Australia Archives - Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Hon Alexander Downer

by evanamusoke | Oct 13, 2018 | Apartheid, Australia, Brexit, CHOGM, Civil Society, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), Commonwealth Secretariat, Cyprus, Diplomacy, Environment, Human Rights, India, New Zealand, Queen, United Kingdom

Download Interview Transcript. Biography: Downer, Alexander. 1951-. Born in Australia. Educated at Newcastle University (1975-1976). Australian Diplomatic Service, 1976-82. Political Adviser to Prime Minister JM Fraser, 1982-83. House of Representatives for Mayo,...

Witness Seminar – The Commonwealth Secretariat, Economics and Development, and Global Politics

by evanamusoke | Jan 6, 2017 | Australia, CHOGM, Civil Society, Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), Commonwealth Secretariat, Constitutional Change, Decolonisation, Democracy, Development, Diplomacy, Education, Elections, Fiji, Human Rights, India, Media, Mozambique, New Zealand, Queen, Small States, South Africa, United Kingdom, United Nations, Zimbabwe (see also Rhodesia)

The Witness Seminar was held on 24th March 2014 at the Australian National University in Canberra. Download Witness Seminar. Programme Session 1: The Commonwealth Secretariat Session 2: The Commonwealth, Economics and Development Session 3: The Commonwealth in Global...

Commonwealth Diplomacy and the End of Apartheid. Anthony Law Commonwealth Lecture by former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans

by paola | Dec 14, 2016 | Apartheid, Australia, Blog, Democracy, Human Rights, South Africa

Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia and current Chancellor at the Australian National University, delivered the inaugural Anthony Low Commonwealth Lecture, discussing Australia’s role in facilitating the end of apartheid through Commonwealth...

Hon. Julia Gillard speaks on the Future of the Commonwealth

by evanamusoke | Oct 7, 2016 | Australia, Blog, CHOGM, Decolonisation, Democracy, Development, Diplomacy, Education, Elections, Eminent Persons Group, Human Rights, Queen, Race, Small States, South Africa, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, United Nations

On 5th October, Hon Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013) spoke at King’s College, London on the future of the Commonwealth. Gillard will be a Visiting Professor in the Policy Institute at King’s College. Read the transcript of her...

Interview with Professor Yash Ghai

by evanamusoke | Aug 10, 2016 | Australia, Constitutional Change, Decolonisation, Democracy, Diplomacy, Elections, Fiji, Good Governance, Human Rights, Judiciary, Kenya, Law, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Small States, Tanzania, Uganda, Uncategorized

Download Interview Transcript: Part One (14 July 2015); Part Two (15 July 2015). Biography: Ghai, Yash. 1938. Born in Kenya and graduate of the University of Oxford and Harvard University. Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Yale Law School, 1971-73. Professor of Public Law...

Interview with the Rt Hon Jim Bolger

by chrismoffat | Aug 10, 2015 | Apartheid, Australia, CHOGM, Climate Change, Commonwealth Secretariat, Democracy, Development, Diplomacy, Good Governance, New Zealand, Nigeria, Queen, Rhodesia (see also Zimbabwe), Small States, South Africa, United Kingdom

Download Interview Transcript. Biography: Bolger, James Brendan ‘Jim’. 1935- . Born in Opunake, New Zealand. Elected to the Parliament of New Zealand as MP for King Country in 1972. Minister of Fisheries and Associate Minister of Agriculture, 1977-78. Minister of...

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Definitioner

Hamid Karzai

Hamid Karzai (b.1957) is an Afghan political figure who served as President of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014. Karzai had been an active opponent to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s but was sidelined in politics during the subsequent Taliban regime. Following the American invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Karzai served two years as Interim President (2002-04) before being elected President in 2004.

Jerry John Rawlings

Jerry John Rawlings (b.1947) was President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. He had previously acted as Head of State from 1981 to 1993, seizing power as a leading flight lieutenant during a military coup. This was Rawlings’ second ascent to power through a coup – he had previously acted as Head of State in 1979 during the transitional period to civilian government following the overthrow of General Fred Akuffo.

HIPC

The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative is a debt reduction programme jointly coordinated by the IMF and the World Bank and launched in 1996. The initiative provides debt relief and low-interest loans to 39 countries around the world, 33 of which are located in sub-Saharan Africa.

Pacific Island Forum (Pacific Islands Forum)

The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization. Founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum, it aims to enhance cooperation between the countries of the Pacific Ocean.

Christine Lagarde

Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde (b. 1956). French politician and lawyer. She was France’s Trade Minister, 2005-07. She is currently Managing Director of the IMF (2011-).

Jim Bolger

James “Jim” Bolger (b. 1935). New Zealand politician and member of the National Party. He was Prime Minister 1990-97, and leader of the opposition, 1986-90.

United Nations. Major international organisation, founded in 1945.

South Pacific Forum

The South Pacific Forum was an international organisation formed in 1971 to facilitate cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, it was renamed the Pacific Islands Forum.

Millbrook Declaration

The Millbrook Declaration (1995) is a Commonwealth policy programme, announced at the end of the New Zealand CHOGM. It was designed to uphold the Harare Declaration (1991). Click here to read the Declaration in full.

Security Council

A body, part of the United Nations organisation, charged with upholding of global peace and security.

Ken Saro-Wiwa

Ken Saro-Wiwa (1941-1995). Nigerian writer and political and environmental activist. An outspoken critic of the regime of General Sani Abacha, and Royal Dutch Shell’s environmental pollution in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, Saro Wiwa was executed on 10 November 1995. Eight other MOSOP activists were hanged.

Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe (b.1924). Zimbabwean resistance leader and politician. Served as Prime Minister (1980-1987) and President (1987-) of Zimbabwe.

Don McKinnon

Sir Donald McKinnon (b. 1939) is a New Zealand politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister for the National Party (1990-96), Foreign Minister (1990-99) and Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations (2000-08).

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (b. 1918). South African anti-apartheid campaigner and politician, served as South Africa’s first post-apartheid President (1994-1999).

Dr Mahathir (Mahathir bin Mohamad)

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (b. 1925). Malaysian politician and Prime Minister (1981-2003).

Latimer House Principles

Commonwealth principles on the relationship between the three branches of government that seek to promote good governance. Drafted in 1998 and endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 2003.

Chris Laidlaw

Chris Laidlaw (b.1943). New Zealand politician and diplomat. Assistant to Sonny Ramphal.

IMF

International Monetary Fund. Created in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF's original aim was to stabilise exchange rates and aid national reconstruction after the end of the Second World War.

Harare Declaration

The Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991 set out the Commonwealth's principles and values, including membership criteria. Click here to read the Declaration in full.

European Union. International organisation of European states. Known as the European Economic Community before 1993.

EEC

European Economic Community. An international organisation of European states, founded in 1957. Renamed the European Union in 1993.

Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth Secretariat is the principal inter-governmental body of the Commonwealth, responsible for promoting cooperation between members. Founded in 1965.

Cold War

A period of ideological tension from around 1945 to 1991 between capitalist nations led by the USA and communist nations led by the USSR.

CHOGM

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Every two years Commonwealth heads of government meet to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, with the aim of promoting common initiatives.

Tony Blair

Tony Blair (b. 1953). British politician, served as Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007.

BBC

British Broadcasting Corporation. Broadcasting organisation semi-autonomous from the British government, originally founded in 1922.

Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat (1929-2004). Palestinian resistance leader and politician, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (1969-2004), President of the Palestinian National Authority (1994-2004).

Apartheid

A system of legally enforced racial segregation implemented and upheld by the National Party in South Africa from 1948 – 1994

Emeka Anyaoku

Emeka Anyaoku (b. 1933). Nigerian diplomat. Served as Head of the Commonwealth International Affairs Division (1973-1977), Assistant Secretary General (1977-1979); Deputy Secretary General (1979-1991); Secretary General (1991-2001).

ANC

African National Congress. A South African political party, founded in 1912, that opposed apartheid and has been South Africa’s governing party since 1994.

Abacha (Sani Abacha)

General Sani Abacha (1943-1998). Nigerian army general and politician. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998.

Interview with Hon Alexander Downer

Witness Seminar – The Commonwealth Secretariat, Economics and Development, and Global Politics

Commonwealth Diplomacy and the End of Apartheid. Anthony Law Commonwealth Lecture by former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans

Hon. Julia Gillard speaks on the Future of the Commonwealth

Interview with Professor Yash Ghai

Interview with the Rt Hon Jim Bolger

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