Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- I THE CHANGING COMMONWEALTH
- II DEMOCRACY
- III THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE MAKING OF THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA
- IV SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
- V DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA
- VI NIGERIA IN TRANSITION
- VII PEACE AND SECURITY IN A PLURALISTIC WORLD
- VIII TOWARDS A COMMON HUMANITY
- NOTES TO THE TEXT
- ANNEXES I Basic Data on Commonwealth Member Countries
- ANNEXES II Map of the Commonwealth
- ANNEXES III Commonwealth Membership of Regional Organisations
- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
- BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
- INDEX
II - DEMOCRACY
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- I THE CHANGING COMMONWEALTH
- II DEMOCRACY
- III THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE MAKING OF THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA
- IV SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
- V DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA
- VI NIGERIA IN TRANSITION
- VII PEACE AND SECURITY IN A PLURALISTIC WORLD
- VIII TOWARDS A COMMON HUMANITY
- NOTES TO THE TEXT
- ANNEXES I Basic Data on Commonwealth Member Countries
- ANNEXES II Map of the Commonwealth
- ANNEXES III Commonwealth Membership of Regional Organisations
- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
- BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
- INDEX
Summary
The Commonwealth: Effecting its Roles and Principles in the 1990s
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Harare, Zimbabwe
17 September 1990
Addressing the 36th CPA conference, he chooses two themes deeply embedded in the Commonwealth heritage: racism, and democracy; the former, he traces historically as an ideology developed a few centuries ago to meet the needs of the slave trade and later colonialism; and democracy, the most effective system for motivating citizens to participate in the development of their nation. Legislators, he says, hold the key to eradicating one and nurturing the other …
I count it a particular privilege to have been invited to address this 36th Parliamentary Conference in this place and at this time. In this place because this capital city of Harare will always be special to the Commonwealth; a symbol of the courage and endurance of Zimbabwe's people in the long struggle for freedom. I am proud that one of the Commonwealth's finest hours was its part in Zimbabwe's eventual triumph in the achievement of independence over ten years ago. The nature of that triumph, one firmly founded on democracy, accords with the spirit of 1990, and underscores my pleasure in addressing this conference at this time.
No doubt the current resurgence of democracy in different parts of the world will figure prominently in your discussions this week. In your plenary session tomorrow you will be discussing the role of Commonwealth parliaments in helping to speed concrete changes towards the end of apartheid and the establishment of non-racial democracy in South Africa.
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- The Missing HeadlinesSelected Speeches, pp. 85 - 142Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 1997