Wednesday 6th July 2005

Theme: The Commonwealth - A relic of the past or a forum for the future?
The morning sessions covered an array of topics concerning the Commonwealth. Speakers addressed the institutions, the structure of the Commonwealth, its political, economic and social values and the current challenges that face the Commonwealth in the 21st Century.

Time	Activity
08.30 - 9.00	Registration; Tea, Coffee, or Juice
09.00 - 09.15	Welcome and Opening Remarks Richard Bourne, Head of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
09.15 - 09.30	Objectives of the Conference Delegates will be told about the aims and aspirations of the three day conference. A general overview and a highlighted topical outline will be presented Gamal Fahnbulleh, Associate of the CPSU and Conference Organiser
09.30 - 09.45	Introduction to the Commonwealth and its institutions. Addressing the values of the Commonwealth and what it stands for. A general history of the Commonwealth. What is the structure of the Commonwealth? How does the Commonwealth act now as a consensus building forum? Matthew Neuhaus, Director of the Political Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
09.45 - 10.00	"The People's Commonwealth" and NGOs Speaker will consider the function of Commonwealth organizations. Is it necessary to set up more institutions? Do the current organisations function well together or does the number of current institutions undermine efficiency in solving problems related to their varied objectives? David Jones, Honorary Secretary General of the Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work
10.00 - 10.15	The Commonwealth- Building democratic institutions. To what extent do Commonwealth countries live up to their democratic values? What are some of the challenges facing fledgling democracies? What has been the approach and how can the institutions bolster their support for democratic outcomes? Dennis Marshall, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
10.15 - 10.35	"The Commonwealth and Human Rights" What role can Commonwealth countries play in tackling human rights violations? How can the existing institutions provide insight and focal view into local human rights issues? Against what backdrop should action be taken? What are the tests and parameters? Stephanie Aiyagari, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
10.35 - 11.00	Question and Answer Session
11.00 - 11.30	Coffee Break
11.30 - 12.30	Group session and workshop. Delegates will be divided into small groups to discuss the issues that have been raised in the morning sessions. They will be given handouts that will suggest the key issues to think about. Participants will be encouraged to broaden the scope and think outside the box.
12.30 - 13.00	Feedback to plenary and open discussion. A spokesperson for each group will be nominated, (where one does not already exist) and will begin the discussion. This interface will lead in to, and energise the room for a lively exchange of ideas at lunch
13.00 - 14.00	Buffet Lunch
14.00 - 14.15	The Commonwealth and Post Conflict Resolution. How can the Commonwealth assist in the prevention of conflict or promoting post conflict resolution? Can a coherent and effective means to rapidly deploy aid and other forms of assistance to war torn countries be established? Andrew Williams, Editor of the Round Table Journal.
14.15 - 14.30	The role of the Commonwealth in tackling AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be seen as a challenge to democracy and development. Can the Commonwealth help to overcome this? Should the focus be on education and prevention or should the focus be on care support structures? Dr Joseph Amuzu, Chief Programme Officer at the Health Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat
14.30 - 14.35	The Commonwealth and Gender issues. Defining the organization and its institutions' stance on gender. How can the Commonwealth promote equal opportunities and women's rights within Commonwealth countries? Rawwida Baksh, Head of the Gender Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat
14.35 - 15.00	Question and Answer Session.
15.00 - 15.30	Coffee Break.
15.30 - 16.30	Group Session on the Afternoon's speeches. Examining the issues and defining moments
16.30 - 17.00	Feedback to plenary and open forum discussion CPSU dinner and party
18.00	Reception at the House of Commons and tour of the Houses of Parliament. Members of Parliament have also been invited.

Time	Activity
10.00 - 10.20	Today's Commonwealth and the Globalised World. What are the paradoxes? Insight into the new alliances and regional positioning. Understanding the challenges. Mr Stuart Mole, Director General of the Royal Commonwealth Society
10.20 - 10.40	Climate change and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). How can we stop these states from disappearing? How can the newly developing Commonwealth countries emerge through their process of industrialization without destroying the environment? Mark Collins, Director, Commonwealth Foundation, formerly a member of the UN environmental Programme, Nairobi
10.40 - 11.05	Question and Answer session
11.05 - 11.30	Coffee break
11.30 - 12.30	Group sessions: Setting the stage for a sustainable future. Individual resonsibility and the collective approach.
12.30 - 13.00	Feedback to plenary and open discussion. Report by team leaders on group activities
13.00 - 14.00	Buffet Lunch
14.00 - 14.15	The 'Brain Drain' issue. Can migration deter sustainable economic development? Stemming the outflow of resources and intellectual capacity. Harnessing potential and raising the standard. Rachel Day, Research and Programme Officer at the Human Capacity Development Division, Association of Commonwealth Universities
14.15 - 14.30	IT education in Commonwealth Countries Can the Commonwealth bridge the digital divide between rich and poor? Savita Bailur, Lecturer on e-governance, Information systems and public sector reform
14.30 - 16.00	Fresh from the Commonwealth Film Festival 2005, 'Born into Struggle', by South African filmmaker Rehad Desai.
16.00 - 16.30	Coffee Break and open discussion
	Thursday evening activities will include entertainment and light refreshment.

Time	Activity
10.00 - 10.15	The Commonwealth from a media perspective. What is the media perception of the Commonwealth? Martin Mulligan, Financial Times and member of the Commonwealth Journalists' Association
10.15 - 10.30	Can freedom of speech ever be realised? What obstacles do journalists face in Commonwealth countries? Derek Ingram, Journalist, Commonwealth Affairs
10.30 - 10.45	"The African Case" In the context of African countries what are the obstacles that face journalists when attempting to report on important political, economic and social issues? An African case study may be used. Michela Wrong, Author and former news correspondent for Reuters, the BBC and the Financial Times
10.45- 11.10	Question and Answer session
11.10 - 11.30	Coffee Break
11.30 - 12.30	Group session on the Commonwealth and the Media. Examining modes of and modules for effective communication. Reaching the diaspora. Developing innovative strategies for mass communications.
12.30 - 13.00	feedback to plenary and open discussion. Sharing individual group initiatives
13.00 - 14.00	Lunch
14.00 - 14.15	The Role of the Youth in promoting the Commonwealth. An insight into youth programmes and youth initiatives that have already been set up. Ignatius Takawira, Head of the Commonwealth Youth Programme
14.15 - 14.30	Opportunities in the Commonwealth. How can one get involved with NGOs and Volunteer organisations that work in Commonwealth countries? There will be the opportunity to learn about job opportunities and programmes offering the chance to travel or gain work experience including fellowship programmes, volunteer opportunities and major conferences and events that you can get involved with. Susanna Darch, Project Manager of the Public Affairs Division at the Royal Commonwealth Society
14.30 - 15.00	Documentary about the Interlocal Solutions development project that was based in Sri Lanka. Volunteers went out on a fact finding mission in October of last year and the documentary highlights the work that they did.
15.00 - 15.15	The Work of Interlocal Solutions an NGO based in London will be discussed further. Daniel Paramananthan, Managing Director Interlocal Solutions & Hadley Trainis, former Interlocal Solutions volunteer
15.15 - 16.30	Question and Answer Session. What have you gained from the conference? How can the conference be improved for future years? Summarizing the main thrust. Defining outcomes and outlook. Understanding the concepts and the immediate challenges Setting the stage for the future. Selecting a committee to assist in the 2006 conference. Election of members. Diseminating information. How and when to get a report on the conference and significant outcomes. Follow through. Continuing in the spirit of the conference. Closing remarks Gamal Fahnbulleh

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