15th February 2018 Vientiane, Laos
World Pangolin Day takes place on 17 February. The plight of these magnificent small scaly anteaters is often dwarfed by the illegal trafficking of ivory, rhino horn and wild cats, but their existence is in danger.
9th February 2017 Vientiane, Laos
I was recently delighted to host my first Burns Supper in Vientiane. It was a wonderful evening of poetry, food and dance for which the organizational credit must go to Scottish community stalwart, Clare Hepburn, ably supported by her husband Alistair and others. As someone who grew up in the southern Scottish town of Dumfries. […]
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10th October 2016 Vientiane, Laos
In 1973, the Oxford-educated economist E F Schumacher published his seminal work, “Small is Beautiful”. It was an early critique of globalisation and a clarion call for sustainable development. Over the years, his iconic title has also stirred broader discussion about the comparative merits of smaller and larger organisations. Each has advantages, in my view. But […]
29th June 2016 Vientiane, Laos
Birthdays and anniversaries always make me think of the famous quote from Geoffrey Chaucer – like Shakespeare one of the giants of English literature – that “time and tide wait for no man.” And no woman either. It was a thought firmly in mind when we at the British Embassy hosted a 90th Birthday Party […]
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13th November 2014 Singapore
This guest blog is the first in a series of four by Peter Mumford, SE Asia Regional Director, Economic & Trade Policy, based at the British High Commission in Singapore. In this series, Peter shares his experience working on economic and trade policy projects in South East Asia, and also his views on where further […]
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