Message from Windsor

IN July, a number of young people from many different Commonwealth countries, and from many ethnic backgrounds, attended a conference organised by the St. Catharine's Foundation at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor. They took a radical look at the Commonwealth and produced a "message" to the delegations which will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Brisbane in October - and to the High Level Review Group which is considering the Commonwealth's role.

The gist of the message was that the Commonwealth "does not speak with sufficient relevance to the new generation". Specific issues listed as being of concern to the under 25-year-olds who make up more than half the population of the 54 Commonwealth countries included poverty, education, human rights and the environment. The march of HIV and AIDS constituted "an additional burden". The participants called for a renewed Commonwealth that would deploy young people as agents of change in their own communities. It should focus on the issues identified "rather than historical ties".

Within a few weeks of that conference, the Commonwealth showed one of its strengths in the meeting in Nigeria to consider the situation in Zimbabwe. Through the efforts of the African - and particularly the Nigerian - participants, agreement was reached on a way of ending what had become a major international crisis in Zimbabwe.

Two aspects of the Zimbabwe situation are significant. The first is the nature of the problem. It has been widely portrayed (certainly in the western press) as a confrontation between the Zimbabwe Government of Robert Mugabe and White farmers. It is true that a number of White farmers have been thrown off their farms with scant regard to legality or compensation.

It is true also that land apportionment has been a deeply emotive issue in Zimbabwe, and in Rhodesia (as it was) because of the gross inequity which in colonial days gave the best land to White settlers.

The real issue, however, is different. The Mugabe Government has persecuted the political opposition and has shown a cavalier disregard for the rule of law. The opponents of Mugabe are Black Zimbabweans, whose opposition has grown in strength as Mugabe's Government has led the country deeper into economic chaos. In short, it is a crisis of democracy, not a White-Black confrontation.

The second aspect is closely linked with the first. It concerns the role of the United Kingdom. As the former colonial power, the U.K. has been in a difficult position. It has been under pressure to do something to alleviate the situation, but anything which the U.K. Government might do would be portrayed by Mugabe and his supporters as colonial and racist: "Britain supports White farmers against Zimbabwe's Government".

Zimbabwe's behaviour, however, became an increasing embarrassment to its African neighbours, not because of the White farmer question, but because of the flagrant flouting of the rule of law, and the consequent threat to democracy - which is a notoriously tender plant in many parts of the continent. The Commonwealth connection provided exactly the right conditions for an African-led initiative. Britain was committed to provide financial aid for the compensation of White farmers whose land is to be reallocated to land-starved Black Zimbabweans. The commitment depends on the restoration of law and order by the Zimbabwe Government.

Cynics question whether Mugabe will deliver, but he is under great pressure to do so from fellow members of the Commonwealth in his own continent. It is a good example of the organisation focussing on problems and issues which are of great relevance today, rather than being constrained by historical ties which, in this case, are a definite hindrance.

As a journalist in the 1960s, I covered the last stages of the process of rapid decolonisation by Britain. It resulted in the transformation of empire to Commonwealth. Many doubted whether the transformation could work, arguing that there was too much historical baggage. British, and other, governments, for years put little effort into helping it to work.

The participants at the St. Catharine's conference showed that they have a modern and realistic vision. Their positive recognition that the Commonwealth, given the right policies, can be a worthwhile international organisation should be encouraging in a world which has all too many examples of international strife. Those meeting in Nigeria demonstrated the value of hard- nosed reality in tackling a problem whose repercussions spill over national frontiers.

The Brisbane meeting may well be a victim for security reasons of the attacks on the United States, but as they look to the future, Commonwealth leaders will be advised to take the message from the Windsor Conference seriously.

BILL KIRKMAN

The writer is an Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. E-mail him at wpk1000@cam.ac.uk

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