The Royal Commonwealth Society and the British Armed Forces
By Daniel
The British Armed Forces contribute to the Commonwealth not only by providing humanitarian help and other support to Commonwealth communities all over the world. They also help to empower local young people in Wales and other Commonwealth countries by providing team-oriented exercises giving the local youth the opportunity to meet and come together.
The British Armed Forces play an important role within the Commonwealth. Every day, the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force work in Commonwealth countries all over the world to provide humanitarian help to the inhabitants. They help those in need of support, working to improve the lives of all members of the Commonwealth. A great example for the humanitarian missions that the British Armed Forces are deployed for is Operation Ruman. This operation was initiated right after the category five tropical cyclone Irma devastated the Caribbean in September 2017. It is the United Kingdom’s biggest civilian operation since 2011. The Royal Air Force was an integral part of the operation and delivered 75 tonnes of humanitarian aid to affected regions.
However, it is not only their contribution in countries all over the planet that makes the British Armed Forces an important partner for the Commonwealth and the Royal Commonwealth Society of Wales. They also help to educate and empower local young people across Wales by running various exercises – for example during the RCS Wales South Wales Youth Summit.
A group of students working on solutions for a simulated humanitarian crisis guided by experienced military personnel.
Having spent a lot of time in various Commonwealth countries all over the world, Lieutenant Commander Suzanne Lynch of the Royal Navy stresses the importance of teamwork and inter-cultural communication in order to be successful when facing problems. For her, working with young people “is about empowering our youngsters” and Lt Cdr Lynch and her colleagues try their best to “get youngsters to engage in dialogue, to work together and to work collectively to solve problems”.
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