The Commonwealth at 60: Thoughts from the New Generation

Abstract

This article offers some thoughts about the Commonwealth in its 60th anniversary year by a young observer from the ‘new generation’. It argues that the Commonwealth must pay particular attention to creating a positive first impression on young people, so that it can be defined through the relevance of its current actions rather than through history books. It suggests that, in a crowded international marketplace, the Commonwealth must identify a Unique Selling Point that will be of long-term value to its members, and prove that it can do things and reach places that other international associations cannot. Its shared commitments and values give the Commonwealth the potential to be a true voice of moral authority on the world stage. Yet until the Commonwealth can truly be defined by its Harare principles, rather than with reference to the historical bonds that originally threw it together, it will struggle to transcend the inaccurate image which young people hold of it. The article concludes by looking forward to the global challenges, questions of membership and expansion, and the sensitive issue of Headship that the Commonwealth will be faced with before its 100th birthday.