Last Updated on March 15, 2021 by Filip Poutintsev
Fifty-four countries’ deliberate association for supporting one another and working together for realizing shared aims in development and democracy is known as the commonwealth.
Living in Commonwealth Countries
The making of the commonwealth is done via the association of the world poorest and the richest, smallest and the largest countries and homes around two billion citizens of diverse ethnicities and faiths, where more than half of the citizen fall under the age group of 25 or less.
The roots of the commonwealth date back to around 1870s under the British Empire and shadows the principle that believes the achievement of the best form of democracy to be via the partnership of civil society, business, and governments. Within the commonwealth, countries from six out of seven continents and oceans are in membership. Around eight, nineteen, two, ten, three, and twelve countries from Asia, Africa, the Americas, South Pacific, Europe, and the Caribbean, respectively collaboratively make up the commonwealth.
Regardless of it being an association under the British Empire in the past, the current Commonwealth’s membership has no requirement for the participating country to formerly being a British Empire’s part.
Pros and Cons of Living in Commonwealth Countries
The most recent country joining the Commonwealth is Rwanda that came inside the membership is around 2009. Being a member of the Commonwealth can benefit any country in realizing its shared aims maintaining the development as well as democracy.
However, before jumping to any conclusion, it is necessary for evaluating both sides of the coin. Living in a Commonwealth country can benefit the way of life, but might also limit you in various factors. Hence, the detailed pros and cons of living in commonwealth countries are presented below after the explanation of the origination of the commonwealth.
History
Throughout history, the commonwealth is among the world’s eldest political states’ association. Its initiation dates back to the time when the ruling of the countries was done by Britain. As time passed, various British Empire’s countries attained several levels of freedom through Britain. Since 1887, leaders of the Dominions, the semi-independent countries, joined discussions with Britain.
In 1926, several countries like India, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, the Irish Free State, Australia, and Newfoundland attended an Imperial Conference, where an agreement between the Dominions and Britain was made stating each country to be a community’s equal member inside the British Empire. Those countries decided to own their allegiance to the British queen or king but weren’t ruled by the United Kingdom, within the community named the Commonwealth.
The very first Commonwealth’s Head was King George VI, whose death caused the change of the Head to Queen Elizabeth II. However, the selection of the Commonwealth’s Head isn’t automatically done to be the British queen or king. The member countries of the Commonwealth decide the Commonwealth’s Head.
Several independent countries from the Pacific, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, since 1949, have become the Commonwealth’s member, the criteria for which is currently based on equal and free deliberate co-operation.
Pros of living in Commonwealth Countries
The benefits of one being a citizen of a commonwealth country or the benefits of one living in a commonwealth country are presented below:
1. Citizens’ Rights’ Protection
The rights of the people are of immense importance. Within the commonwealth, a definite quantity of rights is provided to the people for aiding them in living a prosperous life. The protection of their rights is done via the constitution that has been bequeathed to the commonwealth. The agency that enforces law and laws inside the commonwealth countries protect the rights of its citizens.
2. Enhanced Prosperity and Freedom
Living in a commonwealth country grants one with the freedom of keeping and making wealth in much greater extent. Might be hard to believe, but several countries don’t allow one to attain greater wealth without paying to someone or some authority. Within a commonwealth country, one can make as much or as little money as desired without any restrictions.
3. Laws for its Citizens’ Protection
Typically, commonwealth possesses laws per the people, their culture, and the way they operate and function inside the community for overseeing all the society’s facets. In the case of the absence of these laws, these would rise a situation where rules would be made up by the people for themselves. The commonwealth administers all through education, housing assets maintenance to subsidizing the local proceedings.
4. Inability of Ruling Through Force
Previously, several leaders ruled through force. However, within the commonwealth, the practice of such activities isn’t tolerated. Commonwealth countries have the provision where the leaders aren’t allowed to use force for bending people as per their desire or as a medium for guiding people for satisfying their schema.
Cons of Living in Commonwealth Countries
The restrictions or limitations one is required to face while being a citizen or living in a commonwealth country are described below:
1. High Cost of Living
The commonwealth countries grant their citizens with a high degree of freedom, however, the cost of these freedoms is extremely high. Permitting people to live freely within the commonwealth’s laws is highly costly, comprising the payment of the police force for guarding the communities, the employment of the laws, and the budget for the people for pursuing the opportunities of business.
2. Prejudiced Life
Inside a commonwealth country, each life isn’t treated as equal. Influence and wealth play an important role in deciding one’s importance. Commonwealth countries treat people with greater wealth or good connection, socially and politically, with great importance and provide them with increased provisions and facilities than the rest.
3. Utmost Manipulation
A major drawback of living in commonwealth countries is the possibility of its manipulation by the megalomaniac people for realizing their desires. There is a dire need for regular monitoring against any group or person in-laws influencing position to achieve authority, power, and wealth over the masses.
4. Difficulty in Diversity
Most people desire to be diverse inside a commonwealth country, however, in is a system of government where each individual is needed to be in unison, attainment of variety isn’t practical. The variety in their cultures can’t domineer the people’s common good.
5. Difficulty in Working for Large People’s Group
Another drawback of living in commonwealth countries is its difficulty in working of large people’s group. In a commonwealth, there is a difficulty in uniting the people on varying concerns. There is a need for the commonwealths to ensure of possessing the people’s best interest, irrespective of the variation in their opinions. ‘
6. Added Social Responsibility
As per the saying, “With freedom comes responsibility,” each individual in a commonwealth is required to support themselves. The country isn’t mandated in supporting the individuals in realizing their necessities and desires. One can fulfill their basic requirement and additional desires only if they work for it. Along with that, each individual is anticipated to give back to the community and play their respective role in improving the lives of the other within the group.
Conclusion
To summarize, living in commonwealth countries can help in enhancing your prosperity and freedom, and ensure the protection of your rights, like the republic. The rules and regulations within the commonwealth cannot be altered through force, neither can the counties be ruled through force, ensuring the protection of the member countries’ citizens’ freedom, rights, and prosperity.
However, for maintaining this form of the government, each individual within the commonwealth is required to fulfill their responsibility, as the country isn’t responsible for looking after its citizens’ necessities and desires. Also, the cost for maintaining the commonwealth is extremely high, and there is a possibility of manipulation of the commonwealth via the megalomaniac people.
