Course Overview
The Commonwealth is a political and cultural organisation of great complexity and does its work guided by a philosophy based on certain key values and principles. These are designed to hold its complex and sometimes contradictory social systems together as a coherent whole. This course is designed to equip you with a knowledge and understanding of the key Commonwealth values and principles. The emphasis is on the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth, as defined in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991 – adherence to human rights and democratic principles. For this reason, two of the units will look at the principles of human rights and democracy at a universal level.
The course also explores the values that underpin the way that the Commonwealth actually works: through consultation, co-operation, and consensus building. It will focus on the key concepts of citizenship, human rights, participation, democracy, empowerment, robust pluralism and equity. This course will describe the nature of the Commonwealth as an institution of diverse cultures and traditions, its decision making structures and its key areas of work.
You will be given opportunities for reflection at regular intervals to help you relate the theory to the real world.