Amartya Sen to head Commonwealth commission

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen will head a Commonwealth 'respect and understanding' commission to focus on the root causes of conflict, the breakdown of understanding within and between communities and the implications for policy makers.

The inaugural meeting of the commission will be held at Marlborough House in London on Friday, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced on Tuesday.

The 'respect and understanding' commission was constituted in response to a request by Commonwealth heads of government at their 2005 meeting, for the secretary general "to explore initiatives to promote mutual understanding and respect among all faiths and communities in the Commonwealth".

"The commission's role is to look at the communities that work well in the Commonwealth -- those that really manage 'respect and understanding'," McKinnon said.

"We have experience in the Commonwealth of successfully bringing diverse cultures and communities together in positive ways, and we want to replicate these successes across our 53 member states and beyond," he said.

The group's report will be presented to heads of governments for consideration at their next meeting in Kampala in November 2007.

Besides Sen, celebrated economist and author of the recent publication Identity and Violence, the commission comprises among others, Lord John Alderdice, member of the UK House of Lords and facilitator in the Northern Ireland peace process, and Adrienne Clarkson, former governor-general of Canada.