“I’m not asking for money, I’m asking for partnerships.” – Secretary GeneralWith a budget that has been declining over the years the Commonwealth Secretariat has committed itself to finding innovative ways to meet the many challenges facing member countries.And building partnerships with extra budgetary sources is one sure way of meeting those challenges.This is according to Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma.“The interesting thing is,NFL Jerseys Online, if you are innovative in ideas, you have to be innovative in financing these ideas as well.Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma That is one way we are breaking free as it were of an older dependency,” the Secretary General said.Because of inflation,Authentic Adidas Hockey Jerseys China, zero growth in some cases and the inadequate compensation for inflation, the Commonwealth budget had expectedly declined.The Secretary General disclosed that for example the present budget for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), which stands around 27 million pounds sterling is about half of what it used to be 25 years ago but with extra-budgetary partnerships, there is no reason why programmes that benefit member states cannot be realized.But Sharma explained that it is not the policy of the secretariat to demand more money from member states in order to fill the gap.“To go to member states and simply ask for more money, you need to draw a very long breath to do that, and be an optimist of a very peculiar kind to think that something can happen very quickly.”He said that while the Commonwealth Secretariat had grandiose plans beneficial to member states, extra-budgetary means would have to be pursued.Mr Sharma pointed to an initiative, which involves information technology, in which he appealed for member states through their own expertise to make their experts in the subject available and underwrite the financial obligations of making those experts available.“I’m not asking for money,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, I’m asking for partnerships,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale,” the Secretary General stressed.He stated that it is foolish to walk half prepared into a big idea. Sharma explained that, first there needs to be an investigation to determine the contours of the idea and once the design is established in a way that it is transparent, then an appeal could be made to member states to become partners to help operate the idea.“By the way,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, the support need not necessarily come from Governments, it could come from other respectable entities,” he said.Referring to the idea of addressing devastation protection in vulnerable member states, the Secretary General said that the involvement of banks might be a very good move.“You can convert it into a commercial proposition,” the Commonwealth Secretary General said.In other areas of technological advancement, member countries should see the wisdom in engaging the many global companies that would have a mutual interest in any investment in the sector,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, he reasoned.In this way, everyone will become a shareholder in the social and political product that is realized in the end.“This is, if you like, simply getting together, actors in a different way.The Commonwealth has always worked together with the civil society.That has been its strength. So once civil society sees these things coming up, I am hopeful that they themselves will become enthused to have to say that they must be buying into these ideas,” Secretary General Sharma said.