Danny Sriskandarajah, the new Interim Director, explains his vision for a “more focused and ambitious” Commonwealth Foundation.
I write this as the social media site Twitter dominates the UK news agenda with tales of footballers and super-injunctions. Only a few months ago, the world’s media was abuzz with the Wikileaks revelations.
They are reminders that the way in which information is generated, communicated and contested is changing rapidly.
They also serve as reminders to organisations and institutions that they need to change how they engage and communicate with their audiences. Following global debates these days involves having to keep up with a fast-paced news agenda so that contributions are timely and pithy. At the same time, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionised the way that organisations engage with their stakeholders.
In my opinion, the Commonwealth has the wherewithal to be one of the key drivers of this change, the provider of solutions, the stage for partnerships, the road between civil society and their governments, but only if we keep up with the times and take bold steps towards a brave and authentic future.
Indeed, at the Commonwealth Foundation, where I have been appointed Interim Director, we are busy trying to adapt our core mission for this new era. When the Foundation was established in 1965 it was an organisation ahead of its time.
It sought to strengthen the Commonwealth’s unique networks of professional associations and peoples’ organisations.
This was an inter-governmental initiative to nurture the non-governmental.
Yet today, after several internal changes and in the context of a rapidly transforming world, I believe the Foundation needs refocusing and refreshing in order to meet its considerable potential in the 21st century. A more focused and ambitious Foundation will be able to help Commonwealth civil society in new and innovative ways, help strengthen the wider Commonwealth project, and deliver better value for money for member states.
While the Foundation undoubtedly does good work in many areas, there have been several developments that have shaped and, in many cases, challenged the way that the organisation works. Civil society has changed. The means by which citizens communicate and mobilise have changed too because of new and more accessible technologies. The world has therefore become more interconnected and information flows freely and is instantly available. And, while the economic downturn continues, funding opportunities are fewer and pressures on international organisations to show value for money are higher than ever.
The Commonwealth Foundation needs to heed this pressure as, despite all the good work it has done and will continue to do, it is fighting for recognition in an environment where the Commonwealth name does not have the profile it should. Without the necessary gravitas, the hurdles it must jump over to obtain the kudos it deserves will become higher and harder to clear.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth leaders are pressurising organisations to increase their reach and their profile, as evidenced by convening the Eminent Persons Group, which has already indicated new directions to be taken by the Commonwealth Secretariat and also the Foundation.
I have come to the Foundation at a time when the seeds of opportunity can be planted and I am excited by the potential of this small, yet powerful, organisation that is staffed by good people with ideas and an appetite to achieve them. In order to get the best from this organisation and to make it as effective as it can possibly be, I will be restructuring and refocusing the work we do. I am open and transparent with staff and stakeholders and although this process has been quick to turn around, it has also been consultative wherever possible.
In a world that is permeated by shallow, virtual networks, the Foundation is the hub of one of the most diverse yet real networks of people and organisations. We are in an era in which the role of civil society is critical, whether it is as a pillar of democracy or as a deliverer of key services. The global economic downturn and the Foundation’s focus on smaller countries make its resources more valuable than ever.
With a clearer focus, a better work environment and the injection of fresh ideas, the Foundation will once again be at the vanguard of the Commonwealth project.
