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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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23rd April 2024
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
16th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Supporting business back home
SME exporters in Leeds, big corporates in Canary Wharf, Australian inward investors in Manchester. I’ve spent a busy few days supporting the UK economy, which is the top priority for our overseas network. At an export seminar in Leeds hosted by the big international law firm DLA Piper, I spoke about the many export opportunities […]
15th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Arriving in the Falkland Islands
May I welcome our guest blogger for this week: Bruce Callow, Communications Officer at the British Embassy in Costa Rica, who along with Edward Smith, Political Officer at the British Embassy in Guatemala, are in the Falkland Islands with a group Central American journalists (including Luis Velasquez of Guatemala’s Prensa Libre) where they have traveled […]
15th October 2012 London, UK
20 years of the Single Market
This week, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Single Market, and it is a good moment to look back at how our relationship with Europe has changed over that time. Since 1992, the UK’s trade with EU member states has more than trebled. Currently, 3.5 million jobs – 11% of the UK’s workforce – […]
15th October 2012 Windhoek, Namibia
British support to vulnerable children in Caprivi
I am up in Caprivi this week – the thin finger of land in Namibia’s extreme north east that points into the heart of southern Africa and marks the coming together of Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe in a tight bunch of border posts. My visit has proven a fantastic learning experience and given […]
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15th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
“The Power of We”
In the past few years, the social media have revolutionized communication. They have opened doors for many ordinary citizens, giving them an informal platform from which to voice their concerns, thoughts and views. They have transformed the public from being passive receivers of news to an audience that can determine what is important to them. […]
15th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Power of We
One of the great opportunities for an Ambassador to the Holy See is the access the role gives to the wider Holy See and Catholic networks. Some of these are integral to the outreach of the Holy See (such as the network of Apostolic Nuncios – Papal Ambassadors – managing relationships with 179 countries around […]
15th October 2012 Toronto, Canada
The Power of We: Adapting to climate change
This was written for Blog Action Day 2012, on the theme The Power of We. When it comes to action on climate change, it’s hard not to have an effect far beyond the immediate actions you’re taking. If you’re mitigating climate change by cycling to work or developing clean technology then you’re ultimately benefiting the […]
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15th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Power of We – Mahatma Gandhi
No-one in India exemplifies ‘The Power of We’ more than Mahatma Gandhi, even over 60 years after his death. He sought to improve the conditions of the poorest and to lead one of the world’s first non-violent mass movements, first in South Africa and then in India. Hundreds of books have been written about his influence on […]
15th October 2012 London, UK
Blog Action Day 2012: Eradicating Polio everywhere, forever
“Whatever!” Somewhere between childhood and adulthood it becomes embarrassing to say “I want to save the world” – and pretty uncool to admit even to wanting to change it for the better. Good schools delay the onset of cynicism. A really good school might be able to inoculate children against cynicism for life. The International […]
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14th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Arriving in the Falkland Islands
May I welcome our guest blogger for this week: Bruce Callow, Communications Officer at the British Embassy in Costa Rica, who along with Edward Smith, Political Officer at the British Embassy in Guatemala, are in the Falkland Islands with a group Central American journalists (including Luis Velasquez of Guatemala’s Prensa Libre) where they have traveled […]