Interview with Richard Bourne: Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Richard Bourne, conducted at Senate House on Wednesday 13th February 2013 part of the Commonwealth Oral History Project. The project aims to produce a unique digital research resource on the oral history of the Commonwealth since 1965 through sixty oral history interviews with leading figures in the recent history of the organisation. It will provide an essential research tool for anyone investigating the history of the Commonwealth and will serve to promote interest in and understanding of the organisation. Biography: Bourne, (Rowland) Richard. Born 27 July 1940, OBE 2002, Journalist, The Guardian, 1962–72 (Education correspondent, 1968–72); Asst Editor, New Society, 1972–77; Evening Standard: Dep. Editor, 1977–78; London Columnist, 1978–79; Founder Editor, Learn Magazine, 1979; Dep. Dir, Commonwealth Inst., 1983–89; Dir, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 1990–92 (Chm., Trustee Cttee, 1994–2003); consultant, 1993–94; Co-Dir, Commonwealth Values in Educn Project, Inst. of Educn, London Univ., 1995–98; Dir, Commonwealth Non-Govtl Office for S Africa and Mozambique, 1995–97; Sec., Ramphal Inst., 2008–. Chm., Editl Bd, Round Table, 2005–11. Consultant: Internat. Broadcasting Trust, 1980–81; Adv. Council for Adult and Continuing Educn, 1982. Chm., Survival Internat., 1983–98. Chm., Brazilian Contemporary Arts, 1995–98. Treas., Anglo-Portuguese Foundn, 1985–87, Head, Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London University, 1999–2005, Senior Research Fellow, since 2006. Publications: Political Leaders of Latin America, 1969; (with Brian MacArthur) The Struggle for Education, 1970; Getulio Vargas of Brazil, 1974; Assault on the Amazon, 1978; Londoners, 1981; (with Jessica Gould) Self-Sufficiency, 16–25, 1983; Lords of Fleet Street, 1990; News on a Knife-Edge, 1995; Britain in the Commonwealth, 1997; (ed) Universities and Development, 2000; (ed) Where Next for the Group of 54?, 2001; Invisible Lives, 2003; Lula of Brazil: the story so far, 2008; (ed) Shridath Ramphal: the Commonwealth and the world, 2008; (ed with Mark Collins) From Hook to Plate, 2009; Catastrophe: what went wrong in Zimbabwe?