20th May 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
It is good to see the waves of British visitors in Lebanon this Summer. British Airways are laying on extra flights, the Hay Festival has just been, and we have several brands – Jack Jones, Marks and Spencer, Virgin Radio, Ted Baker – opening in the coming weeks. This is exactly the relationship we want […]
Read more on The Brits are coming… but please stay in touch | Reply (8)
2nd April 2013 Washington DC, USA
I don’t give as much money to good causes as I should. For someone who works in international development and who feels strongly that we need a joint, all-out effort to end poverty, that’s a pretty stark admission. Given my own failings, I can only say hats off to the UK Government for maintaining its […]
Read more on Learning from the UK: A confession from a development professional | Reply
25th February 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
Earlier this month I posted some futuristic thoughts on what Lebanon could be in 2020. Much more interesting than the speculation in the post was the response. The almost 300 comments so far give a good sense of current debate in Lebanon: idealism, cynicism, fatalism, frustration. Some seek to apportion blame, many to identify practical […]
Read more on Invitation to a Virtual Dinner: Can Lebanon Skip a Tech Generation? | Reply (6)
8th January 2013 Washington DC, USA
How do you prevent the spread of dangerous weapons around the world? Negotiations? Treaties? Sanctions? Seizing illegal shipments? Securing dangerous materials? All of these play an important part. But there is always room for innovation. And who is better suited than the wealth of NGOs and think-tanks based here in the US to combine their […]
Read more on FCO Seeks Innovative NGO Counter-Proliferation Projects to Fund | Reply
20th December 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Each year, many ambassadors send Ministers a review of trends in their country, and thoughts on what lies ahead. To share the more candid elements would be a bit of digital transparency too far, but here is a redacted version of what I have just sent. You can read the rest when it is released […]
Read more on Lebanon 2012: Running to Stand Still | Reply (4)
26th November 2012 Cape Town, South Africa
I have just returned from a visit to South Africa’s Eastern Cape – one of the three provinces we cover from the Consulate-General in Cape Town (the Western and Northern Capes are the other two provinces). As well as Port Elizabeth and East London, I visited the rural towns of Craddock, Bedford and Graaf-Reinet, talking […]
13th November 2012 Cape Town, South Africa
As you may remember, though I’m based at the Consulate-General in Cape Town, I’m also accredited as the Deputy High Commissioner in Namibia (to support our team there). The historic visit this week by Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba to South Africa presented me with a rare chance to mix the two roles. On Tuesday (6 […]
22nd October 2012 Cape Town, South Africa
A guest blog by Michelle Atkinson, 2nd Secretary Political & Projects at the British High Commission in Harare On 10 October 2012, I attended a civil society event hosted by ZACRO to celebrate the World Day against the Death Penalty. It is a day for us all to pause and ask ourselves; is there still […]
22nd October 2012 Cape Town, South Africa
Guestblog by Tatenda Goredema, Communications and Political Officer. I am standing in this month for Simon who has graciously granted me the opportunity to make a one-time guest appearance. I work at the Consulate as Communications and Political officer. Cape Town is the seat of South Africa’s Parliament and no amount of verbose writing could […]
15th October 2012
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 […]