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)
6th February 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
UK Action on Human Rights
I had an interesting day last week. It began and ended with me handing out certificates to participants on courses the British Embassy had funded. The courses were for two very different Sudanese institutions. But they covered some common ground. The day began at the Higher Military Academy at the closing ceremony of a course […]
6th February 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Respect for a woman’s body
Today we mark International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGM). FGM has existed in the culture and tradition of many societies for many years, causing untold psychological and physical damage to young girls. On this day it is important that we shine a light on an issue which affects so many, and […]
5th February 2013 Washington DC, USA
Marching on Across America
The following is a guest blog by Lance Corporal Rob Howe from the Band of the Scots Guard. Lance Corporal Howe is currently taking part in the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch and the Military Band of the Scots Guards 2013 US tour. One of the many wonderful aspects of life in The […]
5th February 2013 British High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica
Steps to go GREEN
Jamaica may be facing a drought over the next few months – or at least lower than normal rainfall, and the British High Commission has started to prepare now, by taking steps to cut water consumption at its premises in Trafalgar Road. We are adjusting all the taps so that the flow of water will […]
5th February 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
World Press Freedom Index: Turkey
This time last year I wrote a blog about freedom of the media in Ukraine reporting on the latest press freedom index released by the international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. So I was intrigued to see Reporters without Borders publish their 2013 World Press Freedom Index recently. Since I arrived in Turkey a few months ago, Turkish journalists […]
5th February 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Digitalising Diplomacy in Malaysia
What does a Diplomat do? My friends and family often ask me this question, and it’s not so easy to answer. The Oxford English Dictionary describes diplomacy as “…the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations” and a Diplomat as someone who “…typically represents a country abroad“. But, of course it’s a lot more […]
5th February 2013 New Delhi, India
Great chemistry between UK and India!
A former SIN Team member, Rajesh Parishwad, left to work for the Royal Society of Chemistry a couple of years ago. But we don’t like to lose touch with old friends and with Rajesh this isn’t difficult to achieve: he still sits in our office in Bangalore! Anyway, we asked Rajesh to bring you some […]
5th February 2013 New York, USA
And the “Crunchie” goes to…
Last Thursday evening, I joined the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team in San Francisco and the “who’s who” of the technology and start up communities at the “Crunchies,” the veritable Oscars for tech companies. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting at an awards ceremony with 2,000 tech-gurus, but what I witnessed was […]
4th February 2013 Toronto, Canada
Up-Goer Five: Land-to-other-lands-thoughts-and-ideas-person
Can you explain a hard idea using only the ten-hundred most used words? One well-known try is “Up-Goer Five“. You can try it yourself here. Here, I try to explain my job (land-to-other-lands-thoughts-and-ideas-person): Very few people have a job that is like mine. It is quite hard to explain, even using words that are not […]
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4th February 2013 London, UK
Piktochart: an experiment in explaining our work through visualisation
My blog on visualisations: Last week, the UK Team of Experts on preventing sexual violence in conflict came to the Foreign Office for the first time, and met Foreign Secretary William Hague. Recruited from many professions, the Team will be deployed to several conflict-affected countries during 2013 to carry out vital work – from providing […]
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