FOR the media, the Commonwealth of Nations is a non-story. It has for many years slipped out of the consciousness of editors and journalists.
Yes, there are times (which are few and far apart) when we are reminded of its existence — the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM), the Commonwealth Games and, of course, the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (Capam).
To many people, the Commonwealth is history. It reminds us of a colonialist construct, if anything else — an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that comprise the former British Empire. Some would equate it to an old train chugging along the track, carrying lots of history, tradition and baggage, on a one-way ticket, perhaps to the blues.
So, you can’t blame the media for “ignoring” the Commonwealth. In a world that is never short of conflicts, wars, turmoil, natural disasters, calamities, global warming, terrorism, scandals, you name it, the Commonwealth is certainly not in the list of top attention.
It has been 65 years since the London Declaration that initiated the formation of the Commonwealth. We have seen sea changes of attitudes over those six decades, monumental transformations in societies, incredible progress in almost every aspect of human endeavour and changing landscapes in the capitals of these nations.
The young, especially, is largely unaware of the existence of the Commonwealth, or simply the Commonwealth is a term that is not part of the current lexicon.
Even for people of my generation, the Commonwealth remains a notion that keeps bubbling into our consciousness from time to time. We are fully aware of its existence, yet, unlike the “closer” Asean, the Commonwealth is more abstract and “further”.
We have to find a common bond that binds the member states. We have to find the “relevance” again, not just within the conceptual realm but in real, tangible, practical and pragmatic terms.
I support the view that the Commonwealth must take a position based not on building upon the glory of the past, but rather upon the opportunities of the future. I also believe that the Commonwealth must be pro-active in facing the realities of today and tomorrow.
By prioritising its activities and not replicating programmes of the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and such, and by embracing good governance, practices and transparency, the Commonwealth can be more effective.
We need to redefine what the new goals, if any, are and to reaffirm the shared values among member nations. There are too many expectations of the Commonwealth, but too little resources and commitment to see these through; at least, that is the perception.
I believe we have no choice but to engage in an exercise of “rebooting” the Commonwealth, rethinking, restrategising while reaffirming it.
The Commonwealth can be a force to be reckoned with. It can be a political, economic, even military superpower. But again, there is nothing common about the wealth and there is no reason for the Commonwealth to think or act as one.
It is about time to shape at least a Commonwealth mindset. The Commonwealth is in dire need of an identity. I believe working towards Commonwealth ideals and understanding the dynamics is a good start.
We understand the difficulties in asserting “Commonwealth-ness”. The media can help to contextualise and create Commonwealth consciousness; to ensure higher-level and quality interactions (people to people) that go beyond the leaders and to create Commonwealth bonding.
I reckon there is a need for “People’s power” in the Commonwealth, of people reasserting the agenda and taking ownership of it, and communicating with each other, and, as the case of Capam this year, having a “conversation”.
People matter in the Commonwealth — just like any supra-organisation. The Commonwealth has always been portraying itself as a people-centric organisation — kind of “People first” approach.
But as usual, the “selling” part is always problematic. Despite having great narratives to tell, the Commonwealth has not been able to showpiece its achievements effectively.
I believe the media can play a more constructive role to help “sell” the Commonwealth mindset and consciousness by having conversations with one another. We are too diverse — and too far away.
We need to talk. I believe in the need for media practitioners of Commonwealth nations to have an association of their own — the Commonwealth Editors’ Group (CEG) or something like that.
We must be one phone call, one SMS, one whatsApp, one FB away from each other. This is to complement the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) that has been in existence since 1978.
The media would certainly want to see more activism, more reforms and transformation within the Commonwealth. Bring back the exuberance of comradeship, the voices of real people and programmes that are changing their lives.
Keep it vibrant, with new excitement and hopes.
This is an excerpt of the keynote address presented at Capam Media Forum 2014, at PICC in Putrajaya on Oct 21.