The Round Table

Moot Resources

The Moot is the name of the Editorial Board that supports The Round Table journal, as well as organizing occasional seminars, meetings and conferences on themes of Commonwealth interest.

Report: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007

A Picture Reportage by Terry Barringer View the photos

Visitors to Kampala in November were greeted by ubiquitous "Are you ready for CHOGM?" posters, featuring the striking crested crane logo. These were varied by posters reminding the locals that there were "eyes on Uganda" and beaming, beautiful Ugandan athlete, an Olympic medallist, proclaiming "I'm ready for CHOGM". You can learn a lot about a country from posters. Also notable were posters for the upcoming Kampala marathon and the "Say no to sugar-daddies campaign" (a reminder of Uganda's ongoing and effective campaign to reduce HIV/AIDS infection rates). Kampala was ready for CHOGM - although only just. I arrived on the 17^th a few days before the royals and the "HOGS" and road repair, planting and painting was still proceeding at a pace which was both hasty and yet leisurely. Rumours circulated of cold showers and hot flushing loos in some of the official hotels.

The Round Table was ready for CHOGM, with no less than eight members of the editorial board attending in various capacities - with the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of the Peoples' Forum and as members of the special CHOGM choir that joined in a memorable Mozart Requiem in Namirembe Cathedral. The RT team ranged from the veteran Derek Ingram, described by the Commonwealth Secretary General as "as much an institution as CHOGM itself" (see Derek's column) to CHOGM virgins Amelia Hadfield and Terry Barringer at their first "Commonwealth Summit". All came together, with distinguished guests, at the Round Table CHOGM dinner, where Terry Waite spoke movingly about his own experience of the Commonwealth and Uganda and the need for all Commonwealth countries to fight corruption.

Amelia and Terry spent their time promoting the journal, observing the business of CHOGM, monitoring the local media and making fruitful contacts with Ugandan journalists, academics and civil society. They participated in a seminar at Makerere Business School, on the Commonwealth, globalisation and governance in the 21sr century organised by Tim Shaw of RT's International Advisory Board. Professor Shaw's important new book, Commonwealth: Inter- and non-state contributions to global governance, was launched at this event.

All this activity will be reflected in The Round Table in 2008. The February issue will include articles by Derek Ingram and Amelia Hadfield reflecting on the CHOGM experience. Later issues will include articles on Commonwealth membership by David McIntyre, on "Civil Paths to Peace" and the Commonwealth's respect and understanding agenda by Terry Barringer, on Zimbabwe and Commonwealth (in?)action and other unfolding Commonwealth themes.

For more reports and pictures from CHOGM please visit www.chogm2007.ug