Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

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7th March 2014

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Día Internacional de la Mujer

El 8 de marzo es un día importante para mí.  Es el 103 Día Internacional de la Mujer.  Estoy segura que muchas personas se preguntarán  por qué necesitamos un día para las mujeres.  Para mi la respuesta es obvia.  Ya ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que este día fue establecido en 1911 pero todavía hay […]

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7th March 2014

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Women’s International Day

The 8 of March is an important day for me. It is the 103rd International Women’s Day. I am sure lots of people would shrug and question why we need a day for women. For me the answer is obvious. We have come a long way since this day was established in 1911 but there […]

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7th March 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria

My Bulgarian Town

by John Mitchell John Mitchell is a British person who has been living in a small town in the Sliven region for a few years; he speaks Bulgarian and feels fully integrated in the community. Together with local friends, he regularly visits the town’s café, which quite naturally turns into a generator of many colourful, quirky […]

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7th March 2014 Beirut, Lebanon

Tom Fletcher

by Tom Fletcher

Former British Ambassador to Lebanon

Inhuman Human Trafficking

In the 21st century we get angry about many small things: traffic jams, power cuts or a failed internet connection. We get plenty of opportunities for all three in Lebanon. But last Friday I joined an event about an issue worth getting really furious about. The Beirut Bar Association launched a Human Rights Institute booklet […]

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7th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Say Cheese – Say Crowdie

Piesek P is on the lookout for GREAT British Cheese in Poland – as he finds it he’ll let you know – just smile, Say Cheese from the Scottish Highlands – Say Crowdie Beautiful lochs and massive mountains, a pleasant summer and a harsh winter. Cheese making in Scotland belongs to the clans and the […]

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7th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Lord Livingston’s Central European Diary – Day 5

The chequered flag in sight and Lord Livingston and team in pole position on GREAT opportunities in high growth CEE Moving up a gear and onto the home straight of the GREAT CEE Megamission 2014 – there’s three things which come out of this whistle stop tour of this exciting region: – The region as […]

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7th March 2014 New Delhi, India

Interview with Prof Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and VC of University of Edinburgh

Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, was in Bangalore last week. I caught up with him in the margins of an alumni event he was hosting at the British Library. Welcome to India, can I ask why you’re here? Specifically, my visit coincides with a five day conference in […]

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6th March 2014 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

UN International Women’s Day 2014 – Guest Blog on Gender Based Violence by Yolande Engelbrecht, Legal Assistance Centre (LAC)

08 March is the 103rd UN International Women’s Day (IWD).  Protection of women’s rights is one of six key human rights priorities for the UK. The FCO has made strong statements on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and on sexual violence in conflict. The UK is hosting a Global Summit to End Sexual Violence […]

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