CX in Canada

The CX team has been in Toronto this week taking part in a number of events to promote Commonwealth connections.

On Monday, our Executive Director Tim Hewish spoke at an event organised by the NATO Association of Canada about our report on security and defence: cooperation: "The Commonwealth's Call to Duty."

We were privileged to speak alongside Canadian Defence Minister the Hon, Jason Kenney MP and the Hon. Hugh Segal (former Senator, Commonwealth Envoy, and member of the Commonwealth Eminent Person's Group). Both were welcoming of our report and it's recommendations which is hugely encouraging and will hopefully help bring them about as soon as possible.

The unedited footage of the whole event is available here. Tim's speech starts here, Hugh Segal's starts here, and Minister Kenney's here.

After the event, the CX Directors took part in the Nato Council's "Talk to a Diplomat" podcast series. You can listen to our episode here.

We were also able to catch up with our Advisory Board members Dr Roy Eappen and Michael Bonner as well as the NATO Council's Robert Baines and update them on CX's progress so far.

Finally, we were also honoured to speak as guests of the Royal Commonwealth Society of Toronto and the United Commonwealth Society. It was great to meet many of the Society's members and in particular to share a platform with Joannes Paulus Yimbesalu, a Cameroonian and a winner of the Queen's Young Leader Award.

CX signs MoU with the Royal Commonwealth Society

We are pleased to announce that Commonwealth Exchange (CX) will be working more closely with the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) after signing a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This builds on CX’s strategic aim of forging strong partnerships with other organisations that share our view of the Commonwealth’s possibilities and potential in a modern context.

The MoU allows both parties the opportunity to work together on a forthcoming report on understanding Commonwealth education in young Britons.

Commenting on the agreement our Executive Director, Tim Hewish, has said:

“I am delighted to have an MoU with the RCS. As an historian by background I have always taken a keen interest in the life and works of the RCS. Having this chance to work with the RCS certainly strengthens the reach of CX as a think tank in offering practical and workable Commonwealth solutions in public policy. I look forward to the deeper association between our two organisations.”

You can read more about the RCS by visiting their website or Facebook and Twitter pages

The RCS has also kindly published a blog about CX’s latest report on enhancing Commonwealth defence and strategic connection which can be found here.