17th May 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
Two things struck me when I was asked to write this week’s blog marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May. First, it reminded me how much the world has changed since February. I’m thinking of then because it was the last public event I hosted, the day before the first […]
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15th May 2020
17 May is IDAHOBIT, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. While there are many special days to mark throughout the year, this is an important one to me personally. Last September, my wife Martina and I took part in the first PRIDE march in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was a happy day for us, […]
20th December 2018 Skopje, North Macedonia
I spend much of my time in meetings in offices with people who are involved in politics in Macedonia, or who work on research in civil society, organise public debates, draft legislation, or advise on official strategies. More rarely do I get to meet the every-day youth of Macedonia. So I was thrilled when a few […]
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6th December 2018 Skopje, North Macedonia
Last week I hosted a meeting with nearly twenty people who work in various organisations in Macedonia on human rights issues and the support they provide to the people who are on the margins of the society unable to fully exercise their rights. I was particularly pleased that we also had among the guests a […]
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2nd June 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
This is not a political slogan. It is the title of an exhibition that the UK Parliament is hosting in celebration of 800 years of Magna Carta. The exhibition commissioned nine artists to produce banners for the historic and beautiful Westminster Hall, celebrating key moments along our journey to modern democracy. If you are not able to visit it in person, you can see the exhibition […]
12th February 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
There are some conceptions for educating children that when they are born, they are ‘tabula rasa’. According to this, children are like sponges, they import whatever we teach them as they grow up. Thereto, if children are tabula rasa, our mission is to teach them of everything that is good. To teach them to care […]
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12th December 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Since I arrived in Macedonia, many people have spoken to me (usually with enthusiasm, though sometimes rather wistfully) about the role of Wilton Park in 2008 in helping to establish parliamentary procedures here. I have often been asked why we haven’t, given the success of the 2008 conference, done more Wilton Park events for Macedonia. […]
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18th October 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Just occasionally a diplomat’s work takes us into deeply emotional territory. That happened here this week with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s visit to Skopje. The IHRA (www.holocaustremembrance.com) exists to foster international cooperation to support Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The UK holds the Chair this year. And in that role Sir Andrew Burns (ex-FCO, […]
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25th September 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Last week with the colleagues from the Embassy we spent our day with the children from the day care centre for children with special needs “Dzunica” in Prilep. What a fulfilling and wonderful day! Why – you may ask? We all have our professional, personal and societal goals we want to achieve, and we all […]