Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

12th February 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia

‘We are all equal’ – learn and play around the country

There are some conceptions for educating children that when they are born, they are ‘tabula rasa’. According to this, children are like sponges, they import whatever we teach them as they grow up. Thereto, if children are tabula rasa, our mission is to teach them of everything that is good. To teach them to care […]

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11th February 2015 Havana, Cuba

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by Tim Cole

Former British Ambassador to Cuba

Saying what you think where you like

I was surprised to read recently that some Cuban academics are under the impression that British people can’t protest in front of No 10 Downing Street where the British Prime Minister lives. They can and they do. Almost every day people gather opposite Downing Street to air their opinions about one issue or another. They […]

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11th February 2015

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Clerical child sex abuse: making progress but not there yet

The issue of sex abuse of children by priests has accompanied me throughout my mission here since I arrived in Rome in August 2011. As I was preparing to take up the role, it was clear to me that nothing had done more in recent years to damage the credibility of the Holy See, and […]

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10th February 2015

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by Nick Bridge

Special Representative for Climate Change

Golden Opportunities or Last Chance Saloon? The OECD & Development in 2015

This week a colleague said something that really resonated with me: “We are the first generation in history that could end extreme poverty, and the last generation that still has time to avert extreme climate change”. No pressure then. It’s certainly both an exciting and sobering prospect. We live in an era of such great […]

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10th February 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

The possibilities from books

(on occasion of UK participation in the 2015 Minsk international book fair) I was attracted to my job by Russian culture, which I first came across in my late adolescent and early adult years.  It started with music and literature – mostly 19th century.  But then I read a lot about 20th century Russian and […]

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9th February 2015

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Farewell to Australia

This is my final blog from Australia. My 205th. I hope someone’s been reading them. It has been one of the greatest privileges and pleasures of my life to represent Britain in Australia as the Pom HC. There is no country to which we feel closer. It has been a fantastic time to be here. […]

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9th February 2015 New Delhi, India

by Mark Sinclair

Head of Science & Innovation, India

Looking forward … S&IN India 2015

Last month I wrote a blog about the exciting events the SIN India team have been involved in. The regional SIN IMEA conference in Mumbai was an excellent venue for all ‘SINners’ to get orientated with the various collaborations and projects SIN is kicking off with this year! Although its early days, the SIN events […]

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8th February 2015

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Farewell to Canberra

Well, finally, it’s time to say farewell to Canberra. Our home for the last four years. It’s not the first time we’ve lived in a planned, administrative capital, but Washington was different, and older. While we were here, Canberra celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, with many events and exhibitions. It was a reminder of […]

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7th February 2015

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

The Jobs Challenge

In the charming Jordanian film Captain Abu Raed, a young boy from East Amman tells his friends that people like us don’t get good jobs. In the end, he becomes a commercial pilot with Royal Jordanian. The point is that getting a job shouldn’t depend on where you are from or what your connections are. […]

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