the paintings we are 

judged by the outside world – what is 

visible to the naked eye. These 

judgements, in the case of human beings, 

lead to discrimination, racism, pain and 

are the cause of unnecessary feuds that 

have been going on in the history of 

mankind for years upon end. So how can 

we separate human beings from one 

another without discrimination or making 

stereotypes? 

“Maybe we should judge people on 

what is on the inside. However, it would 

be rather difficult because what I failed to 

mention is that on the inside everyone is 

the same. My blood is the same colour as 

your blood. My stomach cells look like 

baked beans as yours do. Our museums 

have the same paintings. So what should 

we as mankind use to differentiate 

between the right and the wrong? If it’s 

not the world on the inside or the world 

on the outside, what is it?” 

The class remained impeccably silent 

as Ms Wigglesworth continued, “Maybe 

it’s the world in between. The world of 

knowledge, emotion and thought. The 

world between both the inside and out 

that neither art nor science can capture. 

The world that gives us ground to judge 

people based on their opinions, feelings 

and quality of thought, not on how much 

they weigh, their colour or whether they 

are a Christian or a Muslim. This, students, 

is the message of today’s lesson. Look not 

to what is on the outside or the inside of 

people you know or may come to know 

but to what is in between wor…” 

“Ms Wigglesworth?” 

“Yes, Marcus?” 

“The bell rang five minutes ago.” 

Andrew Wesson 

The Academy for Gifted Children – 

PACE, Canada 

First Prize, Class D in the 2007 


Colours 

Friday 4:55 p.m. Crayola Corporate 

Office: 

“Do you have the colours?” my boss 

asked urgently, five minutes before 

quitting time. I handed him a list of 

crayon colours for a new box of 64 

crayons. He read them with absolute 

disgust. “We have already used all of 

these colours before!” he said, “Every 

single one! They aren’t original! I need 64 

completely original crayon colours by 

Monday morning or you’re fired!” 

I was sweating buckets, but the first few 

came quite easily. By the end of the night I 

had done 57 with 36 hours left. I let myself 

contemplate actually earning a promotion. 

Saturday 11 p.m. 

I headed to bed, having not thought of a 

single colour all day. My confidence was 

badly shaken and my family was getting 

annoyed at my neglect and bad mood. 

Sunday 1 p.m. 

After a morning of nothing at all, I would 

have to miss my daughter Grace’s dance 

recital if I wanted to keep my job. I tried 

to tell her calmly and appeal to her sense 

of reason. After all if I had no job, how 

could we afford the ridiculously expensive 

dance lessons and poufy skirts? After the 

ensuing argument (read ‘one-sided 

screaming match’), my daughter shouted, 

“I hate you!” and stormed into her room, 

slamming the door. I thought about the 

years of therapy she might now need and, 

suddenly, it came to me: “Anger 

Management Red!” Maybe my dry spell 

was over. 

Sunday 8 p.m. 

I came in from mowing the lawn in near 

darkness hoping to have missed the 

weekly ‘Sunday Night Homework Panic’ 

starring my son, Sam. As I crossed the 

threshold I saw my wife wild with anger 

and briefly contemplated heading back 

out to weed whack in the moonlight. 

“Wait, ‘Weed Whacker Green’.” 

It turned out that my son’s backpack 

was filled with the dreaded yellow sheets 

indicating that he had not done his 

homework for several days straight. I 

sliced through the din to come up with 

‘Homework Notice Yellow’! Kids can 

relate to that! Promotion, here I come! 

As I made my colour notes, I was 

vaguely aware of the escalating situation. 

“Do you have any idea how many….?” As 

she lectured poor Sam, I noticed that I 

could count the veins on her neck. It was 

a little scary, but then it hit me: ‘Popping 

Vein Blue’! 

Monday 8 a.m. 

I needed three more colours, and I was 

burnt out. Hey! ‘Burnt-Out Brown’. Now I 

was down to two more. My wife and my 

children weren’t speaking to me, and I was 

going to be fired by 9:05. Miraculously, it 

came to me ‘Pink Slip Pink’. 

As I backed out of the driveway, I 

noticed I was about to run over the hose. 

When I got out of the car to move it, a 

sudden wave of pain shot up my leg and 

a poisonous snake slithered away. My leg 

instantly started to swell up and turn 

purple. ‘Number 64 – Poisonous Venom 

Purple’! I shrieked in delight. 

Monday 9 a.m. 

I no sooner got into my office, dragging 

my swollen purple leg behind me, when 

my boss bounded in. As I started to tell 

him about the good news, my voice 

slowed by the venomous fog of my recent 

poisoning, he interrupted me. “Jones, I 

had a brainwave. It’s brilliant. We’re going 

RETRO – little box, 8 colours: red, blue, 

yellow, orange, purple, white, black…” 

“And sick-to-my-stomach-green”, I 

thought as I keeled over, hit my head on 

the floor and lost consciousness. 


31

Results List 2007 

Class A 

(16-18 year olds) 

1st Prize 

Lydia Adero 

Iganga Secondary School 

Uganda 

Joint 2nd Prize 

Sharmishtha Ghosh 

The Shri Ram School, India 


Upasna Lakshi Ramburrun 

Gaetan Raynal, Mauritius 

Joint 4th Prize 

Kelvin Raphael 

Olorien Secondary School, 

Tanzania 

Joint 4th Prize 

Faisal Wando 

Hilton College, South Africa 

Commonwealth Prize 

Arundhati Gupta 

The Heritage School, India 

Special Prize 

Devon Brett 

Fraser Valley Distance 

Education School, Canada 

Class B 


1st Prize 

Laure-Astrid Wigglesworth 

British West Indies Collegiate 

Turks & Caicos Islands 


Nda Masimula 

Hilton College, South Africa 


Daniel Sive 

King David High School, 

South Africa 

4th Prize 

Chiraag Gupta 

Southridge School, Canada 


Anuja Vekhande 

IES's Jawaharlal Nehru Port 

Vidyalaya, India 

Special Prize 

Rubab Rizvi 

Springfield School, Pakistan 

Class C 


1st Prize 

Marija Cachia 

Can GF Agius de Soldanis 

Girls' Junior Lyceum, Malta 

2nd Prize 

Nana Akosua Kodua 

Alsyd Academy, Ghana 

3rd Prize 

James Thomson 

Oratory Preparatory School, 


4th Prize 

Shanan Teo 

Sekolah Seri Suria, Malaysia 


Grace Bravery 

Jersey College for Girls, 


Special Prize 

Oliver Moorey 

Falkland Island Community 

School, Falkland Islands 

Class D 

(Under-12 year olds) 

1st Prize 

Andrew Wesson 

Academy For Gifted Children 

– PACE, Canada 

2nd Prize 

Naylee Nagda 

Oshwal Academy, Kenya 

3rd Prize 

Joanna-Frederica Farrugia 

San Andrea School, Malta 

4th Prize 

Aggeliki Skoteinou 

Xenion High School, Cyprus 


Gan Zhi Ming 

SJK (C) Kuen Cheng (1), 

Malaysia 

Zoé Wilson, Project Manager of the Commonwealth Essay Competition, presenting James Thomson, of Oratory Preparatory School, with 

his award for 3rd Prize in Class C 

32 Annual Review 2007/08

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 


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 


33

Governor of Queensland, HE Ms Quentin Bryce, AC at the RCS Brisbane branch 

Commonwealth Day celebrations 

UK Pakistan Development Strategy. RCS 

Director-General Stuart Mole sent a 

message of condolence to the branch 

following the assassination of Benazir 

Bhutto. 

In Sri Lanka, the UK High 

Commissioner and his wife were guests of 

honour at a Commonwealth Day Dinner 

organised by RCS Sri Lanka. Other 

Commonwealth diplomats were also 

present. Members of the branch 

subsequently held a farewell luncheon for 

the UK High Commissioner and his wife 

when they left Sri Lanka. The branch also 

held a Christmas Charity programme for 

destitute and under-privileged children, 

and a Christmas Evening for members 

and members visited historic, cultural and 

religious sites in Sri Lanka. 

The Pacific 

In Fiji the military coup has created a 

difficult situation for the RCS branch. 

However, the branch has managed to get 

Commonwealth Day made a public holiday 

in conjunction with Youth Day. The branch 

is hopeful that the elections scheduled for 

March 2009 will restore democracy to Fiji. 

Canberra, Australia branch members 

are successfully rebuilding the branch 

after it hit difficult times two years ago. 

The branch held a multi-faith 

Commonwealth Day celebration for the 

first time and continued with its Schools 

Public Speaking Contest. Members were 

invited to visit a Hindu Temple and the 

Canberra Islamic Centre. The Vice- 

President of the New South Wales branch 

was a guest at the Governor-General’s 

celebration of HM The Queen’s birthday. 


Queensland Branch published articles 

about Barbados and Bangladesh in its 

newsletters. The branch sent school 

materials to an orphanage in Zambia and 

presented a prize to a Commonwealth 

Essay Competition winner. South Australia 

branch sponsored cultural events and 

members gave food gifts and cash to 

Anglicare. The revival of the South 

Tasmania branch is continuing and they 

held a Commonwealth Day celebration at 

Hobart Cathedral. Victoria branch helped 

sponsor charity work in Papua New 

Guinea and the Commonwealth Essay 

Competition. Western Australia branch 

held its annual Student CHOGM and has 

published articles on several 

Commonwealth countries as well as the 

Commonwealth Foundation in recent 

newsletters. 

In New Zealand, the Auckland branch 

held its annual Commonwealth Day 

Service in the presence of the new 

Governor-General. The branch President, 

Jo Stone, sent a letter of condolence to 

the widow of Sir Edmund Hillary following 

his death. Both Sir Edmund and his wife 

were life members of the Auckland branch. 

The RCS received a number of messages 

of condolence from branches which were 

forwarded onto Auckland. Canterbury 

branch had a guest speaker from Christian 

World Service at its Commonwealth Day 

Service where scholars from Dominica and 

Jamaica read two of the affirmations. 

Wellington branch held a multi-faith 

Commonwealth Day service in the 

presence of the Governor-General; ran its 

annual Youth CHOGM and published 

articles on the Uganda CHOGM, 

Commonwealth People’s Forum, 

Commonwealth Business Forum and other 

RCS branches in its newsletters. The 

branch was also represented at a 

Dominion Day Symposium. 

North America 

RCS Canada organised a Commonwealth 

Symposium in conjunction with the 

National Meeting in Ottawa. The RCS 

Director-General, Stuart Mole, was among 

the speakers at the annual meeting. Most 

Canadian branches held Commonwealth 

Day celebrations. 

Edmonton branch staged a “Canada 

at War in Afghanistan” Symposium. The 

proceeds of Newfoundland & Labrador’s 

Commonwealth Day Party were given to 

local charities. Ottawa branch held its 

own Symposium on South/South 

Collaboration and hosted Commonwealth 

Judicial Education Institute visitors. 

Prince Edward Island branch have 

formed a partnership with Acadian and 

Aboriginal colleagues to restructure a 

local historic site. They are also 

undertaking a project to bolster the 

emphasis of Commonwealth membership 

to new citizens of Canada and are 

maintaining their annual bursary to the 

University of Prince Edward Island to 

support a Commonwealth student. 

Toronto branch published articles about 

Jamaica, Barbados and Australia and 

CARICOM-Canada Trading Arrangements 

in its newsletters and on the RCS Canada 

website. The branch was represented at a 

dinner for the Commonwealth Secretary- 

General and held a silent auction for 

victims of the Jamaica floods. 

Vancouver branch published articles 

about the Commonwealth Youth Credit 

Initiative and about trade in developing 

countries. They also carried an appeal in 

their newsletter from Dame Billie Miller, 

Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and 

Foreign Trade, about the closure of the 

UN office in Barbados. Branch members 

participated in the Vancouver Multicultural 

Society’s Culture Fair Reception and the 

branch plans to co-operate with the Royal 

Overseas League in some joint events. 

The Branch Secretary of the Vancouver 

Island Branch and the National President 

of RCS Canada met with the British 

Columbia Ministry of Education to discuss 

the promotion of education about the 

Commonwealth in all schools in member 

countries. 

The British and Commonwealth 

Society of North America now has a new 

Chairman who has ambitious plans for the 

Society.

The Caribbean 

In the Caribbean, the Barbados branch held 

its annual multi-faith service in the presence 

of the Governor-General, HE Sir Clifford 

Husbands, and the UK High Commissioner. 

The branch also held a Commonwealth Day 

luncheon attended by the Governor- 

General and twelve Commonwealth 

students. The RCS Honorary Representative 

in the Cayman Islands, Mr Charles Quin, 

again helped to organise Commonwealth 

Day celebrations. The Round Table of the 

Commonwealth Countries in the Dominican 

Republic organised functions, involving 

Commonwealth diplomats and local 

businesses, to promote commercial 

relations with Commonwealth countries. 

They also publicised the Commonwealth in 

the local media. Jamaica branch 

celebrated Commonwealth Day with a 

function attended by the Governor-General 

which was later broadcast on local 

television. 

Europe, the UK and Channel 

Islands 

Members of Gibraltar branch attended 

functions involving Dr Mark Collins, 

Director of the Commonwealth 

Foundation and RCS Director-General, 

Stuart Mole. Guernsey branch were 

delighted to entertain HE Mr Kamalesh 

Sharma, the then Indian High 

Commissioner to the UK and the new 

Commonwealth Secretary-General, as 

guest of honour at their annual dinner. 

Jersey branch celebrated Commonwealth 

Day with a buffet supper in the presence 

of the Lieutenant-Governor and his wife. 

There was a display by a local group who 

have been involved in a number of 

projects in Kenya. The branch has strong 

links with the Durrell Wildlife Trust and its 

students, and seeks to involve the 

students, many from Commonwealth 

countries, in its events during their stay in 

Jersey. 

Bath branch sponsored five gap year 

students and helped to organise the 

Commonwealth Day service in Bath 

Abbey. 

Belfast branch were involved in 

Commonwealth Day celebrations at 

Stormont at which Matthew Neuhaus, the 

Director of Political Affairs at the 

Commonwealth Secretariat, spoke. 

Bristol branch entertained 

Commonwealth students on several 

Dancers from the Seychelles entertain guests at the Commonwealth Club, London 

occasions and supported gap year 

students, Water Aid and Sight Savers. 

Work on the renovation of 

Commonwealth House in Bristol 

continues. 

Cambridge University branch 

continued with its welcoming tea parties 

for overseas students and its participation 

in the Humanitarian Centre Garden Party, 

as well as organising a number of other 

events. The branch is also continuing its 

sponsorship of a Commonwealth Essay 

Competition prize. 

Oxford branch held a Commonwealth 

Day celebration at Oxford Town Hall in 

the presence of local dignitaries. The 

branch also held a panel discussion on 

‘Fair trade’ and Ruth Lea, Director of the 

Centre for Policy Studies, spoke on ‘The 

British Future in the Commonwealth’ at a 

Spring Lunch. 

The Wales branch took part in 

Commonwealth Day celebrations at the 

Welsh Assembly, has established a 

website and started a quarterly 

e-newsletter. The branch has held talks 

about links between Wales, Lesotho and 

Kenya and hoped to be represented at 

several multi-cultural festivals in Wales 

during 2007. 


35

About the Scottish Qualifications Authority 

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is an 

executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) 

sponsored by the Scottish Government's Education 

Department. We are the national body in Scotland 

responsible for the development, accreditation, 

assessment and certification of qualifications other 

than degrees. SQA is also a UK wide awarding body 

offering a range of qualifications to centres outside 

Scotland. 

The overall aim of the SQA is to manage the 

qualifications system below degree level to allow 

students to fulfill their potential to participate in the 

economy, society and communities of Scotland. 

SQA employs approximately 562 staff located at sites 

in Scotland and China. There are approximately 

1,470 centres approved to offer SQA’s wide range 

of qualifications. 

Education and training are becoming more global. With 

increasing mobility of labour, demand is growing for 

education and qualifications that cross national borders. 

New developments in online learning and assessment 

mean that there are new opportunities as well as 

challenges for SQA and similar organisations. 

SQA International consultancy and SQA International 

Awarding are two business areas within SQA that works 

to support and develop education and training 

internationally. SQA is a leader in identifying and 

addressing the challenges presented by the increasing 

globalisation of education and training. We are 

committed to playing our part in contributing to the 

development of learning, training and assessment across 

the world. 

A growing number of overseas organisations now offer 

SQA qualifications. Other countries use its standards as a 

benchmark for developing their own systems and 

qualifications. SQA’s systems have become development 

models in Europe, Australasia, sub-Saharan Africa, and 

the Middle East. SQA has a strong track record of sharing 

its expertise with governments, donor agencies and 

partners to support the development of education and 

training internationally. 

SQA has an extensive track record for its international 

work. Current activities include: 

• Qualification benchmarking activity – South Africa 

• Revision of TVET qualification framework and 

structure – Mozambique 

• Development of vocational qualifications – Botswana 

• Development of a vocational college – Botswana 

• Development of Competence based qualifications – 

Antigua and Barbuda 

• Development of learning materials – Ghana 

For more information on SQA visit our website at www.sqa.org.uk

Supporting the work of the RCS 

The RCS’s wide range of charitable outreach work involves every Commonwealth country 

and is available to all Commonwealth citizens. 

These activities celebrate the diversity 

of the Commonwealth. They: 

• bring children and young people into 

contact with the modern 

Commonwealth, and give them a real 

understanding of its aims and values; 

• give a voice to young people in the 

Commonwealth and the confidence to 

use that voice; 

• inspire and facilitate an ever-widening 

web of links between people and 

organisations in the 53 

Commonwealth countries; 

• encourage and recognise the creativity 

and professionalism of aspiring 

Commonwealth artists, designers and 

film-makers; 

• help to develop strong functioning civil 

societies, particularly in areas of conflict. 

The RCS seeks to develop long-term 

partnerships with sponsors and donors 

who have a mutual interest in achieving 

these goals. 


• Wexas Travel Management 

• This Way Up Design 

• Champagne Beaumet 

• Club Quarters 

• Gordon’s Audiovisual 

• Hayward Bros 

• William Clarke Flowers 

• Silverjet 

Art at the RCS 

• Seychelles Tourist Board 

• Air Seychelles 

• Anita Klein 

• The Mall Galleries 

The Commonwealth Club building in Northumberland Avenue 


• Commonwealth Secretariat 

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office 

• British Council 

• Commonwealth Foundation 

• BBC World Service 

• British Board of Film Classification 

Commonwealth Day 

• Member organisations of the Council 

of Commonwealth Societies 

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office 

• Royal Horticultural Society 

• Commonwealth High Commissions 

• BP 

• Mackwoods Ltd 

• Nexus Strategic Partnerships Ltd 


• Barclays Bank (Mauritius) 

• Charlton Athletic Community Trust 

• Allan and Nesta Charitable Trust 


37

People on the move: 

more different, more unequal? 

A keynote address by Trevor Phillips OBE 

N o matter how hard, integration should be a sine qua non for a modern society. At the 

heart of that integration there must be a mutual tolerance that transcends racial and 

ethnic difference. In my experience – and I have worked in and reported from over 30 different 

countries around the world – although this desire for a blend of shared values and mutual 

tolerance may be found in many places, nowhere is it more deeply embedded than in those 

which share the historical inheritance defined today by the Commonwealth. 

Without wanting to bang the drum for 

some sort of Imperial ‘exceptionalism’, I 

believe that those values were inherited 

from the specific history we share – a 

history which includes the startling 

Elizabethan doctrine of toleration, the 

abolition of the slave trade and the 

defining mid-twentieth century fight 

against fascism. And those values have 

been communicated and sustained 

through our common language, English. 

So I base my remarks tonight on an 

empirical finding, or you might call it an 

ingrained prejudice. The 1.7 billion 

people who are tied together by the 

history of the Empire and Commonwealth 

still have a real, visceral link that it will 

take many generations to sever, 

irrespective of political and religious 

differences. Our planet has never been 

more in need of that shared set of values 

and that common sentiment of toleration 

than it is today. 

Looking across Britain, we can 

immediately see an increasingly diverse 

nation. But, we need also to look beyond 

our coastlines to a world with fewer 

boundaries: a world in which the 

economic and social maps are being rewritten 

daily as businesses; people and 

skills move not just to the next town or 

‘down the valley’, but across the globe. 

This is the reality of globalisation and the 

most significant truth of modern times. 

We cannot under-estimate the size or 

complexity of the global challenge, or 

predict its next turn, but we do know that 

we can no longer corral populations 

behind man-made national borders. 

Indeed, migration must surely be the 

most unsettling aspect of today's political 

landscape, though paradoxically the one 

that offers the greatest opportunity to 


hundreds of millions of people for 

increased prosperity and redistribution of 

wealth. We know that there is more 

migration across the globe than ever 

before thanks to the jet plane, easier 

communications and more open borders. 

The UN tells us that 200 million people or 

thereabouts live and work outside the 

country of their birth. This country alone 

sees 30 million visitors, students and 

workers each year. 

We also know that this migration 

brings us prosperity, adding to our GDP 

each year by estimates which vary, but, 

generally, are thought to be in the billion 

or two range. It also adds to growth and 

prevents growth being stifled by lack of 

skills. A recent report by the independent 

Ernst and Young ITEM club, which 

uniquely uses the Treasury's own 

economic model, tells us that without 

migration, growth in the UK would fall 

from a healthy 3 per cent per annum to a 

far less robust 2.2 per cent, with all that 

would follow for reductions in public 

service provision, rising affluence and 

employment levels. Migration is 

increasingly being built into the fabric of 

international economic relations. 

Attempts to suggest that governments 

can somehow turn the tap on and off at 

will are, to use the vogue word, 

delusional. 

At the same time people like myself, 

who deeply believe that modern 

migration is an inevitable consequence of 

technological discovery, economic 

progress and political freedom, cannot 

and must not run away from the social 

challenges that it presents. This is not just 

an issue of getting used to new cultures 

and races. Twenty-first century migration 

has become today's litmus test political 

issue, because it is the single clearest 

everyday manifestation of change in our 

world. It is why it remains at the top of 

every survey of public opinion as the most 

salient issue to voters. 

The often less than edifying debate we 

have in Western countries about 

migration has simply missed the point of 

what is happening. The nature of 

migration has changed radically over the 

past fifteen years, and the flows we 

confront today, both immigration and 

emigration are, at one and the same time, 

vastly more significant and massively less 

menacing than is widely supposed. 

Whether it becomes a benefit or a 

burden is down to how we handle it. In a 

sense we can paraphrase Bill Clinton's 

words about globalisation: migration isn't 

a policy, it is a fact; the only thing that 

matters is how we respond to it. 

It is becoming clear that the people 

who suffer the most from the pressures of 

population growth on our infrastructure 

are the poorest people, typically the lastbut-one 

wave of migrants, living in the 

most deprived areas. We can see this 

clearly in differential child poverty rates, 

employment participation, health 

statistics and worst of all, for people 

looking for a better future, shockingly 

poor levels of educational achievement 

for some migrant and some ethnic 

groups, including some whites. 

The point I am making here is that we 

do need migration, but that unless we are 

careful, whilst we contribute, rightly, to 

the building of opportunities abroad, we 

could be creating a well of left-behinds 

here at home. That is unfair and the 

reason why many ethnic minority and 

poor white Britons, are concerned about 

the consequences of modern migration.

It is not only the volume, but also the 

diversity of migration that is significant. 

We have more different kinds of people 

rubbing shoulders than ever before. We 

know from our experience in the 

Commonwealth that you can't simply 

pretend that the world is divided into 

crude categories devised by the 

eighteenth century taxonomist Carl 

Linnaeus: black, white, red, brown and 

yellow. Even the 17 ethnic categories 

used in the 2001 Census now look pretty 

crude, when we consider that a single 

category – African – covers Birminghamborn 

sons of Somali herdsmen and 

Ghanaian barristers; another, Polish 

electricians and South African doctors. 

That means that our historic policy of 

simply leaving well alone and hoping that 

people will somehow muddle their way to 

an integrated society won't do any more. 

It was never going to happen by accident 

anyway; but this new, modern kind of 

migration demands more proactive 

measures than we've ever used before. 

The laissez-faire multiculturalism of the 

past simply will not serve in this new era. 

Let me emphasize that I am not lining 

up with those who say that we cannot 

cope with this new migration; quite the 

opposite. Groups like Migration Watch 

offer bad arithmetic and a counsel of 

despair. I believe that our historical 

inheritance as part of the Commonwealth 

equips us better than any other group of 

people anywhere in the world to manage 

the inevitable pressures of the new, 

hyper-diverse world. But we won't do it 

unless we are active on exploiting the 

lessons of that heritage, including the 

lessons of what we failed to do. 

First, we can recognise that a diverse 

society is an inescapable consequence of 

Trevor Phillips, OBE 

delivering a keynote 

address, ‘People on the 

move: more different, 

more unequal?’ as part of 

the RCS series on 

Migration 

human freedom, but such a society will 

never be at peace with itself if difference 

becomes an explanation for inequality. 

Inequality traps us into a box marked 

black or white, woman or man, disabled 

or able-bodied and consigns us to live 

out the destiny that the box contains. But, 

in this age of difference, one of the 

principal aims of a progressive society 

must surely be to liberate each and every 

one of us from that box, both in others' 

eyes and in reality. 

Let me emphasise that this does not 

mean that our identities aren't important 

to us. But, just as we don't want to force 

ourselves to be the same, so we do not 

want our destiny to be defined by those 

bits of our identity that other people 

decide are important. Yet, as the myriad 

versions of humanity become more 

manifest, the difficulties of dealing with 

our differences become more pressing. 

One part of our mission at the EHRC is 

to ensure that no-one is left behind. But 

we want to be about more than 

straightforward anti-discrimination policy, 

as important as that is. We need, for 

example, to ensure that, not only are 

people not shut out of jobs by bigotry, 

but that they can compete for the jobs 

that are available. That is why we take an 

intense interest in the skills agenda. 

In this world of rapid change we have 

to ensure that people are equipped with 

the human capital which can give them an 

equitable stake in the global market 

place. Domestically, that cannot mean 

shutting out skilled migrants; it means 

making them unnecessary by ensuring 

that all young people have the capacity 

to compete. 

The Prime Minister has been much 

criticised for using the phrase "British jobs 

for British workers" because the phrase 

was once used by the more thuggish end 

of the far right. I think that this is both 

unfair and unfortunate. I think I know 

enough about Gordon Brown to be sure 

that he would be horrified to think that his 

words are being taken to imply some kind 

of racial exclusivity. In fact, I would say his 

concern has been above all for those 

ethnic minority young people currently 

shut out of the jobs market. In all his uses 

of the phrase it was clear that what he has 

been trying to raise is exactly the same 

point I am raising here - that to compete 

in the modern world, all our young people 

need to have the skills to compete. If we 

try to shut out foreigners without 

providing the skills amongst British 

workers, all that will happen is that the 

jobs will go elsewhere. In a sense, what we 

really want to make sure we have are 

British workers for British jobs. 

Second, we can recognise the 

importance of our common heritage. The 

way we talk to each other in a diverse 

society is of the utmost importance. 

English is the single most important 

language in the world, partly driven by 

the commercial imperatives which our 

American cousins are so good at, but in 

reality made powerful by our British 

cultural heritage. That is why I welcome 

the strong support to English learning 

that the government is now providing, 

and in particular the government's 

proposal for free classes for those who 

want to make this country their new 

home. 

And in the so-called war against terror, 

the Prime Minister must surely be right 

when he says that our ultimate weapon is 

not security or military action. It lies in the 

attractiveness of our culture, our ideas 

and our way of life, expressed through 

our creative output, both refined and 

popular. In this, I believe there is a role for 

the Commonwealth to play: to inspire 

people to be the best, most humane and 

most moral that they can be. 

If our Commonwealth is to have 

meaning in the twenty-first century surely 

it has to be by taking the lead on issues 

of this kind. 

This is an edited version of a speech by 

Trevor Phillips OBE to the Royal 

Commonwealth Society on 15 January 

2008. 

Trevor Phillips OBE is the Chair of the 

Equality and Human Rights Commission, 

an organisation promoting equality issues 

across ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, 

disability and other minority interests. 


39

Women matter: Improving gender 

rights through girls’ education 

A presentation by Ladi Dariya 

T he 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights expresses the credo that all 

human beings are created free and equal. But not until 1995 did the United Nations 

declare women's rights to be human rights. 

The pursuit of equal rights, justice and 

freedom for and by women across the 

globe has been carried out through an 

alliance of governments, NGOs and even 

grassroots movements. In this century, as 

we stand in possession of accelerated 

information and communication and have 

become world citizens, it is sad that 

nationalistic identities persist and, along 

with nationalism, a view that does not 

embrace pluralism and a free and fair 

society. Most societies still cling to the 

belief that this new global society 

contradicts their system of beliefs. The 

concept of an inclusive and diverse world, 

of a more free and open society, presents 

challenges and in many cases, tensions. 

In most parts of Africa, girls and 

women are still being denied education, 

health and employment. For most of 

them, marriage is the only means of 

economic survival and social acceptance. 

It is however, very important in these 

times of competitive global economy that 

the girl child takes her rightful place in 

the society. Although efforts by some 

African governments for free primary 

education are laudable, the girl child 

needs much more than rudimentary 

education if she is to contribute 

meaningfully to the wider society. The 

primary school usually consists of people 

in one’s local home area, who have the 

same values and expectations. The result 

is that one is hardly ever challenged; nor 

does one meet new ideals that challenge 

the status quo. In my village for instance, I 

was taught English in my native dialect – 

nothing made sense! 

The secondary school, being more 

diverse, is the place where new awareness 

is achieved. It is no coincidence that this 

corresponds with adolescence, a period 

when people are more likely to question 

traditional values and to challenge 

accepted norms; where lasting character 

traits are formed and ambitions start to 


materialise. Being the formative years of 

adulthood, this is the time when 

education starts to matter and becomes 

valuable to the receiver. 

I could talk all night about the value of 

a secondary education and the fact that 

not everyone can afford it. I could also 

point to the fact that when it comes to 

choosing, the male child is given 

preference. For many African women, a 

secondary education represents an end 

not a beginning, breeding 

discontentment instead of satisfaction. 

They are suddenly more aware of 

themselves and what they could be, if 

only they were given the opportunity; not 

being able to go for further education 

most often ends in frustration. 

When I was in secondary school, girls 

were expected to take Home Economics 

while Agricultural Science and other 

sciences were the reserve of the 

boys…you were somehow orchestrated 

towards marriage, but other subjects 

made you yearn for better things; gave 

you a desire to have it all. After my 

secondary school, I thought that was it for 

me: I had no hope for any further 

education – there was no way my mother 

could afford it. My peers thought I ought 

to count my blessings at being sponsored 

through secondary school by the CCL 

Education Fund. They thought I should 

get married, since most of them were 

without any education and mothers 

already. 

My regular communication with the 

late Dymphna Porter of the CCL however, 

showed me the world in a different light. 

Not only did she write regularly to me, 

but she also encouraged her daughters to 

do the same. In those trying times, when I 

was thrown between pursuing my dreams 

and packing it all in by getting married to 

a young man I knew barely anything 

about, Dymphna Porter wrote me a letter 

that turned my life around. I will read the 

last paragraph of the letter… 

“Do not think of yourself as a ‘ghetto 

child’. You are an able and intelligent 

young woman, who has a lot to give to 

her country. Go on trying to find the best 

way to do this. There must be a way.” 

Sadly, this was the last mail I received 

from her as we lost touch for 14 years, 

when the Porters moved to a new home. 

She had persuaded the trustees of the 

CCL Education Fund to make a further 

year’s grant of £200 to enable me to take 

exams for further studies. I was 

overwhelmed by her belief in me and I 

knew I had to find a way. I took the exams 

and saved the part of the grant meant for 

my textbooks by photocopying those of 

my classmates. I saved on transport by 

walking and started a small business of 

buying and selling clothes to my more 

privileged classmates. That way I was able 

to save money to pay for my first year and 

I continued buying and selling throughout 

all my years at the University. I was still 

able to take care of my younger siblings 

and to supplement my mother’s income. 

Until very recently, I was the first and only 

graduate in my entire village. My two 

younger sisters whom I sponsored have 

since joined me. 

At the University, I was able to come to 

a deeper understanding of the gender 

issues in my part of the world. I took a lot 

of Political Science courses. I was not 

grooming myself for politics, but I needed 

an avenue to vent my pent-up feelings 

about the dual standards administered to 

males and females. I knew my views 

would not go beyond term papers and 

examinations, but these were avenues 

and I needed them. I could talk freely in 

class about genital mutilation, forced 

marriages and marriage of girls barely in 

puberty and about the girl child 

disallowed inheritance because of some 

custom or other. These were issues others 

in class knew and could identify with, but,

like me, they were helpless. It never 

occurred to me that I would ever address 

such a dignified assembly about how 

deep-rooted gender issues are in my 

country, or how much good the gift of 

education can do. 

I did finally get married for all the right 

reasons, five years ago. But when I got 

married, I hoped and prayed fervently like 

my mother before me and countless 

other African women that I would not 

have a daughter. I know that the girl child 

is capable of achieving the same or more 

than her male counterpart. Yet when I 

looked around me, it broke my heart to 

think I might have a daughter who would 

go through the same struggles and face 

the same difficulties that I had. I thought 

wishing not to have a female child would 

nip everything at the bud. Two daughters 

later, I realised we couldn’t wish the girl 

child away! This struggle is not about me 

at all; it is much bigger than me. Nature 

operates in a continuum; the girl child is 

needed for the cycle of life to continue. 

We all have unique roles to play in 

enabling her to take her rightful place, 

just as nature intended. 

Dymphna’s letters and dreams for me 

made me push for further education; they 

have also instilled in me the desire to see 

how far I can follow my heart. Even 

though I had lost touch with her and the 

CCL, I never forgot her confidence in me. 

By sheer determination, I forged a career 

in banking; a terrain that, in my country, is 

very male dominated. I wanted a job that 

would pay enough to allow me to save 

money to set up an NGO (‘Teenmums’) 

that would address the plight of women 

forced into early marriages and 

motherhood without any education or 

skills. 

Coming to the UK for postgraduate 

studies has been a lifelong dream 

sparked by my gratitude to the CCL and 

the girls at Burntwood School where 

Dymphna was a governor. Jenny Groves, 

James Porter and Beatrice Kolade who I 

consider partners in the struggle for a 

better Africa for women, helped in no 

small measure. 

I want everyone here to know that 

there is no limit to what the African 

woman can achieve if given the right 

encouragement. There is absolutely 

nothing special about me; my story could 

be the story of any other African woman 

who is given the same opportunity. I do 

not believe women in Africa want to be 

treated or viewed as being superior to 

men. Women do not want a different law 

to apply to them; they want to be 

recognised as partners in every struggle, 

as the equals they truly are. If legislation 

is made and enforced for free secondary 

education, worthy organisations like the 

CCL, the RCS and other charities would 

be freed to get on with the business of 

providing women with further education 

which would better equip them for nation 

building. 

I read a story once about an English 

missionary who went to Africa. The 

Ladi Dariya, a former recipient 

of the Commonwealth 

Countries League scholarship, 

addresses the RCS on how 

women’s rights might be 

improved through gender 

education in October 2007 

missionary told the story of heading to a 

neighbouring village from the one where 

the church was stationed. There was a 

stream to be crossed between these two 

villages. He said he saw an African 

gentleman and his wife coming from the 

farm. The wife had on her head the farm 

produce they had harvested in a basket. 

On top of that was her husband’s hoe as 

well as hers. This woman was also heavily 

pregnant and had a toddler in a sling at 

her side. Her husband was walking in 

front with manly strides carrying nothing 

while she struggled under these heavy 

burdens, trying to keep up. When they 

got to the stream, the husband stopped 

to wait for her. The missionary thought to 

himself “surely he will have to carry some 

of these burdens now”. But to his utter 

horror, the man climbed his wife’s back, 

making sure his feet did not get wet, 

while she walked uncertainly across the 

stream. Now, whether this actually 

happened or is a fable is not the issue. 

This story epitomises the strength of the 

African woman. Education can only make 

her stronger and the continent will be the 

better for it. 

This is an edited version of a speech by 

Ladi Dariya to the Royal Commonwealth 

Society, on 10 October 2007. 

Ladi Dariya is an MA candidate in 

Management at Robert Gordon 

University, and a former Commonwealth 

Countries League Education Fund scholar. 


41

The challenge of the twenty-first 

century: setting the real bottom line 

A keynote address by Dr David Suzuki 

E conomics and ecology are words built on the same root – ‘eco’ – from the Greek word 

‘oikos’ meaning home. Ecology is the study of home. Economics is the management of 

home. What ecologists try to do is to determine the conditions and principles that govern life’s 

ability to flourish and survive. Now I would have thought any other group in society would want 

the ecologists to hurry up and find out exactly what those conditions and principles are, so that 

we can design our systems to live within them. But not economists. 

We have elevated the economy above 

everything else and this, I think, is the 

crisis we face. The economic system that 

has been foisted on people around the 

world is so fundamentally flawed that it is 

inevitably destructive. We must put the 

‘eco’ back into economics and realise 

what the conditions and principles are for 

true sustainable living. Let me just take a 

minute to give you the reasons why 

economics is out of sync. 

First of all, nature performs all kinds of 

services. Nature pollinates all of the 

flowering plants, it is nature that decays 

material, returns it to the earth. It creates 

soil, participates in the nitrogen cycle, the 

carbon cycle, and the water cycle. All of 

these are economically valuable services 

performed by nature but economists call 

them ‘externalities’, by which they mean 

that they are not in the economic 

equation. Economists externalise the real 

world that keeps us alive. I confronted 

this when we were fighting to prevent 

logging in a valley where my government 

had granted permission to a forest 

company. The native community said they 

did not want the trees cut, so I went to 

help them fight for their forest and I 

encountered an executive of the forest 

company. He asked me whether ‘tree 

huggers’ like me would be willing to pay 

for the trees in the valley, because if we 

were not, those trees would not have any 

value until someone cut them down. Of 

course, he was absolutely right! 

You see, as long as those trees are 

alive, they are taking carbon dioxide out 

of the air and putting oxygen back. Not a 

bad service for an animal like us who 

depend on it, you might think. But to an 

economist that is an externality. Those 

trees are clinging to the soil so when it 


rains the soil does not erode into and 

destroy the salmon spawning beds. That 

is an externality. Those trees pump 

hundreds of gallons of water out of the 

soil and transpire it into the air to affect 

weather and climate. That is an 

externality. That tree provides habitat to 

countless bacteria, fungi, insects, 

mammals and birds. That is an externality. 

So in our crazy system, that forest, as long 

as it is standing, performing all of those 

functions, has no economic value. 

Economists believe the economy can 

grow forever. Not only do they believe it 

can grow forever, which it cannot, they 

believe it must grow forever. Since World 

War II they have equated economic 

growth with progress. Nobody wants to 

stop progress, but if economic growth is 

what we define as progress, who is ever 

going to ask what an economy is for? 

With all this growth are we happier? How 

much is enough? We do not ask those 

questions. We have fallen into the trap of 

believing that economic growth forever is 

possible and necessary. 

I am going to show you why this is 

absolutely suicidal. Anything growing 

steadily over time is called exponential 

growth and whatever is growing 

exponentially has a predictable doubling 

time, whether it is the amount of garbage 

you make, the number of taxis on the 

road, the amount of water you use, or the 

human population. So, if the population is 

growing at 1 per cent a year it will double 

in 70 years; 2 per cent a year it will double 

in 35 years; 3 per cent – 23 years; 4 per 

cent – 17.5 years. Anything growing 

exponentially will double predictably. 

I am going to show you why it is 

suicidal to think we can keep growing 

forever. Let me give you a test tube full of 

food for bacteria that represents our 

world. I am going to put one bacterial cell 

into that test tube (representing us), and 

it is going to divide every minute; that is 

exponential growth. So at time zero you 

have one cell; one minute you have two; 

two minutes you have four; three minutes 

you have eight; four minutes you have 16. 

That is exponential growth and at 60 

minutes the test tube is completely full of 

bacteria and there is no food left, a 60minute 

cycle. 

When is the test tube only half full? 

Well the answer of course is at 59 

minutes; but a minute later it is filled. So 

at 58 minutes it is 25 per cent full; 57 

minutes 12.5 per cent full. At 55 minutes 

of the 60-minute cycle it is only 3 per cent 

full. So, if at 55 minutes one of the 

bacteria said to its companions that they 

had a population problem, the other 

bacteria would be incredulous because 97 

per cent of the test tube would be empty 

and they had been around for 55 minutes. 

Yet they would have only 5 minutes left. 

So bacteria are no smarter than humans 

and at 59 minutes they realise they only 

have a minute left. So they give massive 

amounts of money to scientists, and in 

less than a minute those bacterial 

scientists invent three test tubes full of 

food. That would be like adding three 

more planets for our use. So it would 

seem that they (and we) would be saved. 

What actually happens is this – at 60 

minutes the first tube is full; at 61 minutes 

the second is full; and at 62 minutes all 

four are full. By quadrupling the amount 

of food and space, you buy two extra 

minutes! How do we add even a fraction 

of 1 per cent more of air, water, soil or 

biodiversity? We cannot. The biosphere is 

fixed and finite and every biologist I have

Dr David Suzuki, Co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, who participated in 

a Roundtable discussion with 12 young delegates at the RCS on March 12 2008 

talked to agrees with me: we are past the 

59th minute. So all those leaders saying 

that we have to keep the economy 

growing are saying we have to accelerate 

down what is a suicidal path. 

Now when I say this to politicians and 

business people they get very angry with 

me. They remonstrate that our stores are 

filled, cities are growing and booming 

and we’re living longer and healthier 

lives. How can we be past the 59th 

minute? I say it without apology. We are 

promulgating an illusion that everything is 

all right by using up the rightful legacy of 

our children and grandchildren. That is 

not sustainable, it is suicidal. I believe that 

is the challenge for our time. We have 

created a system that is completely out of 

balance with the real world that keeps us 

alive, and climate change is a part of the 

problem that we have created with this 

kind of economic system. 

We have to set a new bottom line, a 

bottom line dictated by the reality that we 

are biological creatures, completely 

dependent for our survival and well being 

on clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean 

energy and biodiversity. We are social 

animals who need strong families and 

supportive communities, full employment, 

justice, equity and security and freedom 

from racism, terror, war and genocide. 

And we remain spiritual beings who need 

sacred places in the natural world that 

gave us birth. 

Are there alternatives to the way we 

are living that allow us to live rich full lives 

without undermining the very life support 

systems of the planet? There are plenty of 

answers and different paths to follow as 

shown by individuals, organisations, 

corporations and governments in 

different parts of the world. I document 

some of them in Good News for a 

Change: Hope for a Troubled Planet. 1 

To the many individuals who ask me 

whether there are effective things they 

can do to reduce their personal 

ecological footprint, the David Suzuki 

Foundation, working with the Union of 

Concerned Scientists, came up with a list 

of ten effective actions that we call the 

Nature Challenge. 2 We are challenging 

individuals to commit to doing at least 

three of the suggested steps in the 

coming year and to date have more than 

365,000 Canadians signed on. 

Finally, it is clear that political and 

corporate priorities are focussed on too 

short a timescale, the political agenda 

being determined by coming elections 

while the corporate priorities are dictated 

by the quarterly reports. So we suggested 

looking ahead a generation and deciding 

the kind of future we would like: a 

Canada where the air is clean and 15 per 

cent of children no longer come down 

with asthma; a country covered in forests 

that can be logged forever because it is 

being done properly; a nation where we 

can drink water from any river and lake as 

I did as a child; a place where we can 

catch and eat a fish without worrying 

about what contaminants are in it. 

I have taken this vision of what we 

would like to business people, municipal 

politicians and multi-faith communities 

and all have enthusiastically agreed with 

it. So by looking ahead and projecting a 

future we wish for, we can agree on a 

shared vision. Can it be achieved? We set 

concrete targets and deadlines to achieve 

what we call ‘Sustainability within a 

Generation’, 3 and it has received wide 

interest and support. In the nine 

categories of action, achieving genuine 

wealth, efficiency, clean energy, waste and 

pollution, water, healthy food, conserving 

nature, sustainable cities and promoting 

global sustainability, we believe we can 

achieve the desired goal in each. Indeed, 

John Godfrey, a Liberal Member of 

Parliament, has introduced a Private 

Member’s Bill calling for ‘Sustainability 

within a Generation’ as a formal goal of 

the Canadian government. All we need is 

the recognition that it is absolutely urgent 

that we begin to make change and the 

will to work towards the goal. 

This is an extract from the 11th 

Commonwealth Lecture delivered by Dr 

David Suzuki on 12 March 2008. The 

Commonwealth Lecture is delivered 

annually and is sponsored by the 

Commonwealth Foundation in 

collaboration with the Commonwealth 

Secretariat, the Royal Commonwealth 

Society, the Royal Overseas League, the 

Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and the 

Commonwealth Parliamentary 

Association. 

David Suzuki is Emeritus Professor of the 

Sustainable Development Research 

Institute, University of British Columbia, 

co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation 

and an award-winning scientist, 

environmentalist and broadcaster. 

1 Suzuki, D.T. and Dressel, H. (2002). ‘Good news for a change: hope for a troubled planet’. Niagara Falls, New York, USA, Stoddart Pub. 398pp. 

2 www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge 

3 Boyd, D.R. (2004) ‘Sustainability within a Generation: A New Vision for Canada’. The David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver, Canada. 52 pp. 


43

Consolidated statement 

of financial activities 

(incorporating an income and expenditure account) 

For the year ended 31 December 2007 2007 2006 

Restricted Unrestricted Total Total 

£ £ £ £ 

Incoming resources 

Incoming resources from generated funds 

Donations – 78,835 78,835 256,725 

Legacies – 1,218 1,218 7,729 

Investment income – 38,722 38,722 36,288 

Incoming resources from charitable activities 

Member services – 400,286 400,286 365,780 

Public Affairs Programme – 22,456 22,456 26,190 

Cultural events – 6,365 6,365 2,472 

Educational Programmes 63,002 1,743 64,745 144,939 

Activities for generating funds 

Commonwealth Club Ltd – 2,671,598 2,671,598 2,245,911 

Social activities – 7,946 7,946 11,959 

Total incoming resources 63,002 3,229,169 3,292,171 3,097,993 

Resources expended 

Costs of generating funds: 

Costs of generating voluntary income – 109,324 109,324 124,639 

Charitable activities 

Member services – 336,669 336,669 337,594 

Public Affairs Programme – 413,545 413,545 412,361 

Cultural events – 106,599 106,599 103,152 

Educational Programmes 82,916 272,865 355,781 308,234 

Cost of activities for generating funds 

Commonwealth Club Ltd – 2,153,925 2,153,925 1,957,573 

Social activities – 64,464 64,464 66,746 

Governance costs – 83,036 83,036 97,518 

Total resources expended 82,916 3,540,427 3,623,343 3,407,817 

Net (outgoing) resources before transfers (19,914) (311,258) (331,172) (309,824) 

Gross transfers between funds (67,415) 67,415 – – 

Net (expenditure) for the year (87,329) (243,843) (331,172) (309,824) 

(Losses)/Gains on investments – (9,701) (9,701) 57,476 

Net movement in funds (87,329) (253,544) (340,873) (252,348) 

Fund balances brought forward on 1 January 2007 178,423 3,482,032 3,660,455 3,912,803 

Total funds carried forward 91,094 3,228,488 3,319,582 3,660,455 

44 Annual Review 2007/08

Consolidated balance sheet 

As at 31 December 2007 

Fixed assets 

Current assets 

2007 2007 2006 2006 

£ £ £ £ 

Tangible assets 5,772,184 5,626,924 

Investments 1,068,213 1,078,012 

6,840,397 6,704,936 

Stock 20,264 17,529 

Debtors 600,675 513,767 

Cash at bank and in hand 90,908 41,384 

711,847 572,680 

Creditors amounts falling due within one year (1,218,007) (1,104,390) 

Net current assets (liabilities) (506,160) (531,710) 

Total assets less current liabilities 6,334,237 6,173,226 

Creditors amounts falling due after one year (3,014,655) (2,512,771) 

Total net assets 3,319,582 3,660,455 

Funds 

Restricted funds 91,094 178,423 

Unrestricted funds 3,228,488 3,482,032 

Statement from the Trustees Auditors’ Report on summarised accounts 

These summarised accounts are extracted 

from the full unqualified audited group 

accounts approved by the Trustees on 

18th March 2008 and subsequently 

submitted to the Charity Commission. 

They may not contain sufficient 

information to allow a full understanding 

of the financial affairs of the charity. For 

further information, the full accounts, the 

auditors’ report on those accounts and 

the Trustees’ Annual Report should be 

consulted; copies of these can be 

obtained from the Director of Finance, 

The Royal Commonwealth Society, 

25 Northumberland Avenue, London, 

WC2N 5AP. 

Signed on behalf of the trustees 

Baroness Prashar 

Chairman 

18th March 2008 

Auditors’ Statement to the Trustees of 


We have examined the summarised 

financial statements set out on pages 

44 and 45. 

Respective responsibilities of Trustees 

and auditors 

You are responsible as Trustees for the 

preparation of the summarised financial 

statements. We have agreed to report to 

you our opinion on the summarised 

statements’ consistency with the full 

financial statements, on which we 

reported to you on 20 March 2008. 

3,319,582 3,660,455 

Basis of opinion 

We have carried out the procedures we 

consider necessary to ascertain whether 

the summarised financial statements are 

consistent with the full financial 

statements from which they have been 

prepared. 

Opinion 

In our opinion the summarised financial 

statements are consistent with the full 

financial statements for the year ended 

31 December 2008. 

H.W. Fisher & Company 

Registered Auditors 

18th March 2008 


45

A World Organisation 

RCS HEADQUARTERS 

Director-General: Mr Stuart Mole, 

OBE, the Royal Commonwealth 

Society, 

25 Northumberland Avenue, 

London WC2N 5AP 

Tel: 0207 930-6733 

Fax: 0207 930-9705 

Email: info@rcsint.org 

Web: www.rcsint.org 

AUSTRALIA 

Canberra (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society of the 

Australian Capital Territory Inc.) 

President: Mr Hugh Craft, The Theo 

Notaras Multicultural Centre, 2nd 

Floor, North Building, 180 London 

Circuit, Canberra City, Ausatralia 

Tel: 02 6281 6967 

Email: dolos@grapevine.com.au 

Secretary: Mr Richard Hickman, 

address as above 

Tel: 02 6286 2121 

Email: hickman2@bigpond.net.au 

Treasurer/Membership: Mr Kevin 

Squair, address as above 

Tel: 02 6254 1650 (home) 

Email: kevinsquair@optusnet.com.au 

New South Wales (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, New South 

Wales Branch) 

President: Mr Frank Gartrell, 31 Pitt 

Street, Richmond, New South Wales 

2753 Australia 

Tel: 02 4578 0672 

Fax: 02 9477 2153 

Email: vl_clrk@yahoo.com.au 

Web: www.rcs-nsw.com.au 

Northern Tasmania (Launceston) 

(The Royal Commonwealth Society, 

Northern Tasmania Branch Inc.) 

President: Dr Donald Wall, PO Box 

213, Launceston, Tasmania 7250 

Secretary: Miss Betty Bissett, PO 

Box 213, Launceston, Tasmania 7250 

Australia 

Tel/Fax: 03 6344 4034 

Email: bbissett@bigpond.net.au 

Northern Territory (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society Inc. 

Northern Territory Branch) 

President: Mr John Worrell, PO Box 

43229, Casuarina, Northern Territory 


Tel: 08 8927 4549 or 08 8981 8584 

Email: dphdcd@bigpond.net.au 

Queensland (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society of 

Queensland Inc.) 

President: Mr Gordon Wilson, Harris 

Terrace, 46 George Street, Brisbane, 

Queensland 4000 Australia 

Tel: 07 3221 7459 

Fax: 07 3221 7423 

Email: rcsqinc@bigpond.net.au 

South Australia (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, South 


Australia Branch Inc) 

President: Mr Ken J Pannell 

Tel: 08 8397 1234 

Hon Sec: Mrs Julie Gameau, PO Box 

7013, Hutt Street, Adelaide, South 

Australia 5000 Australia 

Tel: 08 8397 9547 

Southern Tasmania (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Southern 

Tasmania Branch) 

President: Mr Marcus Laycock, 

Nunamia, RA444 Nubeena Road, 

Koonya, Tasmania 7187 Australia 

Tel: 03 6250 3589 

Mobile: 0418 170 653 

Email: marcuslaycock@bigpond.com 

Hon. Sec: Mrs Sandra Astley Bogg, 

PO Box 1008, Rosny Park, Tasmania, 


Tel: 03 6245 9181 

Email: pab@netspace.net.au 

Victoria (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Victoria Branch) 

Hon Sec: Mr John Colston, ‘The 

Gables’, 15 Finch Street, East 

Malvern, Melbourne, Victoria 3145 

Australia 

Tel: 03 9571 5688 

Email: rcsvic@bigpond.net.au 

Western Australia (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Western 

Australia Branch Inc) 

President: Mrs Joan Tonkin MBE JP, 

Airforce Memorial Estate, Bull Creek 

Drive, Bull Creek, Perth, Western 

Australia 6149 

Tel/Fax: 08 9311 4451 

Email: RCS@raafawa.org.au 

BAHAMAS 

Hon. Rep. to be appointed 

BANGLADESH 

Commonwealth Society of 

Bangladesh 

Secretary-General: Ms Nasrine R 

Karim, House 2, Road 138, Gulshan 

– 1, Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh 

Tel: 2 8812050 

Fax: 2 8822275 

Mobile: 171152 3131 

Email: commonwsociety_bd@ 

yahoo.com 

Commonwealth Cultural Society of 

Bangladesh 

General Secretary: Mr Syed Shukur 

Ali, 106, Kazi Office Lane, Baro 

Moghbazar, Dhaka 1217 Bangladesh 

Tel: 2 9359994 or 2 9358398 

Fax: 2 9349871 

Mobile: 152 318806 

Email: commonwealthbd@ 

hotmail.com 

BARBADOS 


Barbados Branch 

Branch Chairperson: Mr Miles 

Weekes, Malibu, 39 Palm Springs, 

St Philip, Barbados 

Tel: 423 1060 (home) 230 2558 

(mobile) 

Email: milesweekes@yahoo.com 

All correspondence to: 

Hon Secretary: Mr Quincy Yarde, 

140, 6th Avenue, West Terrace 

Gardens, St James, Barbados 

Tel: 438 2367 (home) 820 8885 

(mobile) 

Email: rcs-barbados@caribsurf.com 

or qyarde@cariaccess.com 

BELIZE 

RCS Contact: Dame Minita Gordon, 

GCMG GCVO JP, PO Box 201, 

Belize City, Belize 

BERMUDA 

RCS Contact: Dr Emily Liddell, PO 

Box HM 12, Hamilton HMAX, 

Bermuda 

Tel: 292 2935 

Email: emilily@logic.bm 

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 

RCS Contact: Mr Tim Peck, PO Box 

132, Road Town, Tortola, British 

Virgin Islands 

Tel (home): 494 448 

Email: tpeck@obmi.com 

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 

The Commonwealth Society of 

Brunei Darussalam 

RCS Contact: Mr Razali Omarali, PO 

Box 196, Kuala Belait, KA 1189, 

Brunei Darussalam 

Tel: 337 2187 

Fax 337 2086 

Email: romarali@gmail.com 

CAMEROON 

The Royal Commonwealth Society 

of Cameroon 

National President: Mr Mandi 

Manga Obase, PO Box 189, Didi 

Cyber, Room 223, Western Province, 

Dschang, Manoua Division, 

Cameroon 

Tel: 7639090 

Fax: 3451393 

Email: cam_rcs@yahoo.com 

Yaounde University 

Commonwealth Society 

RCS Contact: Mr Kizitus Mpoche, 

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Arts, 

Letters and Social Sciences, 

University of Yaounde 1, PO Box 

755, Yaounde, Cameroon 

Tel: 75055353 

Email: kizitus@yahoo.com 

CANADA 


of Canada 

Web: www.rcscanada.org 

RCS Canada National 

Chairman: Mr Brian Marley-Clarke, 

307-265 Poulin Avenue, Ottawa, 

Ontario K2B 7Y8 Canada 

Tel: 613 721 8114 

Fax: 613 721 3997 

Email: bmarley@magma.ca 

Edmonton (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Edmonton 

Branch) 

President: Mr Colin W Reichle, 35 

Arlington Drive, St Albert, Alberta 

T8N 2Z1 Canada 

Tel: 460 9639(R), (780) 0249(B) 

Fax: 465 6801; 

Email: colin@apos.ab.ca 

Web: www.apos.ab.ca website of 

Atlanta Professional Outfitters 

Correspondence to: 12304, 118 

Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5L 5G8 

Canada 

Tel: 780 482 7865 

Fax:780 452 2835 (for the attention 

of Joe Zasada) 

Email: edmonton@rcs.ca 

Montreal (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Montreal) 

President: Ms Judith A Elson, Apt. 

1602 – 235 Sherbrooke St West, 

Montreal, Quebec H2X 1X8 Canada 

Tel: 514 281 6718 

Fax: 450 656 7621 

Email: jelson@rsb.qc.ca or 

judithann.elson@rsb.qc.ca 

New Brunswick (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, New 

Brunswick Branch) 

President: Prof Gary Davis, 28 Ash 

Glen Lane, Grand Bay-Westfield, 

New Brunswick E5K 1R1 Canada 

Tel/Fax: 506 738 8228 

Email: ashglen@rogers.com 

Newfoundland and Labrador (The 

Royal Commonwealth Society, 

Newfoundland and Labrador Branch) 

Chair: Mr Norman Macfie, 32 Ridge 

Road, St John’s, Newfoundland A1B 

2H5 Canada 

Tel: 709 753 6472; Fax: 709 738 5679 

Email: nmacfie@nl.rogers.com 

Nova Scotia (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Nova Scotia 

Branch) 

President: Dr Christopher Corkett, 

27 Wembley Place, Halifax, Nova 

Scotia B3S 1E6 Canada 

Tel: 902 445 3964 

Email: chriscorkett@eastlink.ca 

Ottawa (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Ottawa Branch) 

President: Mr Brian Marley-Clarke, 

307-265 Poulin Avenue, Ottawa, 

Ontario K2B 7Y8 Canada 

Tel: 613 721 8114 Fax: 613 721-3997 

Email: bmarley@magma.ca 

Correspondence to: PO Box 8023 

Stn T, Ottawa, Ontario Canada 

K1G 3H6 

Tel: 613 830 2698 (messages) 

Web: www.rcscanada.org/ottawa

Prince Edward Island (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Prince 

Edward Island Branch) 

President: Dr Kinsey Smith, PO Box 

2836, Charlottetown, Prince Edward 

Island, C1A 8C4 Canada 

Tel: 902 569 8882 (home) 902 963 

2850 (Cottage) 

Email: kinsey@eastlink.ca 

Regina (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society Regina Branch) 

Acting President: Mr Michael 

Jackson, 272 Leopold Crescent, 

Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 6N9 

Canada 

Tel: 306 757 1665 

Email: dmichaeljackson@sasktel.net 

Toronto (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Toronto Branch) 

Chairman: Mr Arthur Downes, PO 

Box 1037, 1930 Yonge Street, 

Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z4 Canada 

Tel: 416-410-0026 

Fax: 416-867-3079 

Email: info@rcstoronto.ca 

Web: www.rcstoronto.ca 

Immediate Past Chairman: Mr Peter 

K Large, 7 Orchard Green, Toronto, 

Ontario M4G 2Y2 Canada 

Tel: 416 4214344 (home) 416 867 

8669 (office) 

Fax: 416 867 3079 

Email: pklarge.law@bellnet.ca 

University of Prince Edward Island 

RCS Contact: Ms Sharon Ross, 45 

Maclauchlan Drive, Stratford, Prince 

Edward Island C1B 1M2, Canada 

Email: islandweb@isn.net or island 

web@eastlink.ca 

Vancouver (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Vancouver 

Branch) 

President: Mr Shawn M Wade, BA 

(Hons), LlLB, LLM, 411 Dunsmuir 

Street, Vancouver, British Columbia 

V6B 1X4 Canada 

Tel: 604 683 3201 

Fax: 604 681 3589 

Email: shawnmwade@hotmail.com 

Vancouver Island (Vancouver Island 

Branch of the Royal Commonwealth 

Society of Canada) 

President: Mrs Dagmar Haupthoff, 

25 Maquinna Street, Victoria, British 

Columbia V8S 2J3 Canada 

Tel: 250 598 2175 

Email: h87bud75@telus.net 

Winnipeg (Manitoba Branch of the 

Royal Commonwealth Society of 

Canada) 

President: Mr Murray Burt, Apt 1801, 

277 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg, 

Manitoba R3M 3V7 Canada 

Tel: 204 488 0167 

Email: burt@mts.net 

CAYMAN ISLANDS 

Hon. Rep: Mr Charles G Quin, QC, 

P.O. Box 1348, GT, Grand Cayman, 

Cayman Islands 

Tel: 949 1423 or 947 1529 

Fax: 949 4647 

Email: cgq@quinhampson.com.ky or 

cquin@ghlaw.ky 

CYPRUS AND GREECE 


of Cyprus and Greece 

Chairman/Secretary: Mr Kosmas 

Pentakalos, PO Box 114, Kapandriti, 

Attikis 19014, Greece 

Home address: 52 Katsibiri Street, 

Holargos, 15561, Athens, Greece 

Tel: 694 8089795 (Bus) 210-6517855 

(home), 694 6421287 (mobile) 

Email: pentakalosk@aia.gr 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Round Table of the 

Commonwealth Countries in the 

Dominican Republic 

RCS Contact: Mr Fernando 

Gonzalez, MBE, Calle Frank Felix 

Miranda 38, Ens Naco, Apartado 

Postal 718-2, Santo Domingo, 

Republica Dominicana 

Tel: 338 0808 (work), 3181 1413 

Fax: 334 6240 

Email: fgonzalez@cccdr.com or 

cwrd@correo.tricom.net 

Website: www.cccdr.com site of 

Convencio commercial del Caribe 

FIJI ISLANDS 


Fiji Branch 

President: Mr Malcolm G Brain MF 

JP, PO Box 3105, Lami, Fiji Islands 

Tel: 332 1842 

Fax: 332 2488 

Email: brainwave@connect.com.fj 

GHANA 


Ghana 

President/Chairperson: Mr 

Columbus Kwanchie Bruce, PO Box 

GP 18843, Accra, Ghana 

Tel: 21 257581 

Fax: 21 257582 

Email: ckbruce@technologist.com 

GIBRALTAR 


Gibraltar 

Chairman: Mrs Cecilia Baldachino, 

MBE, 5 Marina Views, Glacis Road 

Gibraltar 

Tel: 77530 

Email: nadine@hsproperty.com 

Secretary: Mr John Verrall, Verralls 

Barristers & Solicitors, 

PO Box 1450, Montagu Pavilion, 8- 

10 Queensway, Gibraltar 

Tel: 47252 

Fax: 72789 

Email:jverrall@verralls.gi 

GRENADA 

Hon Rep: Lt Cdr James O Robinson, 

CdipAF, MCIM, MNI, RN (Retd), PO 

Box 1180 Grande Anse, St Georges, 

Grenada 

GUERNSEY 


Guernsey Branch 

President: Brig (Retd) Barry J Cash, 

Victoria Cottage, Brock Road, St 

Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1RB UK 

Tel/Fax: 01481 727072 

Email: cash@guernsey.net 

GUYANA 

Branch to be re-established 

HONG KONG 


in Hong Kong 

Chairman: Mrs Joan Campbell, 3801 

Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, 

Wanchai, Hong Kong 

Executive Secretary: Ms Yasmin 

Stewart, 3801 Central Plaza, 18 

Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong 

Tel: 2887 4237 

Fax: 2234 5620 

Email: yasmin.stewart@ 

fortisintertrust.com 

INDIA 

The Collegiate Commonwealth 

Group of India 

Chairman: Prof Vinod Chowdhury, 

Flat 32, 33 Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, 

Delhi 110 054 India 

Tel: 011 23941322 (home), 011 

27666573 (college) 

Vice-President: Mr Nakul Krishan 

Singh 

Email: nakulks@gmail.com or 

nakulsingh_11@hotmail.com 


Eastern India 

RCS Contact: Prof Baby Jacob, S-27, 

Maitree Vihar, Phase-1, 

Bhunbaneswar, Orissa 751023 India 

Tel: 674 2303298 (home), 9338207189 

(mobile) 

Email: bjacob48@yahoo.com 


India 

Chairman: Mr V K Wazir, M/s Fusion 

Trading Co (Ptv) Ltd, C-515, Defence 

Colony, New Delhi 110 024 India 

Tel: 011 2433 6097 or 011 2433 6600 

Fax: 011 2433 6620 

Mobile: 98100 12461 

Email: vkw@airtelbroadband.in 

The Commonwealth Students 

Welfare Group of India 

President &Youth Chairman: Mr Hari 

Om Dahiya, R–16, 2nd Floor, Model 

Town Part 3, New Delhi 110009 India 

Tel: 9210014921 

Email: president_swgi@yahoo.com 

INDONESIA 

Commonwealth Society of the 

Republic of Indonesia 

RCS Contact: Mr Geoffrey Gold, 

Indonesia’s Centre for Regional 

Investment and Community 

Development, Jl Buni F-24 Kemang 

Timur Dalam, Jakarta Selatan, DK1 

12510, Indonesia 

Tel: 021 718 1656 

Fax: 021 719 4025 

Mobile: 0811 836134 

Email: gmgold@comdevindo.org or 

secretariat@comdevindo.org 

Web: www.comdevindo.org 

JAMAICA 


Jamaica 

Chairman: Mr Stanley Dunwell, 84 

Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 10 

Jamaica 

Tel: 978 5193 

Email: dosan@cwjamaica.com 

JAPAN 

RCS Contact: Mr David Syrad, 4-14- 

15 Aogein, Minoh shi, Osaka fu 562- 

0025 Japan 

Tel: 72 727 5622 (home), 50 5532 

6383 (B), 80 3102 3764 (mobile) 

Email: david_s@akililimited.com 

JERSEY 

Jersey Royal Commonwealth 

Society 

President: Mr Ian Philpott, Apt.4, 

25 Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, 

JE2 4UA UK 

Tel: 01534 871667 (office), 01534 

869109 (home) 

Mobile: 07797 742912 

Fax: 01534 610179 

Email: philpott92@hotmail.com 

KENYA 


Kenya Branch 

Chairperson: Mr James Foster, PO 

Box 55905, Nairobi 00200 Kenya 

Tel: 3751873 (home) 

Mobile: 0722 702 493 

Email: jfoster@wananchi.com 

KIRIBATI 

Hon Rep: The Hon Robin Millhouse 

QC, Chief Justice, High Court of 

Kiribati, PO Box 501, Betio, Tarawa 

Tel: 26451 

Fax: 26149 

Email: robin.millhouse@tskl.net.ki or 

cj@tskl.net.ki 

KUWAIT 


MALAWI 

RCS Contact: Mr Robert S Renshaw, 

PO Box 30817, Chichiri, Blantyre 3 

Malawi 

Email: farmorg@broadbandmw.com 

MALAYSIA 


Malaysia Branch 

Chairman: Dato Ismail Hutson, 

Commonwealth House, No. 4 Jalan 

Birah, Damansara Heights, 50490 

Kuala Lumpur 

Club Manager: Mr Geoffrey 

Anthony, address as above 

Tel: 03 20944089 or 03 20944238 

Fax: 03 20933722 

Email: rocoso@myjaring.net 

MAURITIUS 

Hon Rep: Sir Victor Glover, Kt 

GOSK, The English-Speaking Union, 

5th Floor, Ken Lee Building, Edith 

Cavell Street, Port Louis, Mauritius 

Tel/Fax: 208 8591 

Email: esumau@intnet.mu 

NAMIBIA 

Hon. Rep. Ambassador Monica 

Nashandi, Deputy Executive 

Director, Office of the President, PO 

Box 13339, Windhoek, Namibia 

Tel: 270 7111 

Email: mnashandi@op.gov.na 

NETHERLANDS 

The Commonwealth Club, The 

Netherlands 

Chairperson: Dr David W R. Hall, 


47

Grindweg 147, 3054 V J Rotterdam, 

The Netherlands 

Tel: 010422 0458 

Email: halldwr@hotmail.com 

NEW ZEALAND 

Auckland (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Auckland 

Branch Inc.) 

President: Ms Jo Stone, 65C Asquith 

Avenue, Mount Albert, Auckland 

1003 New Zealand 

Tel: 9 849 2188 (home) 9 921 9999 

Ext 8723 (work) 21 073 1201 (mobile) 

Fax: 9 921 9627 

Email: jo.stone@aut.ac.nz 

Secretary: Mr Peter McConnell, 9 

Budock Road, Hillsborough, 

Auckland 1004 New Zealand 

Tel: 9 625 5575 

Email: pmcconnell@ihug.co.nz 

Canterbury (The Royal 

Commonwealth Society, Canterbury 

Inc.) 

Secretary: Mrs Sonia Bell-Thompson, 

27A Ilam Road, Ilam, Christchurch, 

Canterbury, New Zealand 

Tel: 03 343 6090 

Fax: 03 343 6034 

Email: stbell@xtra.co.nz 

Otago (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Otago Inc.) 

President: Dame Dorothy Fraser 

DBE QSO JP, 21 Ings Avenue, St 

Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand 

Tel: 03 455 8663 

Email: dorothyfraser@xtra.co.nz 

Wellington (Commonwealth Trust, 

Wellington Inc.) 

President: Mr Darryl M Stevens, PO 

Box 10-741, Wellington 6003 New 

Zealand 

Tel: 4 382 9961 (home), 64 4 

3829961(home) 

Email: commonwealth.trust@ 

paradise.net.nz or 

Darryl.Stevens@parliament.govt.nz 

Web:http://commonwealthtrust.wellington.net.nz 

NIGERIA 


Nigeria 

President: Mr Allyson A Ayida, Suite 

9D, Prince’s Court, 37 Ahmed 

Onibudo Street, Victoria Island, 

Lagos, Nigeria 

Branch Secretary: Ms Ngosi 

Chibututu 

Mobile: 01 2629258 Fax: 01 4617027 

Email: citylaw@hyperia.com 

The Commonwealth Youth 

Organisation of Nigeria 

National Co-ordinator: Mr Blackson 

Olaseni Bayewumi, Commonwealth 

Handball Secretariat, 21 Parakou 

Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, PMB 8386 

Wuse, Abuja, Nigeria 

Tel/Fax: 802 9990655 

Email: cyorg_nig@yahoo.com 


PAKISTAN 

The Commonwealth Peoples 

Friendship Association of Pakistan 

President: Mr Qutubuddin Aziz, F- 

43/1, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi 75600 

Pakistan 

Tel: 21 583 6828 or 21 586 3369 

Email: qutubuddinaziz@hotmail.com 

General Secretary: Mr Shahid 

Mohiuddin, 40-T/4 Blessing Street, 

Block 6 PECHS Karachi 

Tel: 21 838 4645 or 21 455 4284 

Fax: 21 242 5836 or 21 455 4286 

Mobile: +923452060469 or 

+923452060469 

Email: capakistan1989@yahoo.com 

or cpfapk@yahoo.co.in 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 

RCS Contact to be appointed 

ROMANIA 

RCS Contact: Mr Ziad Yamak 

Email: yamakson@gmail.com or 

tintin@europe.com or 

ziadyamak@zamilsteel.com 

SEYCHELLES 


SOUTH AFRICA 

RCS Contact: Mrs Janet Boateng, 

378 Aries Street, Waterkloof, 

Pretoria, or14 Upper Primrose 

Avenue, Bishopscourt, Cape Town , 

South Africa 

Tel: Pretoria 012 452 9800 

Email: janetoalleyne@aol.com 

SRI LANKA 


Sri Lanka Branch 

Honorary Secretary: Mr S 

Yogendranaden, 10E Elibank Road, 

Colombo 5, 00500, Sri Lanka 

Tel: 11 2584141 

Mobile: 77 7342434 

Email: rcs_srilanka@yahoo.com or 

shyogen@hotmail.com 

ST KITTS AND NEVIS 

Hon. Rep. Mr Fred Lam OBE HBM 

SM, PO Box 212, St Kitts 

Tel: 465 2472 or 465 4612 

Fax: 465 1056 

Email: fairviewinn@caribsurf.com 

SWEDEN 

Hon. Rep. Mr Angus Alexander 

Mackintosh, ‘Pastures New’, 

Larsvagen 3, SE 18377, Taby, 

Sweden 

Tel: 08 756 0903 

Fax: 08 630 2680 

Email: angus.mackintosh@ 

ebox.tninet.se 

SWITZERLAND 

The Commonwealth Association of 

Geneva 

Chairman: Mr Derrick Deane, Case 

Postale 69, CH-1211, Geneva 20 

Switzerland 

Tel: 22 7912111 

Fax: 22 791 4748 

Email: deaned@who.int 

TANZANIA 

Hon. Rep. Sir Jayantilal K Chande, 

KBE, PO Box No 9251, Dar Es 

Salaam, Tanzania 

Tel: 22 2863196 

Fax: 22 2863822 

Email: andychande@yahoo.com 

THE GAMBIA 

Branch being formed 

RCS Contact: Mr Momodou L 

Jaiteh, Point Newspaper, PO Box 66, 

Banjul, The Gambia 

Tel: 794439 or 373585 (home) or 

497441/2 (office) 

Email: mljaiteh@hotmail.com 

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 

Hon. Rep. Mr Bindra Dolsingh, 

LL.B(Hons), Dolsingh & Dolsingh & 

Co, Attorneys-at-Law, 94 Edward 

Street, Port of Spain , Trinidad 

Tel: 623 4565 

Fax: 625 7838 or 624 0661 

Email: bindradolsingh@hotmail.com 

UGANDA 

Commonwealth Peoples 

Association of Uganda 

RCS Contact: Mr Frederick K Kiapi, 

Acting Executive Director, The 

Commonwealth People’s 

Association of Uganda, Plot 79, 

Bukoto Street, Kamwokya PO Box 

10358, Kampala 

Tel: 41 577017 

Mobile: 782737666 

Fax: 4738107451 

Email: royalcsociety_ug@ 

yahoo.co.uk or 

secretariat@cpaug.org 

Web: www.cpaug.org 

UNITED KINGDOM 

Bath (The Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Bath and District Branch) 

Chairman: Mr David Dent-Young 

CBE, The Cloisters Cottage, 

Perrymead, Bath, BA2 5AY UK 

Tel: 01225 837677 

Secretary: Mr Malcolm Furber, 

Hestia Rise, Tyning End, Widcombe, 

Bath, BA2 6AN UK 

Tel: 01225 333586 

Email: thomas.malcolm@ 

hotmail.co.uk 

Bristol (The Bristol Commonwealth 

Society) 

Chairman: Mr Keith Painter, 

Commonwealth House, 14 

Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 1PD 

Tel: 01179 734720 

Fax: 01179 737368; Email: 

bristolcomwlthsoc@tiscali.co.uk 

Website: www.bcsbristol.co.uk 

Cambridge (Cambridge University 

Commonwealth Society) 

Hon Sec: Miss Terry Barringer, 70 

Mortlock Avenue, Cambridge CB4 

1TE UK 

Tel: 01223 424584 

Email: tabarringe@aol.com 

Oxford (Royal Commonwealth 

Society, Oxford Branch) 

Treasurer: Dr Joe Selkon, TD, Mb, 

Chb, FRCPath, DCP, 4 Ethelred 

Court, Headington, Oxford OX3 

9DA UK 

Tel/Fax: 01865 764098 

Email: jselkon@onetel.com 

Northern Ireland 

Belfast (The Commonwealth Group 

in Northern Ireland) 

RCS Contact: Mr Mark Adair, Head 

of Public Policy & Corporate Affairs, 

BBC Northern Ireland, Broadcasting 

House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 

8HQ UK 

Tel: 02890 338210 

Fax: 02890 338801 

Email: mark.adair.01@bbc.co.uk 

Scotland 


(Scotland) 

RCS Contact: Dr Gari Donn, 

International Education, Department 

of Education and Society, St John’s 

Land, University of Edinburgh, 

Holyrood Campus, Edinburgh EH8 

8JT UK 

Tel: 01316 516310 

Email: g.donn@ed.ac.uk 

Wales 

Royal Commonwealth Society of 

Wales 

Chairman: Mr Prabhat K Verma, JP, 

BSC, MEd, MBA, CEng, FI, Min E, 

49 Llandennis Road, Cardiff CF23 

6EE UK 

Business: PKV Management 

Consultancy, 129 City Road, Roath, 

Cardiff CF2 3BP UK 

Tel: 02920 757898 (home), 02920 

451133 (business) Mobile: 07833 

3316199 

Fax: as business 

Email: contact@rcswales.org or 

pkverma15@yahoo.com 

Secretary: Rt Hon Ron Davies, 

Valleys Race Equality Council, Ty 

Menter, Navigation Park, Abercynon, 

CF45 4SN UK 

Tel: 01443 742704 

Mobile: 07977 400950 

Email: ron@valrec.org 

Web: http://www.rcswales.org 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

British and Commonwealth 

Society of North America 

Chairman: Mr William S Barker 

Email: william.barker@hotmail.com 

ZAMBIA 

RCS Contact: Mr Roland Hutchinson, 

PO Box 21174, Kitwe, Zambia 

Email: RHANDCO2002@yahoo.com

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Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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