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RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
11th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Dynamism in Donetsk
I was recently privileged to attend the Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal at the splendid Donbass Arena in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. As with all Champions League and Europa League matches in Ukraine, the embassy put in place consular arrangements including a small team travelling from Kyiv to Donetsk. Representatives of the Metropolitan Police also came […]
11th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Save Energy! Save Money! Win Prizes!
When I first arrived in Moscow on my posting to Russia in December 1992 I had a terrific view from my 13th-floor window of a sea of apartment blocks, beyond which a blood-red sun sank towards the dark horizon sometime in mid-afternoon. As darkness fell, I was astonished to see that almost every single light […]
11th November 2010 London, UK
Remembrance
It’s 11 November, Armistice Day. I recorded this video blog in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, standing right beside memorials to Diplomatic staff who have lost their lives to military conflict or to terrorism, whilst in the service of their country.
10th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why I wear a poppy
Several Ukrainian friends have asked me recently why I am wearing a small, red flower – a poppy – on my jacket lapel. It’s because the United Kingdom together with other Commonwealth nations will commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11th. The poppy is the symbol of this day. The practice of wearing a flower dates […]
9th November 2010 Ottawa, Canada
“Lipstick In School”: Thanks and a partial reflection on the Montreal KT/KB workshop
I’d like to introduce our next guest blogger, Alex Bielak, who in trying to leave a comment ended up writing us an entire blog posting! Alex has been a fixture in the science communication world in Canada, both as an excellent communicator and writer himself, but also through his knowledge translation & knowledge brokering activities at the Environment […]
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9th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why are logisticians a humourless lot?
Following the Lisbon Treaty, and the establishment of a permanent Presidency for the European Union, the role of the rotating Presidency that passes from one Member State to another every 6 months is evolving. And it is not entirely clear where it will end up during the Hungarian Presidency in the first 6 months of […]
5th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Good news
So often, our newspapers and other media focus on the bad news stories. We watch the news, or read the front page, and depression sets in. “Good news is no news”, say the cynics. The event I attended on 4 November at Unduavi, in the Yungas of La Paz, breaks the trend. Even more so, […]
5th November 2010 Ottawa, Canada
Two UK Recipients Among the Canadian International Gairdner Award Winners
If you’re in a Canadian or international health science field, then you’ve likely heard of the Gairdner Foundation and the awards they distribute, and if not, then let me quote from their “About us” page: “The Gairdner Foundation was created in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes […]
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5th November 2010 Chevening, UK
Applied human rights? You mean it was never applied before?
I wanted to call this blog "the Clash and human rights" but Malaysian Chevening scholar Shazeera Zawawi wrote it so she gets to decide; The title of this piece of intellectual pursuit is a tribute to a close friend’s response to my recent announcement that I will be furthering my post graduate study in Applied […]
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5th November 2010 New York, USA
Pivotal Partners
Guest blog: Susan Haird, Deputy Chief Executive, UK Trade & Investment I am delighted to be writing from New York, where at this time of year the city’s cultural and commercial calendars are humming. It is the latter that brings me here on this particular visit. The US is by far the largest investor in […]