While I understand that globalisation hardly featured in the previous Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, this time round it was the running theme of most meetings held, particularly at the level of the Commonwealth Business Forum which I attended.
Once the formalities were out of the way and the set speeches were put aside, we had an interesting cocktail of speakers ranging, on one particular day, from the president of Microsoft International to the president of Uganda.
Although many tend to question the Commonwealth’s relevance in this day and age, I am particularly attracted to it as a result of its diversity and heterogeneous composition.
This was most evident during the three days of the business forum itself.
I have my doubts whether there was actually more networking than policy-debate but the point that came through most forcefully, especially from the African leaders – was that we need the rebalancing of free trade into fairer trade.
Their plea had one common thread and line of thought – that the developed countries needed to back up their words with action and that they needed to offer real development dividends to developing countries.
In terms of trade, the Commonwealth is second to the EU and even larger than NAFTA. But I have my doubts how much the leaders gathered in Malta actually had the opportunity of directly influencing future policies and strategies.
One fine point made about globalisation was that this is no longer something identified exclusively with the supremacy of the US corporate sector.
Even technology featured prominently, with many arguing that it was the primary moving force for this modern day and age.
In their level-headed appraisal, delegates said that globalisation was neither the solution to every problem but nor was it totally exploitative as many perceived it to be.
One of the finest speakers to the conference was the Egyptian investment minister, who gave a brief but forceful overview of the economic transformation his country has gone through in recent months, emphasising that you cannot have economic reforms without social reforms as much as you cannot have social reforms without genuine political reforms.
Regretfully, some speakers did not stick to the theme of their slot. They preferred to read out briefs on their individual countries rather than relate to the proper theme. As a result of this, while some speakers made for compulsive listening, others were too self- centred rather than adopting a global perspective, as was expected of them.
Although many tend to dismiss Gibraltar as having little importance, their chief minister Peter Caruana gave one of the most level-headed and measured speeches throughout the whole business forum, highlighting both the comparative advantages and disadvantages that small states like his do face.
Edward Debono turned many well-known theories on their head.
He pointed out that while some countries spend billions on technology they do not spend anything on new thinking, adding that IQ and sound thinking do not necessarily go together in view of what he described as the “intelligence gap.”
Lambasting politicians without specifically pinpointing them, he said that many fail to analyse the past and design the future.
The session on managing globalisation for all – technology and development – was one of the best of the business forum. I particularly liked the quote lifted from Thomas Edison that “I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent it.”
The high official from the Northumbria University spoke of a “borderless” education as well as the way English became defacto the language of the internet, of business and of higher education itself.
With the internationalisation of higher education, he called for the removal of trade and regulatory barriers to foreign providers of such a service sector.
It seems very evident that with the diffusion of IT many countries are moving from an information society to an innovation society.
I was particularly struck by what one speaker had to say on the liberalisation process, primarily that liberalisation should not simply mean the transfer of monopoly power.
There was a general feeling that for a true partnership governments, the private sector and civil society need to work in tandem and in harmony.
Another impressive speaker was the PM of Mauritius – a country I admire and had visited in late 1997 for the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting. Without mincing words he made it clear that unless we rise to the challenge of globalisation, rather than creating a global village, we will have created two worlds – one of the “haves” and another of the “have nots”.
Another speaker concluded that globalisation will have succeeded when we manage to eradicate poverty and will have managed to create and develop a global middle class of society.
One final word about the Queen. In spite of the turbulence that the monarchy has gone through as an institution, she continues throughout the years to fulfil her role with maximum dignity and respect while retaining her humility and common touch.
Her visit must have been a feather in the cap for outgoing British High Commissioner Vince Fean, his hard working staff as well as his most engaging wife Anne.
Franco’s fascism (Part 2)
Last week I was pleased to note that another correspondent – Daphne Caruana Galizia, picked upon the issue of re-emerging fascism in Spain, which I had touched upon earlier within the context of my Council of Europe report of Franco’s rule.
Almost by coincidence, I have just received an email from a Spanish anti-Franco activist who is the Presidente De La Asociacion Para La Recuperacion De La Memoria Historica. He showed great eagerness to meet me and discuss with me the above report.
Unfortunately the report has now been already drawn up, concluded and approved by the Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe but it was a privilege to make contact with somebody whose association managed to “discover” over 500 corpses of civilians without making recourse to any public funds or assistance. His grandfather was one of the missing persons during the Spanish Civil War.
In memoriam
As a Manchester United supporter, I cannot but show my deep regrets and sorrow about the passing away of soccer star George Best. He might have lived dangerously but in his own time he gave pleasure to many soccer fans like the undersigned and won Man Utd so many new fans.
Another deep regret goes to the recent demise of artist Antoine Camilleri who used to teach me art in Form 1 at the Lyceum when I was barely 10 years old. I have followed his works with interest since then. His passing away is a great loss for the local artistic community.
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Leo Brincat is the main opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and IT