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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
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18th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why we need inter-religious dialogue
England and Wales celebrate Inter-Faith week this week (Scotland celebrates a week later to coincide with St Andrew’s Day). When it comes to the relations between the world’s great religions, we tend to hear more about the bad news than the good. This breeds mistrust and reinforces prejudice and ignorance. So a few reminders of […]
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18th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The White Mouse – Resistance hero
Nancy Wake was one of the most famous SOE operatives of the Second World War. Working in Occupied France, she first helped rescue allied airmen, and then working with the French Resistance led a campaign of sabotage against the Nazis. The Gestapo called her the White Mouse and at one stage she topped their “most […]
18th November 2013 Vientiane, Laos
Laos through my eyes – Denise Heywood
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. Working in Cambodia as a freelance journalist and lecturer in the early 1990s, I heard about Laos, alluded to in whispers of admiration. Serene and unhurried, it was a […]
17th November 2013 Chennai, India
Royal Visit: Epilogue
The sudden absence of adrenaline, imminent deadlines, last-minute glitches and 10 things to do at once has actually brought a massive and slightly dreary sense of anti-climax. I probably shouldn’t be that surprised that several colleagues have fallen ill: like a car, human beings aren’t designed to go from fifth gear into first instantaneously. Even […]
16th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
First, you have to learn the language
“First, you have to learn the language. Language is the key to a people’s culture, and culture is a key to people’s hearts. If you force them to speak your language, you will never win their sympathy” UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello. It is fair to say that the British don’t have the best […]
15th November 2013 Chennai, India
Royal Visit: Wheels-Up
That’s it. It’s all over. Just under an hour ago, their Royal Highnesses flight took off for the short hop to Colombo and what could be a more difficult Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting than is usual. The day dawned beautifully for the Prince of Wales’ 65th birthday – divine intervention in God’s own country? […]
14th November 2013 Calgary, Canada
An introduction from Calgary
I have only been on the job a few weeks now, and it has been an extreme pleasure to join the Science and Innovation team. It is very exciting to be covering the wealth of opportunities offered across Alberta…
14th November 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
On Your Side: A Week in the Life of An Embassy
Almost every week in Beirut is a rollercoaster. Every Monday morning we set out what we hope to achieve, and then try not to be buffeted by McMillan’s famous ‘events, dear boy, events’. Here are ten of the things we did last week: Held three Remembrance Day services, in Tripoli, Beirut and Saida. There are […]
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14th November 2013 Chennai, India
Royal Visit: Day 3
Yesterday was simply amazing. The visit to Cochin shipyard to see the extent of UK involvement in this thriving operation, including by Rolls Royce and MTS, was a much bigger event than any we could ever have managed. Thousands of workers stopped and cheered, and His Royal Highness seemed to engage with all of them. […]
14th November 2013 Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw meets the World at COP – All that Energy is GREAT
The week sees the world of Energy policy meet in Warsaw in a specially converted National Stadium which becomes a Global Energy summit for the next two weeks. The Emerging Europe GREAT campaign has an action packed fortnight of events and activity promoting the inevitable business opportunity which emerges in its largest sector – seminars, […]
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