Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a collection of 54 countries that's a home to 2. 5 billion people. That's almost a third of the world. That total also includes 19 African countries. It's a young organisation. 60% of the Commonwealth population is under the age of 30. The modern Commonwealth was formed in 1949, although at that time it had eight members and only one, South Africa, was on the continent. Initially all members of the Commonwealth were former British colonies. Mozambique was the first country without a British colonial class to join in 1995, followed by Rwanda in 2009. The Commonwealth says to join you need to share the values of the Commonwealth Charter adopted in 2012. These include democracy, h So what happens when a country is accused of breaking these commitments? South Africa removed itself in 1964 after pressure from member states about its racist apartheid policies and only rejoined in 1994. Other countries have left and then come back, including Nigeria and Gambia. Zimbabwe withdrew in 2003 for breaking the Commonwealth Charter under former President Robert Mugabe and have yet to be re-emitted. Supporters say it helps countries to develop and work together on international goals. Some say though that it's a legacy of Britain's colonial past and doesn't have any power. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, that's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, said in July that the Commonwealth must acknowledge its past, even if it's uncomfortable. The head of the Commonwealth is Harry's grand bar, Queen Elizabeth II. The organisation is led day by the Secretary-General. She is currently Patricia Scotland, its first female head, or meter in a moment. The Commonwealth meets every two years to discuss their plans. They were meant to meet in Rwanda in 2020 and this has been delayed due to the pandemic. You might also have heard of the Commonwealth Games. This is a massive sporting event that takes place every four years featuring athletes from all the Commonwealth countries.