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Royal Commonwealth Society Urges Funding For Commonwealth Programmes

22 July 2004

Chief Emeka Anyaoku
Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku

Delegates at the Royal Commonwealth Society's (RCS) recent international meeting in Ghana urged greater financial support for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation and the Commonwealth Foundation, affirming that the association's development programmes and a strong civil society were important to both development and democracy.

The RCS International Meeting 2004, which was held from 5 to 7 July, discussed the theme 'Democracy and Development: Making the Difference'. It was attended by 60 delegates, observers and RCS staff, including representatives of 21 affiliated societies and branches in 15 Commonwealth countries and territories. There were 19 young delegates present, as part of the Nkabom Project, supported by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Sir David Thorne Youth Bursary Scheme.

Delegates recommended that RCS branches and societies may have sources of expertise which could be made available to the wider Commonwealth such as election observers, speakers, technical experts and volunteer workers. They also agreed that sharing best practices in education and advocacy across Commonwealth countries could increase the effectiveness of development programmes.

The meeting explored issues such as democracy and development in a globalised world; the role of civil society in people's democracy and community development; HIV/AIDS as a challenge to democracy and development; and engaging young people in the Commonwealth at all levels.

Speakers stressed the importance of having people as the core of both the development process and in the working of effective democracies. Correspondingly, they observed, the Commonwealth had an important role in building people-centred development and participatory democracy.

President of RCS, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who chaired the opening ceremony, stated: "The Commonwealth has gained international credibility as a force for both democracy and development. It has been a pace-maker, and a global standard setter -- and much has been achieved.

"But there is always more to do, both in combating the scourge of poverty and in building free and democratic societies. We can never rest, or else we will lose what has been gained. We will also fail to address the challenges, the injustices and the afflictions which scar our world. That is the only way for the Commonwealth to sustain its credibility -- by doing more, both at the governmental and non-government levels."

 

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 193   21 July 2004

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