FCDO Outreach
Reaching out to a wider audience to inform and inspire others
About this blog
21st September 2015
London, UK
Like many, I have been moved by the tragedies unfolding amidst the great migration crisis of our time. I want to share the story of my journey from a refugee to a British diplomat. I hope my personal reflections can help both combat the stigma attached to refugees (and some criticism aimed at the UK), […]
Read more on Proud to be British – Proud to be me. My journey as a refugee to a British diplomat | Reply
14th September 2015
London, UK
Last week I visited Rwanda for the first time. It gave me the opportunity to see the remarkable progress that this country has made since the devastating 1994 genocide. In my joint role at the Foreign Office and DFID, I was able to explore the full breadth of the UK’s relationship with Rwanda – a […]
Read more on Working towards the future in Rwanda | Reply
5th September 2015
London, UK
This is the hashtag that thousands of people in Estonia and around Europe have been adding to their social media postings in the last few months. I’m glad to add it to my blog too. Who is Eston Kohver? He’s an Estonian security services officer, who was abducted from Estonia on 5 September last year, […]
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14th August 2015
London, UK
One week ago today, a blogger called Niloy Neel was hacked to death in Bangladesh. He was the fourth blogger to be murdered there this year. I’ve been meaning to start my own blog for some time: last week’s events made me determined that I shouldn’t put it off any longer. Freedom of speech is […]
Read more on Freedom of speech is a right to be defended | Reply
12th August 2015
London, UK
Taking a selfie on stage at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leadership conference in 2015 left us thinking perhaps we weren’t that photogenic! But, what we were was successful. After months of rehearsals, planning and speaking with some of the most senior voices across the office we had delivered a high impact, fun, energetic […]
Read more on Youth to make the change: A fresh perspective to UK Foreign Policy | Reply
11th August 2015
London, UK
The UK has long valued democratic and accountable governance, not least in countries with which we have strong connections. As the Foreign Office and DFID Minister responsible for the UK’s relationship with Africa, one of my key tasks is to pursue this agenda in that continent. Recent scenes of discontent, strife and violence in Burundi […]
Read more on Peaceful and Democratic Transfers of Power: a Leaders’ Legacy | Reply
5th August 2015
Dublin, Ireland
What does Russian aggression in Ukraine have to do with EU reform? Well, for one both were topics of conversation during Minister for Europe David Lidington’s visit to Poland last week (to see the full interview in Polish click here ). But there is something deeper binding the two. Living and working in Warsaw I […]
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23rd July 2015
London, UKSkopje, North Macedonia
For a small country, Macedonia has a lot to offer and from my recent trip to Skopje it was clear that Macedonia is a state with big aspirations. In the midst of a difficult period, both internally and regionally, Macedonia looks to have the agility and resolve that is needed in order to respond to […]
Read more on Reflections on Macedonia | Reply
10th June 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
There can be few more idyllic and peaceful settings for breakfast than Daniel’s cafe in Middle Caicos. Fuelled with the owner’s delicious conch grits, and his warm welcome, our small expedition set off with another local, boatman Dolphus Arthur, to our destination – the Caribbean’s largest uninhabited island, East Caicos. The sheer remoteness of East […]
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21st March 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Here’s one I prepared earlier. (First published in “Time to Kill Sparrows” © 1999, foreword by Lord Hurd of Westwell. Now in its original version, without editorial changes.) THE RISE AND FALL OF THE TABLOID DIPLOMAT I start at the office at ten o’clock sharp, By half past I’m quite peckish for brunch. I return to my […]
Read more on How the life of a Diplomat has Changed -Recognising World Poetry Day…. | Reply
