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Not to be confused with the Great Britain-based Organisation of British Nations.

Commonwealth of Nations
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday
Flag of the Commonwealth
Flag of the Commonwealth
Language English
Head of the Commonwealth William V

The Commonwealth of Nations is an organization meant to promote democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism and free trade among those nations located within the boundaries of the former British Empire.

History[]

The Commonwealth was a remarkably successful organisation that has prevented wars and fought against injustices such as apartheid. However, Doomsday meant that the Commonwealth was suspended as contact was lost between the memberstates. Now there is an attempt to revive the Commonwealth to engender peaceful relations the world over.

The DSA undertook the revival of the Commonwealth in 2010. This period coincided with the re-establishment of peace with the Dominion's neighbors following years of civil and international conflict that had accompanied the collapse of the Republic of the Cape. Meanwhile the arrival of Oceanic and South American troops to South Africa (occupying the so-called RZA) opened up the region to more global trade and diplomacy. It was a good opportunity to restore friendly ties with the old Commonwealth, encouraging goodwill toward the Dominion and its royal head of state in particular.

Initially, interest was limited to some of the DSA's regional neighbors (Botswana and Mauritius) and to some of the nations of Canada that were already on the verge of acknowledging King Andrew as their head of state. Fiji, emerging from a period of isolation, applied for membership not long afterward.

But within just a few years, the DSA's own policies did serious damage to this project. Less than a year after ceremoniously announcing the foundation of the Commonwealth, the DSA crushed a rebellion in Peddie, a town in the Ciskei that had recently been ceded from kwaXhosa. In 2012, this was followed by a wholesale invasion of the republic. Victoria, a Commonwealth member, issued a stern condemnation of the war, while other nations that had been considering membership balked. The Commonwealth seemed on the verge of collapsing so soon after it had been created.

Subsequent DSA governments made attempts to revive the organization and return to its original purpose. Results have been mixed. While the Commonwealth has not reached anything near its former size, it has helped to promote productive relations between southern Africa, Fiji, and western Canada. It has also given the smaller former British dependencies a way to express their unique national identities.

Members[]

The Commonwealth is very stringent in its selection of nations. They must comply with the above principles of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism and free trade and be fully sovereign states. They must recognise the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth. They must accept the English language as the method of Commonwealth communication. They must respect the wishes of the general population vis-à-vis Commonwealth membership.

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