19th February 2016 Gaborone, Botswana
My assignment has ended and I have now left Botswana after three years that have flown by which is always the sign of an enjoyable posting. So this is my final and reflective blog, written from a freezing London. Never again will I complain about the heat. For my over-arching impression, I will stick with […]
28th October 2015 Gaborone, Botswana
A year ago, with election fever gripping the country, and conscious of Botswana’s sound democratic principles and wanting to experience and test them, I left my house in Gaborone at 05:00 so I could be at the opening of a polling station in Lobatse. What immediately struck me was the long queue of citizens, women […]
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3rd June 2015 Gaborone, Botswana
I’ve always thought it better to write about an event, especially a successful one, a few weeks after it rather than risk getting caught up in the euphoria of the moment. So it is with considered reflection that I write about the success that was the Kasane Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) which […]
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20th March 2015 London, UKGaborone, Botswana
Two weeks ago the British High Commission supported an event hosted by the Botswana Network for Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA). The event was essentially a discussion about whether Botswana’s legislative framework deals fairly with those who describe themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Intersex, the LGBTI community for short. It was a well […]
30th January 2015 Gaborone, Botswana
The imminent presentation of the budget speech has made me focus on Botswana’s economic development and in particular the business enabling environment. Botswana is judged by international institutions to be amongst the best destinations for doing business in Africa and, in perception terms the least corrupt country on the continent. These ratings quite rightly reflect […]
12th December 2014 Gaborone, Botswana
December 9 is International Anti-Corruption Day and last week Transparency International released its annual Perceptions of Corruption report. So it seems a good moment to reflect on corruption. What is it, actually? Why does it matter? And what should our response be? Transparency International defines corruption simply as “the abuse of entrusted power for private […]
23rd September 2014 Gaborone, Botswana
Early this month the British High Commission went to Mogoditshane Primary School where the students had been learning about climate change thanks to a project run by WENA Environmental Education and News Trust and funded by the High Commission. The event was graced by representatives from the Department of Waste Management, the Ministry of Education as […]
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12th May 2014 Gaborone, BotswanaLondon, UK
World Press Freedom Day took place on 3rd May. The theme for this year was Media Freedom for a better future: shaping the post-2015 development agenda. The focus this year, is on three inter-related themes: the media’s importance in development; the safety of journalists and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of […]
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30th April 2014 Gaborone, Botswana
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights” Gloria Steinem Botswana recently joined the international community in celebrating International Women’s Day under the theme “Equality for women is progress for all”. Shortly after that, […]