Zimbabwe and political transition

This paper looks at the factors which helped ZANU-PF as a former liberation movement retain power and lead to a one-party dominant state. It also explores the extent to which ZANU-PF is adapting to democratic politics and multiparty elections

Thatcher, the Commonwealth and apartheid South Africa

Controversial she may be, but the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher still played a role in the dismantling of South Africa’s apartheid regime, says Sue Onslow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies

#Zimbabwe2013: Elections are stolen months before the poll date

As the results of the Zimbabwe elections continue to make headlines, Sue Onslow explores the depths to which Zanu-PF is entrenched within the Zimbabwean state and society, an undeniable factor in their victory in the recent polls

The Commonwealth and Challenges to Media Freedom

The absence of the official Commonwealth from the public debates on issues around media freedom—not least the disquieting rising number of attacks on journalists in countries across the association1—needs to be addressed.2 Other multilateral organisations and agencies have taken a firm and highly visible lead, coordinating a wide range of activities and institutional frameworks to underpin the safety of journalists, government frameworks of accountability, and issues around access to information.3 In contrast to the quiescent Commonwealth, the Francophonie’s work on education, structures and adjudication in this area is particularly striking.4 Yet Commonwealth civil society organisations have done considerable work in the past on this issue, so the official Commonwealth does not have to reinvent the wheel. The Commonwealth Expert Group publication, Freedom of Expression, Association and Assembly, published in 2003, set out core frameworks and areas of activity, yet this report has dropped below the horizon. The fate of this historic Commonwealth energy and activity on media freedom issues underlines that until and unless there is ‘ownership’ by a core group of governments, ‘soft power’ initiatives by civil society will remain largely irrelevan

Nelson Mandela left his mark on the Commonwealth

Sue Onslow reflects on how the Commonwealth opposed apartheid and the impact Nelson Mandela had on the organisation when he became leader of South Africa

Voices of the Commonwealth

This article describes a major exercise undertaken by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London, to put together an oral history of the modern Commonwealth. The project was set in the context of a wider research agenda aimed at investigating whether the Commonwealth has made any difference globally in policy terms. As part of the exercise, the author, who was the lead researcher on the project, interviewed senior figures within the Commonwealth who played key roles in shaping the destiny of the organization and in influencing policy. The article is a personal account of the exercise

Social media's impact on political discourse in South Africa

In this Working Paper, Dr. Sue Onslow explores how social media platforms have impacted political discourse in South Africa

Interview with Lord Hurd of Westwell: Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Lord Hurd of Westwell, conducted 6th March 2013 as part of the Commonwealth Oral History Project. The project aims to produce a unique digital research resource on the oral history of the Commonwealth since 1965 through sixty oral history interviews with leading figures in the recent history of the organisation. It will provide an essential research tool for anyone investigating the history of the Commonwealth and will serve to promote interest in and understanding of the organisation. Biography: Hurd, Douglas. (1930-present). House of Commons, Member of Parliament for Mid Oxon, 1974-1983. Member of Parliament for Witney, 1983-1997. Opposition Spokesman for Europe, 1976-1979. Foreign and Commonwealth office, Minister of State, 1979-1983. Home Office, 1983-1989. Home Secretary, 1985-1989. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1984-1985. Foreign Secretary, 1989-1995. Baron of Westwell, 1997-present. House of Lords, member, 1997-present. Constitutional Commission, member, 1998-1999. Westminster Abbey, High Steward, 1999-2011. Archbishop of Canterbury’s Review, Chair, 2000-2001