What does the Commonwealth mean to you? Ask that question amongst ROSL’s membership and you’re likely to receive a huge variety of answers, but all with a common thread running through them; the shared language, values, interests, history, and purpose. Those commonalities have held the organisation together since its inception. To mark the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place in London and Windsor in April, the upcoming issue of Overseas aims to look at the many facets of this vast organisation and highlight some of the lesser known areas in which it works.
Many people will have heard of the Commonwealth Games, this year to be held on the Gold Coast of Australia, but much of the other developmental and diplomacy work carried out by the organisation often flies under the radar. Tres Ann Kreme, Head of Good Office for Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat, talks about conflict prevention.
Since its inception in 1949, one constant that has kept the Commonwealth together throughout its history, and will continue to do so into the future, is HM The Queen. Her tireless commitment has been in evidence throughout the decades. We look at back at some of the overseas tours she has embarked upon in service of the Commonwealth.
Over that time, the UK’s place in the world and the relationship it has with its former colonies, many of which are now Commonwealth members, has changed dramatically. With the spectre of Brexit on the horizon, the UK’s relationship with the world around it is about to alter markedly once again. Could this be an opportunity for relationships forged through the Commonwealth to take on a new role? Ross Davis speaks to Professor Philip Murphy, Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, about the possibilities the forthcoming exit from the EU offers. And what of the role of ROSL in promoting the Commonwealth?
Find out the answer to this question and more in the new edition of Overseas, which should be landing on your doorsteps in the next few days if it hasn't done so already. If you haven't received your copy yet, read the new issue below, and you can look back through old issues here.
