D emo c r a c y : R u l e o f l aw, r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n Likewise, the concept of human rights, to which so much of the UN system resorts as an absolute arbiter of decision making, has in recent years come under considerable scrutiny. There is now growing acceptance that the human rights agenda does not amount to much without adequate attention to the bearers of all corresponding responsibilities, be they individuals or states. Similarly, a commitment to sustainable development has increasingly become seen as a sine qua non in international agreements and agendas over the last half century, but at its heart there remains a fundamental contradiction: development implies change or growth, and yet change by definition is not something that is necessarily sustainable. The purpose here is not to tease out these questions in detail, but rather to highlight that, by signing up to such broad principles, people can actually mean very different things by them and that such differences can lead to discord and difficulty unless mediated through effective cultural dialogue and diplomacy. Values of the Commonwealth There are five aspects of the Commonwealth that are of immense value in this context. First, is the shared legal tradition of the Commonwealth, largely based on the principles of common law, and a focus on maintaining the judiciary separate from the legislature and executive. Second, the ability of many people across the Commonwealth to speak variants of the English language can be an immense source of common understanding; indigenous and ‘national’ languages remain hugely important to individual and national cultural identities, but this use of English is nevertheless extremely valuable not only as a working language for international politics, but also for helping to reduce potentially divisive intercommunal conflict. Third, the diversity of the Commonwealth, bringing together 2.1 billion people, from more than 50 countries spread across every continent, should be celebrated as a very real strength, although it requires considerable skills of cultural diplomacy to prevent it deteriorating into dissonance, as reflected in the departure of Zimbabwe and The Gambia. Fourth, the value attributed to education – not just for the economic motives that have so come to dominate rhetoric on education today, but more importantly for cultural and social reasons – is critically important for ensuring the shared understanding that lies at the heart of crafting a peaceful and prosperous Commonwealth. Fifth, the Commonwealth should return to its original meaning as being for the ‘common weal’ or common good. The Commonwealth has a profoundly important role to play in counterbalancing the excesses of greed and individualism Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 42 Commonwealth forum on government and opposition parties: former Ghana President Jerry Rawlings meets Ugandan Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. (Tanzania, May 2013) Commonwealth Secretariat
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