Commonwealth
Opinion
King Charles and The Commonwealth: confidence and concern
Dr Sue Onslow, Director of Institute of Commonwealth Studies The Commonwealth has been front and centre in the ceremonies around the Queen’s death and accession of King Charles: from Secretary General’s presence and prominence at the Accession Council, receptions...
Elizabeth II: majesty in its timeless grandeur
By Syed Badrul Ahsan It is the end of an era unprecedented in British history. In her reign of seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II was witness to some of the most remarkable of events in the chronicles of time. And yet it is hard to dispel the thought that her ascension...
India Marks 75 Years of Independence with Mixed Emotions
By Ashis Ray “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny,' proclaimed India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at a special session of the Indian parliament to mark India’s freedom on 15 August 1947, “and now the time has come when we shall redeem our pledge,...
The U.K.- Pakistan Ties
By Ian Talbot (University of Southampton) The seventy fifth anniversary of Pakistan’s independence provides an important moment to consider the relationship between the two countries. This has been marked by close ties of sentiment rooted in the deep associations...
August 1947: The wounds are yet raw
By Syed Badrul Ahsan The Pakistan International Airlines aircraft flying from Karachi to Dhaka in early February 1968 dipped low over Calcutta. The pilot made it a point to inform passengers of the landmarks over which the aircraft flew. My father, in a state of clear...
Understanding India’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine war: realpolitik
By James Chiriyankandath (Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London)[1] It is four months since Russia launched its offensive against Ukraine, the start of the bloodiest war in Europe since the Second World War, a conflict that has turned Russia into a...
The Commonwealth at a crossroads
By Sue Onslow Director, Institute of Commonwealth Studies After a delay of two years, the Commonwealth heads of government are meeting in Kigali this week. The organisation itself is at a crossroads: leading Commonwealth civil society organisations have voiced their...
Is the Commonwealth getting its message out?
By Mischa Manderson Mills Like many international organisations, the Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec) is undergoing a mid-life identity crisis. The world has changed radically since its formation some 60 years ago, and it is way past time for ComSec to look inwards...
Sri Lanka: Freedom of Expression in a Time of Crisis
By Rehab Mahamoor Sri Lanka is in the throes of its worst economic crises in history. With depleted foreign reserves making debt unserviceable and putting capital markets out of reach, Sri Lankans are bearing the brunt of heavy inflation, and a scarcity of essential...
Conservation and security – the question of militarisation of anti-poaching
By Keith Somerville The problem of how to combat poaching, conserve habitat and wildlife without abusing the human rights or destroying the livelihoods of local communities is a complex and highly controversial one. From David Sheldrick’s and Bill Woodley’s...
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