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FCDO Outreach
Reaching out to a wider audience to inform and inspire others
About this blog
7th September 2017
Abuja, Nigeria
I took up the Chevening portfolio in September 2015, a decision I have never regretted making. My passion for Chevening is so intense; I’m often asked if I’m an alumnus. Saddled with the task of administering and promoting this programme year-round in Nigeria, I find myself selling an opportunity that I know is absolutely priceless […]
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27th July 2017
London, UK
Today marks 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, an important milestone in the UK’s own journey to full equality for LGBT people. Same-sex relations between men were against the law in England and Wales until 1967, when The Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between two men aged […]
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29th March 2017
London, UK
Last week I had the pleasure to visit Leicester, one of the most diverse places in the UK and home to the UK Premier League champions! I was there to spend time at an Islamic faith school to share my reflections with 14-16 year old young Muslims about my journey to the UK as a […]
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20th March 2017
London, UK
We recently celebrated International Women’s Day, a day when we can celebrate the achievements of women in history and around the world. It’s also a day when we look to address the barriers that hold back women. I was delighted to have been appointed to the new role of Special Envoy for Gender Equality. This […]
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17th March 2017
London, UK
This year’s Home of St Patrick’s Festival will be running over 17 days (3-19 March) in the Northern Irish counties of Armagh and Down to celebrate the amazing life of Saint Patrick. It will be bringing together renowned international artists including, Aboriginal Musicians (B2M) from Australia and The Secret Ensemble with artists from Iran and […]
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17th March 2017
Jerusalem, Israel
Like many teenagers, Maria Nassar was fascinated by popular fantasy books, depicting dragons, monsters and doomsday scenes. At just 16 years old, this native of Nazareth in Israel came up with a great idea, pursued it and five years later she now jointly owns an electronic platform for independent story-tellers with millions of monthly unique […]
Read more on From overlooked to overachieving – through UK tech | Reply
13th March 2017
London, UK
When the recently elected Gambian President announced that he intended to take his country back into the Commonwealth (the previous president had withdrawn Gambia from the organisation), one of my twitter followers commented that Gambia was becoming a British colony again! For some in Turkey, the sun has never set on the British Empire. But […]
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13th March 2017
UK, London
It is surprising to think that ambassadorial relations between the United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China have been in place for just 45 years. Today, on the 45th anniversary, we see cooperation at an all-time high and a bilateral relationship going from strength to strength. The global partnership established during President Xi Jinping’s […]
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8th March 2017
London, UK
“I would venture to guess than Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman” – Virginia Woolf hit the nail on the head. Too often the incredible work and leadership provided by women has been obscured by modesty, self-doubt, or in some cases outright sexism. The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth […]
Read more on Women leading British diplomacy across Europe | Reply
8th March 2017
Guatemala City
Emmeline Pankhurst, the suffragette who led the fight – and it really was a fight – for women’s right to vote in the UK at the turn of the 20th century, is Manchester’s most famous daughter. I feel a particular affinity to her, not only because Manchester is my home town, but also because her […]
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