9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
7th June 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
A Generational Change Plays Out as Women in Helmand Register to Vote in Local Elections
I attend many public gatherings known as ‘shuras’ in Helmand. The one I was invited to address on Monday was however different in that it was for women and run by women. I came away feeling we had reached a really important milestone in the tough journey women face in Helmand. The aim of this […]
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7th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Breaking down barriers through sport
Last week UK company G4S (possibly the biggest employer in Africa) gathered seven young athletes from around the world (Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Kenya, Peru, South Africa and The Philippines) at the British Residence in Addis Ababa. They were part of the “G4S 4teen” programme, which has supported 14 extremely talented young athletes towards their sporting […]
7th June 2013 London, UK
Digital Diplomacy Could be the Future for Governments | HootSuite
HootSuite discuss social media strategies in government on their blog, following the visit of Alistair Burt MP (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) in May: As members of the media are taking to social media channels to deliver important news in real time, a growing number of governments (from municipal to federal) […]
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6th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
El café es la droga de mi preferencia – parece que la OEA está de acuerdo
Recién he regresado del Reino Unido y he visto café por todos lados. No estoy diciendo que los británicos han dejado de amar el té, pero las cafeterías están por doquier en el Reino Unido. Una de ellas está promoviendo el café guatemalteco de la ciudad de Antigua Guatemala. A mi regreso a Guatemala, es […]
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6th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Coffee is my drug of choice – looks like the OAS agree
I have just got back from the UK and have seen coffee everywhere. I am not saying that the Brits have stopped loving tea, but coffee shops seem to be everywhere in the UK. One of them is promoting Guatemalan coffee from the town of Antigua. On my return to Guatemala, it is the town […]
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6th June 2013 Paris, France
The 3 lines of our cooperation with France on Syria
The subject we’ve been working very closing with the French on in the last few weeks has been Syria, which has of course been very prominent in the media. And it’s a terrible human disaster: apart from its dangerous regional implications, we believe that 80,000 people may have been killed over the last two years. […]
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6th June 2013 London, UK
Digital is not just something the communications team does
If you have ever tried flying against a flock of 340 million birds you will understand why social media is such a force. That might seem like an extreme analogy, but that number represents how many tweets Twitter users produce each day. It is a mind boggling figure. As those of us working in digital […]
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6th June 2013 New Delhi, India
Together for health: UK and India pen MoU on health cooperation
Health and disease was one of the major areas identified for collaboration between the UK and India at the Indo-UK Science & Innovation Council last year, and it’s been a regular topic on this blog ever since. Here’s Himangi Bhardwaj, our Health Adviser in New Delhi, bringing the latest news on Indo-UK Health… 19th May […]
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5th June 2013 Kingston, Jamaica
Is anyone listening?
Listening is not one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of social media, most of us view it as a tool to connect with people we know, or to meet new people. The concept of listening via social media has evolved over time. When used correctly information can be garnered in […]
5th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Golden Thread
You might assume from the title that this is going to be about mathematical theory or science fiction or indeed sewing. But the “golden thread” in question is our Prime Minister’s description of the link between peace, good governance and open societies and economies as part of new thinking on poverty reduction through wealth creation. […]