Grassroots Commonwealth: (Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Durban's theme "people-centred development; the challenge of globalization").The November Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, abbreviated to CHOGM, is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime (CHOGM CHOGM Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting ) held in Durban, South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. , had as its theme `People-centred development: the challenge of globalization'. In preparation for this, and to strengthen its grassroots credibility, the Commonwealth Foundation had sponsored a report, Citizens and governance: civil society in the new Millennium. The result of two years' research by some 60 organizations, the report was presented and discussed at the NGO NGO abbr. nongovernmental organization Noun 1. NGO - an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government nongovernmental organization Forum held a week before the main event. Despite the wide range of interests represented, a number of priorities was agreed. For instance, if the benefits of globalization globalization Process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world. Factors that have contributed to globalization include increasingly sophisticated communications and transportation were to be shared more widely, `there must be greater equity for countries in global markets'. The conclusions were presented to the Commonwealth leaders and were reflected in their final communique. Such NGO input marked a new development in CHOGM. Non-profit and development organizations manned more than 120 stalls in the Commonwealth People's Centre, a large exhibition hall next to the conference venue. It exemplified what one senior politician referred to as `the enormous pattern of activities, links and cooperative projects that make the Commonwealth a real and living entity, taking place at non-governmental levels'. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion