Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

21st February 2014

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Reconociendo la Identidad Cultural en Honduras

Hoy es el Día Internacional de la Lengua Materna. En la región dónde trabajo, aunque la lengua española domina, hay más de 20 diferentes lenguas y probablemente muchos más dialectos. Recientemente visite en Honduras la Asociación Libre Expresión quienes han trabajado con 6 diferentes etnias en Honduras en temas de Identidad Cultural. Uno de los […]

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21st February 2014

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Celebrating Cultural identity in Honduras

Today is International Mother Tounge Day. In the region where I work, though Spanish language dominates, there are more than 20 different languages and probably many more dialects. Recently I visited in Honduras the Asociacion Libre Expresion, they have worked with 6 different ethnic groups in Honduras on cultural identity topics. One of their most […]

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20th February 2014 Brasilia, Brazil

Legislative Practice in Brazil and the UK

On 5-7 February I had the opportunity to participate in an international seminar on good legislative practice in Brasília. The seminar was organized by the British Embassy, Brazil’s Federal Senate, ALESFE (the association of lawyers and consultants of the Brazilian Senate), the Brazilian Legislative Institute (ILB), and Interlegis, the ILB’s programme for the professional training […]

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20th February 2014

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by Peter Beckingham

Former governor in Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands – a world away from Mumbai: a small population with a big Christian following.

I wrote blogs from Mumbai for over three years, and after four  months in the Turks and Caicos Islands it is time to start here. I have a number of aims. First, and most importantly, I hope that they may be of interest to residents in these beautiful islands, as a modest illustration of the […]

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20th February 2014 Havana, Cuba

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by Tim Cole

Former British Ambassador to Cuba

A musical journey, from the UK to Cuba and back again!

My thanks to UK singer Holly Holden for this guest blog on making music in Cuba and how a chance meeting in Havana led to her touring Europe’s top festivals with UK dub-step pioneer DJ Mala. When I was thirteen my mother took me to see the documentary film Buena Vista Social Club. I remember leaving […]

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20th February 2014 Madrid, Spain

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by Daniel Pruce

British Ambassador to the Philippines and to Palau

The benefits of an EU-US trade deal

The British government strongly supports a new Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement between the European Union and the United States. It would break down trade barriers, unlock new growth and create a huge number of jobs. Ian Livingston, British Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Jaime García-Legaz Ponce, Spanish Secretary of State […]

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20th February 2014 Montreal, Canada

A long awaited visit to Montréal finally becomes a reality!

As promised, voilà! – the last chapter of the series “smarty blog themes”. The “smart and distinguished” British visitors came by train from Ottawa and stayed at same hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono did their Bed-In in Montréal in 1969 (which ended with a spontaneous recording of Give Peace a Chance). But who […]

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20th February 2014 Chennai, India

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by Bharat Joshi

British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai

Moving on up. Moving on in.

It’s been a long silence, for which apologies. That’s at least partly down to the fact that I’ve joined the fantastical world of 140 character messages, hashtags and retweeting (@DHC_Chennai if you’re interested). I’ve managed to get up to 44 followers in 2 weeks (it was 45, but a management consultant from Nebraska gave up on […]

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20th February 2014

by Peter Tibber

Ambassador to Colombia

Gordon in Khartoum- Take two

Living History General Charles Gordon is one of the totemic figures in the shared history of the UK and Sudan: the leader of the British Force in Sudan killed on the steps of what is now the Presidential Palace by the Mahdi’s army in 1885. In the last couple of weeks two descendants of General […]

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