The infinite capacity to wonder at things is the mark of incorruptible youth. Hope and innocence are its everlasting features. The youth is our bridge to the future. It holds out the hope of redemption from the failures and complications of the present and the past. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, while enunciating the theme for the Commonwealth Day-2015 aptly remarked "A Young Commonwealth recognises the capacity, contribution and potential of young people who play a vital role at the heart of sustainable development and democracy".
During the six and half decades of its existence the unique organisation called the Commonwealth has travelled through times, which were at once trying and rewarding. An association of independent nations that formed part of the British Empire, it emerged with a new promise in the wake of the devastations of the Second World War. It started in 1949 with eight member countries. Today it has fifty-three members. The people of these varied and diverse nations number two billion representing one-third of the global population.
The organisation moved in tandem with changing times and changed itself in the process. The change has been titanic not only in quantitative but also in qualitative terms. In a relatively short period of sixty-five years since its transformation from the British Commonwealth to the Commonwealth of Nations (or simply the Commonwealth) in 1949, the Commonwealth has acquired many significant dimensions.
It has emerged as a strong advocate of poverty alleviation. It has been playing a significant role in supporting democracy and good governance. The Commonwealth is also an active partner in the global quest for equity and justice not only within nations but also among nations.
It has acquired a special role as an advocate of the interests of small states and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It has mounted meaningful efforts for establishing and furthering human rights including women's human right. The organisation also initiated systematic endeavours to cater to the needs and aspirations of the youth. The activities of the Commonwealth in all these dimensions reinforced its core commitment: " .... to work together, in partnership and as equals, towards a shared future".
As a former Bangladeshi diplomat Ambassador Faruque Sobhan wrote in 2010 "The world has witnessed enormous changes. The global agenda has changed. The multilateral system has been transformed. The end of the Cold War has opened new opportunities for co-operation. Fifty years ago, the population of the world was a mere 2.3 billion; today it is close to six billion. It is a hi-tech world of satellite telecommunications, cable TV, laptop computers and mobile phones. A world dominated by the Internet. A world which today has close to 400 billionaires, where 50 years ago a millionaire was someone quite special. Today 500 corporations in the United States, Europe and Japan account for 80 per cent of the world's volume of Foreign Direct Investment and half of world trade".
Yet, in this world of plenty, the number of people living in extreme poverty has increased substantially. Nearly one fourth of the world's population today lives below the poverty line, illiterate, unemployed and malnourished. Almost two-thirds of the poorest of the poor happen to be located within the Commonwealth.
In 1951, the Heads of Governments in their communiqué recognised 'that the peace and prosperity of the free world cannot be assured while millions live in poverty.' Ever since, the plight of the developing countries has figured prominently on the agenda of every Commonwealth summit".
POVERTY ALLEVIATION: The Commonwealth remains steadfast in its resolve for the amelioration of the plight of the citizens of its developing and less developed members. Its endeavours for poverty alleviation makes the organisation relevant in a world haunted by the spectre of poverty. Aptly did Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India observed that in the world of our times "poverty is the greatest pollutant". It is the prime cause of lack of peace and harmony in a divided world where the rich prospers and the poor continues to suffer. Poverty and inequity that spawn and nurture discontent among the disadvantaged, the dark source of terrorism that has been desperately haunting the world since the beginning of the 21st Century. World peace can be attained only if and when inequality in international and national systems that create and sustain poverty, is replaced by equity and justice.
DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE, MARKET ECONOMY IN THE NEW WORLD AND THE COMMONWEALTH: Since the end of the bipolar world and Cold War during the early 1990's, the world has entered an age of rapid transformation. The demise of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the socialist politico-economic order in Eastern Europe heralded the inception of a new uncertain unipolar world. The unchallenged canons of the new times are pluralistic, participatory democracy and open market economy. The Commonwealth, through its commitment and work, easily became a full partner in the global processes of democratisation and economic liberalisation.
In order to redeem the noble promise made at the beginning, the Commonwealth Heads of Governments in their meeting at Singapore in 1971, at Harare in 1991 and more recently at Coolum, Australia (2002) "agreed on a set of 'core values and principles' and called upon member states to promote democracy, good governance, equality and Human Rights. A ten-member Ministerial Acting Group (CMAG) has been mandated to monitor progress in the matter. The Commonwealth is also committed to work towards establishing international peace to eliminate poverty and combat international terrorism. The leaders were convinced that progress in this regard would improve the quality of lives of their citizens and open up new opportunities. At Fancourt, the leaders dwelt on the close link between democracy and good governance on the one hand and poverty, development and conflict, on the other. At Coolum they asked the Commonwealth Secretary General to convene a High Level Group of Experts to identify ways and means to carry forward the idea for follow-up action".
As a former Secretary General realistically noted, the Commonwealth works "as a trusted partner for all Commonwealth people as a
l Force for democracy and good governance,
l Platform for global consensus-building; and
l Source of political help for sustainable development".
The Commonwealth's endeavours to promote democracy and good governance, to uphold principles of democracy, rule of law, equality and respect for the liberty and rights of the individual achieved success in various instances. South Africa is a remarkable example of that glorious success. The end of apartheid ushered in a new era of democracy and equality in that commonwealth country. The Millbrook Action Programme on the Harare Declaration (1995) set down the penalties for failure to practice democracy by member governments. These were applied in the case of Pakistan (October 1999) and then Fiji Islands (June 2000). These countries were temporarily suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth after their democratic governments were illegally overthrown. Solomon Islands, Zimbabwe and war-devastated Sierra Leone put the Commonwealth to trying tests when democratic principles and order appeared to be under threat in these countries.
"The Secretariat, as the association's principal intergovernmental agency, also supports and strengthens democracy and its institutions in other ways. There is some progress, especially in increasing women's participation in political decision making and supporting Ombudsmen and other oversight institutions of democracy and accountability. Several workshops in the 'deepening democracy's series have been held on a range of issues, including the role of the opposition, of broadcasting, and on the special concerns of small states. The Commonwealth has been asked to observe or provide technical assistance for many elections.
"While all these signify commendable endeavours and a degree of success for the commonwealth in sustaining and strengthening democracy among some member governments a lot yet remains to be done. Democracy is an expensive and demanding political system. Similarly, as an economic system, open market economy is an exacting and costly order. The meaningful realisation of these politico-economic systems required generous investments in terms of finance and human resources."
The task has become more difficult in the context of the ongoing global recession. The world is confronted with an economic downturn the like of which has not been seen since the Great Depression of 1929. The prosperous economies, including those of the USA, Europe and Japan, are faced with the challenges of disarray in the financial sector and the capital market. Their governments are pumping in hundreds of billions of dollars to revive the health of their financial and economic institutions. In addition, developing economics, which were growing rapidly in recent times, have also been hit hard. China and India, among others, have also faced the grim challenge of global recession.
There is little doubt that for sometime at least, the resources needed to meaningfully strengthen democracy, human rights and youth development will be in short supply for the Commonwealth. The current crises will be trying but the organisation must find ways to combat the dangers of a downslide in the economic and social life of its poorer member countries. Greater financial and economic miseries in such societies are likely to contribute to increasing alienation of the youth and further strengthening of terrorism. Weak economies will tend to weaken governance and pose greater challenges to the democratic way of life in poverty-riddled countries. Growing unemployment, shrinking incomes, reduced business opportunities will deepen and widen the absence of hope among the impoverished youth. In such a situation, it would be easy for the extremist terrorists to find numerous recruits from among the deprived and dispossessed youth.
It is important to note that poverty and squalour alone do not contribute to the radicalisation of alienated youth. Some times relatively comfortable or even luxurious life devoid of spiritual and emotional content drive young men and women to seek solace and salvation in extremist activities. The illustration of Kuwaiti-born British youngman Mohammed Emwazi, notoriously named 'Jihadi John', stands out. He joined the ISIS in Iraq and allegedly beheaded hostages in front of camera. Further examples are Jihadi Jeanes, three young British girls reportedly travelled to Turkey to marry Jihadis warriors. They all came from fairly well-off British families. Yet, the comfort and luxuries of western life could not contain them in their own society. The need for supplying meaningful ideal and spiritual resources to the young in prosperous societies become even more urgent. The commonwealth by spreading the message of its core values to the youth may play a vital role in this regard.
THE YOUTH AND THE FUTURE: For the world, as also for the Commonwealth, the youth constitutes the key to the future. As the head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, observed in her Commonwealth Day Message 2009, "....Nearly one billion people of today's Commonwealth are under 25 years of age. These are the people that this association must continue to serve in the future. It is they who can help shape the Commonwealth of today, and whose children will inherit the Commonwealth of tomorrow. To help them make the best of their opportunities, our young men and women, therefore, need the opportunity to become active and responsible members of the communities in which they live".
The Commonwealth has shown a lively awareness to the importance of the role of the youth. The youth programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat has been working to facilitate exchange and understanding among the younger citizens through meetings, conferences and action programs. The first Pan Commonwealth Meeting of young leaders was held under the auspices of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) from May 03 to 07, 1977 at Ocho Rios in Jamaica. A meeting on Commonwealth Governments' policy on youth was held at Chandighar, India in the 2nd week of March 1976, the second Pan Commonwealth Meeting of young leaders was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in May 1979. Conferences and meetings such as these and other relevant programmes attempt to build understanding and unity among the youth of the Commonwealth. These also help devise and adopt appropriate strategies for solving problems of the youth and ensure their meaningful participation in development.
The Commonwealth has recently drawn up a strategy to bridge the digital divide, to coordinate a new 'Youth for the Future Programme' and to put in place an effective network of professional and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the Commonwealth Foundation. All this is highly relevant to the shaping of the future of the Commonwealth countries with full involvement of their youth. However, it is important to remember that in these exacting times new and practical steps need to be taken to prevent the youth from deviating from the right path. A cruel recession haunts the world. A protracted struggle is being waged against extremists and terrorist forces all over the world. As Michael N. Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica observed in his inaugural address at the first Pan Commonwealth Meeting of young leaders in Jamaica in 1977: "... institutional and other responses need to be created to bring about changes in the (international and national political, social and economic) processes to bring about changes in these processes. Such change is necessary precisely because of our global failure to provide elementary justice for all mankind. ...The youth of the world must be increasingly prepared for a vital role in seeking meaningful change, and must indeed prepare themselves to accept the responsibilities that such a role implies".
Manley further stressed, "...the youth must unite and form the vanguard in the quest for orderly and stable change".
The clarion call sounded by Manley in 1977 had a downside which is all the more true for the youth of the 21st century. Cautioned Manley, ".... Our young people are becoming increasingly cynical and apathetic. They have to a considerable extent become disillusioned by the gaps between promises and actions. They are now no longer certain whether reform is a viable method of change. And in this context of uncertainty, many have chosen to voluntarily relinquish their rights as citizens in the democratic process, while others have opted to accept the challenge to struggle for revolutionary change from outside of the system". The remedy, even the urgent necessity, therefore, is to "devise strategies and programmes that involve youth in both the conception and formulation of all public policies and programmes".
In our economically depressed and politically strife-torn world that prescription holds true for the bewildered youth of the Commonwealth and the world at large. If the members of the Commonwealth, no less than other nations of the world, are to shape out a shared future in partnership and as equals, they will need to actively involve their youth in managing their today and building their tomorrow. Time is fast running out. We must act before "all our tomorrows become all our yesterdays".
The article is adapted from a keynote paper Dr. Mizanur Rahman Shelley presented at the Commonwealth Day, 2015 seminar organised by the Commonwealth Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, on March 09, 2015. Dr. Shelley is the founder Chairman, Centre for Development Research, Bangladesh (CDRB), Editor, quarterly "ASIAN AFFAIRS" and a founder Member and currently the Vice President of the Commonwealth Society of Bangladesh. He was a member of the erstwhile Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) and a technocrat (non-partisan) Cabinet Minister of Information and Irrigation, Flood Control and Water Resources Development of the Government of Bangladesh.
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