8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
2nd August 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Celebrating Somali Olympic heroes
The following is a guest blog by Fionna Gibb, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Office for Somalia. As Ambassador Matt Baugh is on leave, last Friday I had the pleasure of hosting the British Office for Somalia’s reception in Mogadishu to celebrate the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. As the sun set […]
2nd August 2012 London, UK
Olympic Spirit in the Heart of Borneo
Ask any British diplomat what makes them tick, and the answer often has three parts: something to do with “Queen and Country”, something to do with “making a difference”, and something to do with the intrinsic interest of “getting under the skin of another culture”. My plate, during this Olympic year, has contained large helpings […]
1st August 2012 Harare, Zimbabwe
Reflections from the former Head of the PRT’s Socio-Economic Development Team
I have invited members of the PRT to use my blog to talk about their work and experiences in Helmand. Anna Morris the former Head of the PRT’s Socio-Economic Development Team has kindly written about her time here. As I approach the end of my 16 months in Helmand questions from colleagues, friends and family […]
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1st August 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Preparing for our Royal Visit!
Now that St James’s Palace has revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting Malaysia from 13 to 15 September to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, I thought you might enjoy a unique insight into what it’s like to prepare for a Royal Visit. I plan to blog again just […]
1st August 2012 Budapest, Hungary
2012 London Olympic opening
Guest blog by Olympic Torch Bearer Andrea Snow After my “moment of shine” experience just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege to be present at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012. That day something special was in the air. The XXXth Olympiad, the 2012 summer Olympic Games Grand opening was a wonderful […]
31st July 2012 Budapest, Hungary
Olympic D-Day
Well it’s tough to write about anything but the Olympics right now. At last the day has come and the competition is on for more than 10,000 athletes from 205 countries. And so far it’s every bit as exciting as we’d hoped. Did you see the opening ceremony? We organised a small event on Friday […]
30th July 2012 London, UK
Kosovo: Olympic Dreams
Like many athletes, Majlinda Kelmendi realised a sporting dream by competing at London 2012. But another, perhaps more important, aspiration remains sadly unfulfilled: the ambition to compete at the Olympics for her own country. Whereas every one of Majlinda’s competitors sported uniforms adorned with three letter code that signifies their country of origin, Majlinda did […]
30th July 2012 Dublin, Ireland
A long but GREAT day
Olympics opening day began early! I was at Polish Radio at 0700, fortified only by a double espresso. The toughest question by far: “Can you explain the rules of cricket?” I noted that it was the only game which could last two hours or five days and included a tea interval. But I am already […]
30th July 2012 Windhoek, Namibia
Tributes and tribulations to mark opening of Olympic Games and Olympic Truce in Namibia
Not many people know that the Olympics was historically a period of peace in ancient Greece, when warring factions put down their arms and focussed on competing rather than attacking each other. This ancient Greek tradition of “ekecheiria”: ‘truce’ helped encourage a special environment for the early Games, and ensured safe passage and participation of […]
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30th July 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Being Open
June and July 2012 have been a time for openings. First of all, opening data. The UK Government’s Open Data White Paper is about creating a culture where public data is available to make public services more effective and responsive to individual needs. Big data like this remains a huge untapped resource, and has been […]