Regional tension is a concern, writes Ope Adetayo, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Lagos, Nigeria, but is not a new issue or restricted to any one country. He looks at history and suggests that answers are available. Each day passes and the news trickles out. The situation portends grave consequences. People watch on, arms akimbo …

“Relics from a dark era can be resolved” Read More »

Zimbabwe appears to be on the cusp of leadership change, writes Michael Gyekye, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Ghana, as he reviews the dramatic events and the public reaction in what has been a historic week. Finally. The change in leadership the people of Zimbabwe have craved for decades is almost here. Strongman Robert Mugabe …

“Zimbabwe reaches for a new leader” Read More »

Elections give citizens a voice, but Lyn-Marie Blackman, a Commonwealth Correspondent alumni from Barbados, argues for methods to hold politicians accountable to citizens during the term of office. An election is a process that many of us all over this globe have gotten familiar with over time. Many of us go to the polls seeking …

“Do set terms of office serve the electorate?” Read More »

Recent talk of a political alliance has raised questions, writes Paul Odhiambo, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nairobi in Kenya, with some seeing it as good news and others worried about the implications. On Friday 9th March 2018 the leader of National Super Alliance (NASA), Rt. Honourable Raila Amollo Odinga met with President Uhuru Kenyatta …

“Will political cease fire be good for Kenya?” Read More »

Democracy is espoused as the ideal, but Metolo Foyet, 20, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Cameroon now living in Niger, reflects on its origins and limitations in practice. I was going to chow in the mess hall on campus when I heard an angry voice from afar. It was a military man. “Liberal democracy does not …

“Discordancy and democracy in Africa” Read More »

Based on a collective sense of exclusivity and under-representation, Terez Lord, 25, a Correspondent from Trinidad and Tobago, says the Caribbean’s young people have decided that it is time to change from rhetoric to action. A plethora of challenges that affect us, our development and – by extension – the entire nation has not been properly diagnosed …

“Youth involvement: from rhetoric to action” Read More »

Malaysia’s recent election was historic, writes Debra Grace Lim Jia-En, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Malaysia, who looks at the positive role social media played in engaging voters in the civic exercise. For those born after 1995, it might seem as though social media platforms have been around forever. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, …

“Social media and politics in Malaysia election” Read More »

Youth are a majority in Nigeria and could have impact on upcoming elections, writes Oghenekevwe Oghenechovwen, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Warri in Nigeria, who urges youth to rise to the challenge of leadership. “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it” – Frantz Fanon. In the lead up …

“2019 elections demand youth engagement” Read More »

This year’s CHOGM put the UK in the spotlight and set an ambitious agenda for youth, writes Kiiza Saddam Hussein, 27, a Commonwealth Correspondent who lives in Uganda and Rwanda, and anticipates equal success when Rwanda hosts the 2020 event. Probably you’ve heard many stories about Rwanda, some positive others negative, but since 2000 Rwanda …

“Rwanda steps up to host the 2020 CHOGM” Read More »