21st August 2013
Monday 19 August was World Humanitarian Day. Such days – which mark important international themes – occur regularly. But few can be as relevant and important this year given the severe refugee crisis caused by the tragic violence in Syria. There are now almost 2 million Syrians – 10% of the population – in neighbouring […]
7th August 2013
Travel broadens the mind. By visiting different countries you can make comparisons and learn about how those countries handle big issues. You can also start to appreciate and understand your own country better. One issue which hits visitors abroad is the way a country handles rubbish. I have just returned after two weeks on […]
10th July 2013
When our daughters were small, they used to read stories about Pippi Longstocking. She was a nine-year old girl with ginger plaits. She was unconventional and assertive with no respect for authority. She also had superhuman strength, being able to lift her horse with one hand. Our daughters learnt that girls can achieve anything if they […]
26th June 2013
“Could you tweet my blog please?” Did I really say that to one of my staff? What on earth is this new language I’m using? No-one knew of “tweeting” and “blogging” 20 years ago. I’ve been using Twitter now for 2 years. It can become infectious, but is it useful? Should diplomats shed their quill […]
12th June 2013
Could you survive on $1.25 per day? I certainly couldn’t. But over 1 billion people round the world have to do so. These are the extreme poor. Poverty not only means that people lack food and shelter. It also means that they struggle to escape poverty because they also lack good education and healthcare. And it means that […]
29th May 2013
Over the last few weeks I have heard lots of people talk about “The WEF”, as if there was a mysterious secret society that only a privileged few belonged to. Maybe you had to speak a coded language of “Weffery” to be in with the in-crowd. What were my impressions? The event was huge: over […]
14th May 2013
Much has been written about what makes a good leader. Books have analysed the nature of leadership. Business schools charge high fees to teach leadership skills to up-and-coming middle managers. And leadership gurus have made fortunes using clever sounding buzz-words such as “demonstrate integrity”, “build trust” and “inspire innovation”. This week I will be at […]
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1st May 2013
When people outside Jordan think about the Syrian refugees who have entered the country in the last 2 years, they usually think about the big camp in Za’atri. They have seen it on the news and from the numerous high-profile visitors who have been there. Headlines like “Record Numbers of Syrians Cross to Za’atri” encourage the perception […]
16th April 2013
We’re approaching the start of the student visa season. This is the time of year when students who plan to study abroad are waiting for offers of places from universities. The students – and their parents – are also thinking of all the arrangements they need to make once they get the acceptance from the […]
3rd April 2013
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie and British Foreign Secretary William Hague make an unlikely combination. But they are campaigning together to stop rape being used as a tool of war. Last week they visited the Democratic Republic of Congo together to raise awareness of the issue on an international level. How serious is the use of […]
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