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issue 7 | August 2008 | View as a webpage |
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From Canada and Kenya, Vanuatu and Bangladesh, 30 young delegates and 70 RCS members from across the Commonwealth will travel to Cyprus in September for the Nkabom Youth Leadership Programme and International Meeting.Please note that there will be no e-Newsletter in September. Look out for the next edition in October, packed full of new events..Public Affairs Team |
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July Round-Up |
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Notes from a Panel Debate on:"Students, Scholarships and the Commonwealth: Breaking Ties, Wasting Talent"This so-called financial saving amounts to little more than the price of a basement flat in Bayswater, yet its withdrawal will waste untold talent (Germaine Greer) Chair: Professor Tim Unwin, Professor of Geography, Royal Holloway & Commonwealth Scholarships Commissioner Sir George Bain, former President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast Alastair Niven OBE, Principal of Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Professor Germaine Greer, writer, academic, journalist and scholar Germaine Greer was among those slamming the Foreign Secretary's decision to cut funding for the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship plan at a protest meeting held at the RCS on 10 July. She joined other prominent speakers to protest against the FCO's recent announcement that it will no longer support student scholarships for 8 of the more developed Commonwealth nations. Click here for key recommendations from the event.
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Notes from a panel debate on:"The Chavez Effect: The Case of the Caribbean"America isn't going to resurrect the energies and creative powers of the Caribbean. England is finished with us. We are ignored by the world, but Chavez says "Ok, I'm going to trade with you." (Darcus Howe) Chair: Tony Lloyd, MP, Chairman of Parliamentary Labour Party, Former Foreign & Commonwealth Minister Bronwen Brown, Economist Intelligence Unit Darcus Howe Columnist & Commentator, New Statesman Sir Ronald Sanders KCMG, KCN International Relations Consultant & former Caribbean Ambassador Response from: Felix Plasencia-Gonzalez, Charge d'Affaires, Venezuelan Embassy The Caribbean is home to 12 Commonwealth member states, which equates to almost one quarter of the Commonwealth's total membership. As Venezuela is arguably the major political and economic power in the Caribbean, it is important to look more closely at the fascinating dynamics in this region. We are lucky to have a very distinguished panel with us tonight... Click here for a full report of the event.
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Coming soon |
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Thursday 2 October, 6.15pmKeynote AddressThe Commonwealth: The Way ForwardKeynote: H.E. Kamalesh Sharma Commonwealth Secretary-General Chair: Sir David Green, KCMG, RCS Chairman In this keynote address the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, will outline his vision for the modern Commonwealth and will set out the role he sees himself playing as Secretary-General. He will argue that the Commonwealth must be more than a 'boutique' organisation if it is to respond to key global challenges. To book, email Nigel McCollum, or call on 020 7766 9205. |
Tuesday 7 October, 6.15pmPanel debateHelping Women, Helps the PlanetChair: Patsy Robertson former diplomat & official spokesperson for the Commonwealth Secretary-General Panel: Tim Yeo, MP, Chairman of the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee Jenny Jones, Green Party, London Assembly Member This debate will explore different routes for engaging and empowering women through environmental protection projects and climate change mitigation in both the developing and developed worlds. The seminar will explore the notion of women as natural conservationists, whose particular experience places them ahead of the game in efficient resource managemnet and achieving a low carbon economy. To book, email Claire Anholt or call on 020 7766 9202. This event is held in partnership with UNIFEM UK.
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Wednesday 29 October, 6.15pmKeynote addressDesigning EcocitiesKeynote: Dr Ken Yeang, eco-designer and green skyscraper architect Chair: Sunand Prasad, President of RIBA
Recently listed by The Guardian as one of the 'Fifty People Who Can Save the Planet', Ken Yeang of Malaysia, is the world's leading green skyscraper architect and one of the foremost eco-designers, theoreticians, and thinkers in the field of green design. High-rise structures are traditionally the most un-ecological of all buildings, often wasting up to 30% more energy than lower structures built with the same materials. Yeang uses walls of plants, photovoltaics, scallop-shaped sunshades, and advanced ventilation to collect water and breezes, ecological aesthetics being central to his designs. Yeang's vision is to enable buildings to run as complete ecosystems with little external energy supply. He will explain his theory using case studies of his own buildings and city planning initiatives in Malaysia, Singapore and India. To book, email Nigel McCollum or call on 020 7766 9205. |
Tuesday 11 November, 6.15pmKeynote addressA new agenda for global co-operationKeynote: The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats Chair: Stuart Mole, RCS Director-General
In this important keynote, the leader of the Liberal Democrats will outline his vision for building a new consensus for global change. Nick Clegg will explore the need to reassert the primacy of cooperation and multilateralism over unilateralism; and the imperative to create new global institutions and to reform the UN, EU and Bretton Woods bodies. He will ask how we can uphold democratic values, justice and human rights within a liberal and equitable trading system and how, in cases of gross human rights violations, an effective mechanism for humanitarian intervention can be developed. The speaker will argue that the neo-colonial era of unilateral, military intervention for 'democracy' is passing and that we must all now aim for a new era of global cooperation in support of democracy and justice. Finally, he will ask what role the Commonwealth can play in this new world order. To book, email Claire Anholt or call on 020 7766 9205. | |||
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Special Event |
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Friday 10 October, 7.30pmJazz Night at the Commonwealth ClubAlyusha Chagrin DuoCome and enjoy the smooth sounds of the Alyusha Chagrin Duo covering a wide range of jazz and Latin favourites in the Commonwealth Club's restaurant. The perfect way to start your weekend in style! Please book in advance to guarantee seating. Free access for members. 5 pounds for non-members. The usual a la carte menu is available in the restaurant and Tapas are available in the mezzanine bar. For further information and to book, contact the Membership Department on 020 7766 9231. |
All feedback welcomePlease let us know if you have found the information in this Public Affairs Round-Up helpful/ interesting. Is there anything else you would like to see included? What did you like/dislike? Did you have any problems opening the email? All feedback is welcome via email at joanna.stephenson@rcsint.org or by calling 020 7766 9230. If you would prefer not to receive this communication again, please reply to this email with the word unsubscribe in the title.
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