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to Home On his way to the Pacific Forum in Niue, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma came to Canberra for talks with Commonwealth Government ministers and officials.
He also managed to fit into his tight timetable a meeting with some high commissioners as well as hosting drinks for representatives of the Commonwealth Round Table, the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Commonwealth Day Multi-faith Celebrations Committee on Friday 15 August.
He indicated that when he is in Canberra next year he would be quite happy to address members of the CRTA (and other friends of the Commonwealth).
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Dr Julia Pitman, Professor James Haire (Centre for Christianity and Culture) and Mr Sharma |
Professor Anthony Low Co-convenor of the CRTA, Mr Sharma, Hugh Craft Co-convenor of the CRTA and President Royal Commonwealth Society |
Professor Ben Reilly Head of the Centre for Democratic Institutions, Former President of the Senate Senator Margaret Reid, Mr Sharma, Mr Paul O'Callaghan Executive Directorfor International Development |
Commonwealth Day Lecture
The 2008 Commonwealth
Day lecture was held in the Theatre Auditorium at the University Club
in Perth Monday 10 March. The Hon Justice Nicholas Hasluck AM Chair of the
Commonwealth Writer’s Prize Advisory Committee spoke on Thought
Crimes and other Themes in Commonwealth Literature
He was introduced by Professor Don Markwell a member of the Commonwealth Round Table in Australia.
To access a copy of Professor Marwell's introdcution as a Word document CLICK HERE.
To access a copy of Justice Hasluck's address also in Word format CLICK HERE.
Commonwealth Day Celebration Monday 10 March
A Celebration of the Commonwealth was held today hosted by the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra and supported by a wide range of local religious and spiritual leaders.
It was a multi-faith and multi-cultural celebration of the Commonwealth based on the Annual Westminster Abbey format. It was organised by a special Commonwealth Day Celebration Committee chaired by Mr Tony Eggleton AO CVO and comprised of members of the Royal Commonwealth Society including President Mr Hugh Craft and members of the CRTA and religious leaders.
The Official Secretary to the Governor-General, Mr Malcolm Hazell read the Queen's message.
To access a copy of the Order of Celebration (including the Queen's message) as word document - CLICK HERE.
To access some of the pictures from the Celebration CLICK HERE.
Click here to access the RCS ACT Newsletter for Novmember (PDF - you need Acrobat Reader)
13 November 2007
Click
here for a flyer advertising this special seminar to be held prior to the
Kampala CHOGM.
It is to be addressed by Michael Potts, Ambassador for People Smuggling and
First Assistant Secretary, International Organisations and Legal, Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
It is to be held 5.30-7pm on 13 November at the Coombs Lecture Theatre, ANU
(Canberra)
You are invited to attend and if you have the capability to circulate this
flyer more widely amongst your own contacts.
August 2007
The CRTA Steering Committee met in Canberra on 9 August to review Commonwealth activities and developments during the year, and to consider possible future programs including for Canberra Day 2008, and the 2008 Commonwealth lecture.
It was agreed that
the Commonwealth Day celebrations in 2007 had been very successful in promoting
the idea of the modern Commonwealth, its vitality, depth and variety. The
celebrations played a significant role in projecting the Commonwealth in the
local and national contexts and would be continued in future. The interfaith
celebrations in Canberra had involved a substantial faith and culture-based
contribution and drawn on a generous and sympathetic commitment by Canberra's
religious leaders and communities. Attendance at the Commonwealth Day Dinner
at University House, which was addressed by the Governor-General as Patron
of the Royal Commonwealth Society, had reflected the whole spectrum of local
Commonwealth groups loosely associated as Friends of the Commonwealth.
The Steering Committee also considered the role CRTA supporters in the various
states would wish to play in the 2008 program, particularly with the possibility
that once again, as was the case in 2006 when it was hosted in Melbourne,
the Commonwealth Lecture might be held in a centre other than Canberra.
The importance was
recognised of maintaining ongoing contact and discussion on an interstate
basis. Another initiative to enhance the presentation of the Commonwealth
message was the recent establishment of a re-formatted Commonwealth Society
newsletter, to be issued on a quarterly basis and available to the groups
and individuals comprising the Friends of the Commonwealth, as well as on
its own website accessible through the CRTA web page.
Annual Commonwealth Lecture 2007
Sponsored by the Commonwealth Round Table in Australia and the Australian National University's Graduate Studies in International Affairs Program the lecture was given by our Patron The Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser, AC CH on 30 April. A copy of his lecture can be access by clicking HERE as a word doc or HERE as a PDF doc.
The Royal Commonwealth Socitey hosted a Commonwealth Day Dinner at the Great Hall University House, Australian National University. His Excellency The Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery attened. The Governor General addressed the dinner and his speech is available as a PDF file - CLICK HERE.
Life memberships were also bestowed on six long-standing members of the ACT Branch by the Governor-General. Pics and more deatils will be available shortly.
Members of the CRTA also attended and Convenor Professor Anthony Low gave the vote of thanks.
More than Fun and Games
Matthew Neuhaus. Director, Political Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London will disucss the Commonwealth's Political Role at a lunch at the Australian National University on 23 August 2006. For more information click HERE.
Back to the Future for the Commonwealth
Malcolm Fraser AC CH (and CRTA Patron) has written an article on his experience as a member of the Eminent Persons Group and his view as to why the experience should be a lesson for the future concerning Zimbabwe. (Download as a MS Word Doc or an Adobe PDF)
The 2006 Commonwealth Day Lecture in Australia has been given by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the Hon. Don McKinnon on 22 March 2006 at Trinity College, University of Melbourne. [More...]