TOWARDS A COMMON FUTURE: LOOKING AHEAD TO CHOGM 2018 it is important for the organisation to find innovative ways of creating space for individuals to develop their skills in political organising, communication and documentation. Doing so would not necessarily mean interfering with the politics of member states, but rather equipping Commonwealth citizens with the tools they would need to affect change themselves. If successful, the Commonwealth could contribute to the political development of people – particularly young people – across member states who are eager to make a difference in their country, but who may be lacking the skills. The Commonwealth has already demonstrated its support for young leaders with initiatives such as the Queen’s Young Leaders, the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, and the biannual Commonwealth Youth Forum, and there is still more that could be done to develop leadership skills amongst young
Commonwealth leaders. More importantly, these initiatives need to be initiated in countries that are more accessible to Commonwealth citizens who often have difficulties obtaining visas to travel to the UK for example, and using digital means that allow for instant global communication. In doing so the Commonwealth can enable citizens to build their own fairer future, creating spaces where information can be shared from across member states and where – crucially – leadership can be interrogated and moulded to fit the particular needs of different countries and communities. The contemporary history of the Commonwealth is one of an organisation determined to reinvent itself, to find a niche in a world of powerful international organisations with less controversial origins. Much has been made of the fact that more than 60% of the population is under 29 years old.
44 | The Parliamentarian | 2018: Issue One
A Commonwealth dominated by the ideas and opinions of elder Commonwealth statesmen – and it is important to note that much of the elder generation of Commonwealth practitioners are men – is one that risks losing the opportunity to tap into the energies and drive of some of the most passionate, creative people. As such, any discussion of the future of the Commonwealth is one concerning the future of an organisation made up of young people who have grown up in a new millennium with challenges and opportunities unforeseeable by the architects of the Commonwealth. Young Commonwealth citizens in earlier decades communicated with one another through letters that often took weeks to arrive but nevertheless built relationships between those involved. Today, young people from Accra to Waikato are more connected to one another than ever before, with social media meaning instant conversations are now possible between people who may still never meet in person. In these spaces, with potentially global audiences, we see conversations about many ideas of fairness; the development of movements for social justice; and resistance to anti-democratic regimes. In Kenya and Uganda, we’ve seen young people calling out those in power, using memes and 240 characters to make political statements, and holding their elders to account. Further, online discussions about feminism and LGBT rights in traditionally conservative nations
offer some critical approaches to engaging with what remain the most contentious social issues in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth as a whole can learn from how young people are organising and communicating online, and how they are building virtual networks that are far removed from the channels of the past. The Commonwealth youth are already speaking and it is imperative that Commonwealth leadership – from the Secretariat to Presidents, Prime Ministers and Parliamentarians – pay attention. The fairer future will be for these Commonwealth citizens so their voices must be heard and their ideas incorporated. The 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a unique opportunity for the Commonwealth to state its purpose and areas of focus at a time when the international system has been shaken by political developments in Europe and the United States. A Commonwealth and Commonwealth leaders invested in ‘a fairer future’ have to engage and empower those working towards that goal. That support will not look the same as it has in the past, with highlevel meetings, and phone calls between world leaders. Support for a fairer future will also mean strengthening grassroots Commonwealth activities in civil society and professional organisations, greater engagement on social media and other digital innovations, and paving the way for young people to take the lead. If a fairer future means one where democracy, good governance, the rule of law, and human rights are upheld as values across the Commonwealth, then all three other sub-themes are contingent on this one. It is impossible to consider ‘a more sustainable future’ without understanding the unequal impact of climate change on poorer and small island nations who bear the