This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. 

I was posted to the British Embassy in Vientiane in 1959, only four years after the Embassy had first been set up. It was a very small mission. Only an Ambassador and two diplomatic staff. I arrived in the unusual circumstances that I had actually been on my way to Beirut to learn Arabic and was told, when I arrived, that I was to go to Vientiane instead. My luggage had not yet caught up with me, so I had only the tropical suit I had bought for the flight Bangkok and an ice-axe I had been using to climb in the Austrian Alps.

That form of arrival seemed entirely in keeping with the rudimentary nature of the embassy we then had and the hand-to-mouth existence we lived. The small embassy office building had just been completed. But the Ambassador’s Residence was still being built and, as an unplanned new arrival, I lived for the first few months in a bed-sitting room in a small house in the middle of a rice paddy field, before moving to share a newly built bungalow with a fellow member of the Embassy in a small compound beside the Mekong River.

What brought me this unexpected posting was a bye-product of the Civil War that was then dividing Laos and the Vietnam War being in danger of spilling over into the rest of Indo-China. There had been rumours of troop movements crossing from what was then North Vietnam into Laos. As a Co-Chairman of the 1954 Geneva Conference which had tried to bring peace to Indo-China after the defeat and withdrawal of France, and as a member of the then South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO), the UK risked being brought directly into the conflict if there had indeed been troop movements across the border. The British Government concluded that they needed to be better informed about what was going on in Laos. They decided to reinforce our small-scale Embassy with an aircraft for the use of the Ambassador and Military Attaché and a junior diplomat. That Third Secretary was me.

Despite being completely unexpected, and despite the Civil War affecting large areas of the country, being posted to the tiny British Embassy in Laos was a shear delight. Vientiane was still a small town with mostly French colonial style buildings and with the streets by the river lined by flame-of-the-forest trees and their strikingly beautiful red flowers. The British were among a very small handful of foreign diplomatic missions. For those of us who were there everything was very informal. Since the telephone system didn’t always work, and without a car of my own, I soon realised that the best way to contact somebody in the Foreign Ministry was to get on my bicycle and go round to see the personally.

The other joy of Laos in those days was travelling outside the capital. The Civil War made it impossible to visit some parts of the country. In other parts who controlled what was sometimes unclear. When faced with an unexpected roadblock, it was useful to explain, in Lao, that one was not an American but rather a member of the British Embassy. That seemed to work, despite some anxious moments of uncertainly, whichever side was manning the roadblock.

Such episodes were only occasional. The more normal experience was to be welcomed wherever one went in the countryside and amongst the villages. The Embassy had a converted van which could be used as a mobile cinema complete with its own generator. We would take this van to villages within a day’s drive of Vientiane, set up a screen in the middle of the village and have the fun of seeing the whole village, young and old, turn out after dark to watch whatever film we had brought with us. Then we would be invited to sleep on the balcony of one of the village houses after the show. It has to be admitted that some of the films we received were not exactly tailor-made for Laos. I remember one being about Captain Scott’s famous expedition to the South Pole. The fact that all the scenes pictured snow and the sound-track was in English didn’t seem to worry anybody. All enjoyed the experience of seeing a film in their own village.

I remember also a journey to Xieng Khoung and the Plain of Jars. It was the time of the Lunar New Year and we were able to take part in the festivities of the Meo (Miao) people there with their beautiful costumes and the haunting sound of the Khene. I was even able to encourage some to learn Scottish Country dancing using the bagpipe practice chanter I had brought with me.

That year I spent in Laos was a wonderful experience. Despite whatever difficulties there may have been, practical or political, the friendliness of the people and the beauty of the countryside remain abiding memories. Furthermore, that experience made me realise that, rather than return to Beirut to learn Arabic, I would far rather stay in East and South East Asian. Luckily the Foreign Office was prepared to fall in with my wishes and I left Laos to go to Hong Kong University and learn Chinese.

It is a great delight to know that a resident British Embassy in Vientiane is now about to reopen. May it contribute to a warm relationship between Laos and the United Kingdom and may those who work there enjoy it as much as I did more that fifty years ago.

RESIDENTS of a key district in Afghanistan have participated in huge numbers as registration for the District Community Council (DCC) elections began yesterday.

“Your vote is your power”

More than 2000 people from Nad-e Ali in Helmand province attended a district Shura (meeting) led by Provincial Governor Naeem Baluch and supported by community leaders.

The District Governor, Mohammad Ibrahm, opened the meeting with a speech recognising the contribution and good work of elected DCC members over the last three years. He told the Shura that achievements in Nad-e-Ali have been due to public support and hard work by community elders.

“DCC members work shoulder to shoulder with us, working for the people, and what you see today – a district in this stage of democracy – is a result of their hard work,” he said.

Speaking about the importance of this week’s elections he added: “Today is an important day. Today is the start of your future. Your vote is your power, use it to elect the real elder for your area.”

Provincial Governor Naeem reinforced the importance of people using their vote. Speaking of the qualities of effective DCC leaders he said: “Vote for the elder who will build your children’s and their children’s future, the elder who will hold the Government to account and fight for your rights.”

“The coming year is the start of stability and democracy, not the end,” he added.

This week will see the people of Nad-e-Ali register to participate in the election.  After the first two days of registration, 2200 came forward from all the zones of Nad-e-Ali. It is anticipated that this will be the largest election held in Helmand to date.

On the first day of registration, 690 residents came from the Kopak area to register, last year this area was still contested and had no representative on the current District Community Council.

Notes:
District Community Councils currently operate in seven Helmand districts covering 80% of the population. More than 34,000 Helmandis have voted in District Community Council elections since 2009 and over 300 people have served as District Councillors.

Community political representation and participation is at the core of the Helmand Model of Sub-National Governance that Helmand PRT has pioneered.

I travelled yesterday with 20-odd European Ambassadors to Herat. It was the first such joint visit we’ve done, and a major sign of our collective commitment to this part of Afghanistan and to the country as a whole.

We met Governor Saba who, as ever, gave us a clear and compelling account of his strategy for the Province. We talked about developing agriculture, infrastructure, and the private sector; and about the challenges of establishing the right channels for planning, financing and coordination between the provinces and the central Government in Kabul.

We met a range of others, from prosecutors to entrepreneurs, civil society activists to the President of the University, to whom I chatted over a delicious lunch of local produce (and local Cola, also made in Herat).

In those conversations we covered everything from preparations for the elections next year to women’s rights (the latter with Maria Bashir, Afghanistan’s only female prosecutor).

But the point of our visit went beyond the individual conversations we had, interesting though we were.

The wider signal we were trying to send was of a collective international commitment to Afghanistan which is changing, but remaining strong.

International troops are starting to draw down in Herat as elsewhere. That’s because we are, rightly, handing over the control of their country’s security to Afghans themselves.

But there’s a risk that this is misinterpreted by Afghans as a signal of international abandonment. Given the country’s recent history, it is not surprising that many fear that the consequences of such abandonment could be profoundly negative.

Our point yesterday was that this is emphatically not what is going on.

We will remain here in a different role to support Afghan security forces beyond 2014, as well as financing them to the tune of around $3.5 billion per year.

But just as importantly, we will be here to offer strong political support, and to deliver what is collectively a vast and unprecedented development commitment of $4 billion a year.

Yesterday’s visit was a good chance to talk through what these long-term commitments mean in practice. And we stressed one further message: that while they are strong, these commitments are not unconditional.

Afghanistan’s government has committed to a number of reforms and other measures to improve the country’s economy, the inclusiveness of its politics and the rights of its people. It needs to deliver on those too. Our commitments are strong, but they are also mutual.

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 – vibrant, trading, creative interchange.

But amidst this positive progress, it remains as important as ever to be vigilant about security, given the regional situation. Our small consular team has a busy time – passport renewals, authenticating documents and registering births (a full list of our consular services is here). Sometimes they have to deal with more dramatic events: arrests, deaths and child custody disputes. They also look after nationals of Ireland and New Zealand, and ensure that the Embassy is as ready as possible to help our nationals in a crisis.

The risks are different in different places: not all visitors realise Lebanon is in an earthquake zone, for example. We try to be as well prepared as possible for ‘known unknowns’ and ‘unknown unknowns’. All our Embassies and High Commissions worldwide have a plan for how they would handle a crisis, and we test ours regularly.

To help us prepare for the unexpected, we used to maintain and update a database of British nationals in Lebanon, called LOCATE. But the number of travellers who actually registered was a tiny percentage of the Brits actually in Lebanon. Last year, the FCO reviewed LOCATE worldwide – and found it actually hindered rather than helped our recent crisis responses in Japan and the Arab Spring. We had teams of people calling out-of-date mobile numbers, and contacting families who had long since returned home. Those teams could have been out there, helping the people who really needed them.

So, on 14 May, the FCO closed down the LOCATE system. Brits no longer need to register their details with us. Instead, if a crisis strikes, as it could in any country, you will be able to give us your details on the spot, so we know where you are and what you need. We’ll offer a number of ways for you to get in touch, for example by telephone hotline, SMS, internet or by speaking to a team on the ground. This will allow us to focus our attention on those who most need our assistance. My team and I will keep you updated via our website, Facebook page and Twitter, through electronic and print media. You can also subscribe to our travel advice updates – please click here and follow the instructions. Social media is an increasingly important tool for communicating with Brits, but it won’t be our only channel.

Continued engagement by Brits with the embassy is vital in making sure we are providing the best service possible. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to call my team on 01 960 800 or by email on consular.beirut@fco.gov.uk. If you need an appointment for a counter service use our online booking system to reserve a spot.

I want to encourage people to come and see this extraordinary country, but I also want to be certain we are well placed to help them if it was ever necessary. Please stay in touch.

Last week I paid a short visit back to the UK to take part in the annual meeting of Britain’s Ambassadors.  It’s known as the FCO Leadership Conference because we don’t just discuss the major policy challenges but also our role in leading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our network of Embassies around the world.

We heard from the Foreign Secretary about his priorities for the coming year – a mix of immediate challenges such as Syria and Somalia, with broader initiatives like preventing sexual violence in conflict and deepening the UK’s relationships with the new global players, including Korea.

I’ve tweeted some of the most striking comments from presentations on the implications for foreign policy of developments in the energy and resource sectors.  These range from major changes in the sources and directions of oil and gas supplies, to the big benefits to be gained in energy security, living costs and reduced carbon emissions by reducing demand for energy.  And of course there are the immediate and impending security issues caused by dangerous climate change.

We shared ideas on how Embassies can promote Britain as a great place to visit, study and do business.  This is the objective of our GREAT campaign here in Korea.  Watch out for more details on the Embassy website at www.gov.uk/world/south-korea.

Being able to lead effectively in a crisis is a critical part of any Ambassador’s job.  So it was really useful to hear experiences from colleagues from Algeria, Mali and Beirut.  And we also spent time identifying ways to ensure we unlock the potential from our British and locally engaged staff around the globe so that we can perform even better despite the tight resource environment.  This is a key part of the FCO’s programme of Diplomatic Excellence.

I was also able to squeeze in a talk to the Anglo-Korean Society at the Korean Cultural Centre in London.  It was terrific to see so many people of all ages interested in the UK/Korea relationship and enthusiastic about its future.

So a busy but very productive week with lots to take forward now I’m back in Seoul.

O seguinte texto foi escrito por Julio Cardia sobre o dia internacional anti-homofobia, a convite do Embaixador do Reino Unido no Brasil, Alan Charlton. 

Há 13 anos não pensávamos que seria possível ter o reconhecimento de casamentos de pessoas do mesmo sexo. Podia-se pensar nisso, mas talvez não fosse algo a ser falado abertamente. Em 2000, ainda tínhamos as torres gêmeas, havíamos acabado de vencer o bug do milênio e este que aqui escreve ainda tinha seus desejos e sonhos escondidos dentro do armário.

As mudanças que a primeira década do século XXI viriam a trazer para o mundo não demoraram aparecer. Em 2001, outras torres também foram derrubadas: as do preconceito. A Holanda, já como membro da União Européia, deu um grande passo na diminuição da discriminação de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais (LGBT). Doze anos separam a aprovação do casamento gay nos Países Baixos da recente aprovação no Brasil, e, desde então, 15 são as nações nas quais a união homossexual é uma realidade possível para sua população, sendo o Reino Unido uma delas.

De lá pra cá vimos vários protestos contra o casamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo em várias partes do mundo. América do Sul e Europa tomaram a dianteira na aprovação dos direitos para essa população, que havia sido deixada à margem durante toda a idade moderna. Contudo, nem todos os países considerados “friendly” conseguiram avançar – são visíveis os esforços do Reino Unido na busca de um consenso que atenda a essa demanda. No Brasil, continuamos a encontrar problemas relacionados ao preconceito, já que mudanças culturais demandam tempo e educação.

Programas que buscam criar uma sociedade mais igualitária, como os realizados pelo Reino Unido, são a base de um processo e devem nortear políticas públicas. É extremamente importante se sentir protegido por sua nação, e o caminho natural dessas políticas segue ao encontro de uma garantia gradual de direitos, que, mais uma vez, passo a passo, se encontrem com essa nova sociedade.  Paralelo a isso, no Brasil é importante ter mais engajamento sobre os diretos LGBT e o preconceito sofrido por essa sociedade. Esclarecer a população é tão importante quanto ter garantias jurídicas.

Na estrada entre o Reino Unido e o Brasil, ainda é possível encontrar muitos pedaços sem tijolos. O caminho está lá, o norte é visível, tanto para aqueles que querem e como para aqueles que não querem ver. A sociedade britânica inspira não só a derrubada do preconceito, mas a superação de desafios, como aqueles enfrentados pelos atletas olímpicos, que em breve visitarão o Brasil.

São muitos os elementos que compõem essa teia, essa rede de relações, no qual é necessário enxergar que os desafios existem para serem superados. Esses desafios nos fazem mais fortes e nos ajudam a progredir, caminhando sempre no sentido de deixarmos um mundo melhor para aqueles que virão. Assim, passo a passo, tijolo a tijolo, construímos uma estrada de direitos na qual todos e todas podem caminhar.

Julio Cardia – Ex-presidente do Estruturação – Grupo LGBT de Brasília que desde 1994 atua na melhoria da qualidade de vida de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais do DF. O Estruturação é membro-fundador da Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Travestis (ABGLT) e filiado à International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA).

The following is a post by Alice Harrison, who recently visited Tajikistan with regional Defence Attaché David Harrison

May appeared to be a wonderful month to visit the Pamirs for those interested in flowers. Every village passed had banks of shaggy, bearded irises planted in its gardens and along the road.  The first of the eremus were opening, covering the grey screes with tall spikes of yellow and white, and poppies, what might have been a form of bottle gentian, and a small, pink form of nanus gladioli crowded grassy areas.  Lilac was just coming into flower and fruit trees everywhere were white with blossom.  Taking the road over the mountains at Shurabod, Judas trees dotted the hillsides, their purple colouring contrasting with the intense red of the soil.  Elsewhere large bushes of yellow potentilla were another reminder of how much English gardens owe to the early plant hunters in the Tien Shan and Pamirs.

Alice Harrison

With the car altimeter showing 2,500 metres on another hot day, the initial appearance of the hot springs at Garm Chashma, some 40 kilometres from Khorog, was not immediately enticing. The terraces formed by minerals in the water were stained an unattractive brown in places and the crude barricade of heavy, corrugated iron surrounding the bathing area, is not the kind of thing normally associated with places of charm.  There was a mild smell of bad eggs.  Persuaded by my husband to give it a go, enquiry revealed that it was women’s hour in the main basin.  Having stripped off in the open air on the edge of the pool, I joined the only other occupants, two Kyrgyz women, in the water, which was uncomfortably hot to begin with.  Once adjusted to the temperature however, I was able to loll back in the milky, turquoise water absorbing the amazing scenery around the springs, of bare, reddish mountains threaded in places with goat tracks, above a valley punctuated by poplars and, in the further distance, higher peaks covered in snow.  A circling vulture completed the scene, while the splash of the water cascading into the pool from the calcium deposits around it, and the chattering of the other pool users, who were busy scrubbing each other with an uncomfortably jagged looking stone, provided the soundtrack.  Afterwards, the owner of the springs led us up the hill behind them to one of the water sources.  This was enclosed within a dry stone wall and from a small crack in the ground, water oozed unprepossessingly through a veil of lime green algae.   A small shrine had been built in a niche in the rocks on which was laid a number of sets of Pamir Ibex horns.

A bit of banging on the gate eventually produced a gardener who, following the exchange of 10 somoni, let us through the entrance where a small, hanging valley, filled with blossom, opened up in front of us.  The Pamir Botanical Gardens, about 5 kilometres and a couple of hundred metres above Khorog in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan, are the second highest in the world.  Founded in 1940, today the upkeep of the gardens  is not what it might be but,  on a warm, early May day with the stark, golden screes and rock faces of the surrounding Pamirs visible against a sky of cloudless blue, they were a magical place to visit.  2300 species of plant from around the world are reputedly to be found here, many of the shrubs overgrown and largely unpruned, which helps to give the feel of having stumbled into a secret garden.  Fruit trees abound and were swamped in flower, while neatly planted rows of numerous types of iris, just bursting into bloom, were another highlight.  Our guide, however, saved the best until last, leading us past a beautiful, if rather dilapidated, choikhona to the lip of the valley, beyond a protective screen of Lombardy poplars; here the land fell away and the view in the clear air and evening sunlight, over the town of Khorog and down the valley of the Ghunt, was remarkable. Sadly for the future of the gardens, tourism, on which it largely relies for its income, is substantially down this year following the unrest of July last year, although the Foreign Office does not now advise against travel to the region. For me it was another unforgettable Central Asian experience.

This has been a fortnight of focus on Africa in London.

It started with the Somalia Conference on 7 May in Lancaster House, following up the Somalia Conference of a year ago. The difference was that this time the Government of Somalia co-chaired the event and the agenda concentrated on its priorities. Feedback from those attending was hugely positive and substantial additional support to Somalia was promised by the International Community. Many useful bilateral visits took place in the margins of the main event.

Foreign Secretary William Hague and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam

Security – in the face of the continuing threat from Al Shabaab – was high on people’s minds. But a longer-term perspective was being taken too. So it was logical to hold a Somalia commercial event on 8 May to look at how to underpin improvements in the country in a sustainable way.

In parallel, the first ever trade and investment mission (in either direction) from Djibouti was engaging with no less than 180 UK companies. Though not a traditional market for us, the companies were deeply interested in the prospects offered by a huge planned expansion in Djibouti’s port and free zone provision; the liberalisation of the financial sector; the renewable energy opportunities; and developments in other key sectors.

UK Heads of Mission joined their African counterparts for a group photo on the stairs at Lancaster House.

On 13 May, African Ambassadors and High Commissioners in London met to commemorate 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity, again in Lancaster House, prefacing the celebrations due in Addis Ababa next week.

A wide range of political, academic, business and diplomatic contacts were present. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros and our Deptuy Prime Minister both gave much-praised speeches. Amongst the ceremonial aspects there were serious discussion, with sessions focussing on the African economy, business environment and investment opportunities. The UK was delighted to be able to host this tribute to how far the (now) African Union has come and to look forward to the future.

This week was Leadership Week for British Ambassadors and High Commissioners from around the world, when we come back to London to discuss our work and the Government’s priorities collectively. But regional meetings also take place and British Heads of Mission (as we are called) were able to discuss together the tremendous progress being made in Africa and how we can best bring British and African aims and achievements together.

Separately, we engaged with Parliamentarians and businesses to review future work – in my case I attended five Africa-specific business gatherings (further evidence of the considerable and growing commercial interest in Africa at present).

Thus energised, we are all returning to the countries to which we are accredited – ready to take forward the substantial security and prosperity agenda we have with our African partners. If anyone still believed we were not giving enough attention to this fast growing Continent, the evidence of the past fortnight should have put them right.

المقال تم نشره في موقع العربية.نت

أردتُ أن أكتب بضع كلمات عن تجربتي الشخصية في التعاطي مع منطقة الشرق الأوسط وقضاياها. هذه التجربة، باستثناء عامين في أفغانستان، امتدّت على معظم سنوات مهنتي، من لندن إلى دمشق، فبروكسل أثناء عملي مع الاتحاد الأوروبي أو في نيويورك مع الأمم المتّحدة. خلال هذه المسيرة تعلمتُ العربية في لندن والقاهرة.

وعلى رغم أنني لم أعمل في مجال الإعلام، فقد كانت مفاجأة لي أن أُعيَّن في يوليو العام 2011 ناطقةً رسمية باللغة العربية بإسم الحكومة البريطانية في المنطقة، متّخذةً من دبي مقرّاً لعملي الذي يقضي بشرح سياسة المملكة المتحدة لوسائل الإعلام، وبصراحة لم أكن أعرف ماذا ينتظرني!

مضى عامان، كيف كانت التجربة؟ كثيرون قالوا لي إنني سأترك انطباعاً قوياً بمجرد أنني إمرأة تتعاطى مع إعلام الشرق الأوسط. لم أصدّق ذلك. اعتقدتُ أن ذلك قد يكون صحيحاً في بعض أنحاء منطقة الخليج، لكن ليس على امتداد الشرق الأوسط حيث النساء فاعلات وأثبتن أنفسهن في مجال الإعلام العربي والتواصل. لكنني كنت مخطئة. فقد فوجئتُ بمدى الترحيب الذي أبداه كثيرون، بمن فيهم نساء صحافيات وقرّاء، بأن تكون الناطقة بإسم الحكومة البريطانية إمرأة، كاسرةً النمطية السائدة عن الديبلوماسي البريطاني الذي يكون عادةً إنكليزياً من الطبقة الوسطى وفي منتصف العمر.

وجدتُ أيضاً بصدق كم يقدّر العالم العربي جهدي في التحدّث مع أفراده بالعربية، وهي إحدى اصعب اللغات في العالم.

 ”ربيع مهني.. وعربي”!

توليتُ منصبي لينطلق بعد شهور قليلة “الربيع العربي”. أخذت الثورات تحدث تغيّراً سريعاً ومزلزلاً على امتداد الشرق الأوسط، ومفاعيلها التي تردّدت عالمياً بدأت ولم تنته، فقد فاجأت الجميع من أنظمة وحكومات أجنبية ومؤسسات إعلامية. ولم يكن مستغرباً أن بعض وسائل الإعلام وجدت نفسها حائرة في الأيام الأولى في طريقة تغطية ما يدور على مسرح الأحداث السياسية في المنطقة. اليوم، ما زال النقاش دائراً عن دور وسائل الإعلام هذه في التأثير في التطوّرات.

لكن ممّا لا شكّ فيه أن الثورات حقّقت تقدّماً على صعيد حرية التعبير في أنحاء عدّة من المنطقة بعد عقود من القمع ورقابة السلطة، رغم أن عدداً كبيراً من الإعلاميين العرب ما زالوا لا يتمتعون بحقوقهم المهنية، ويتعرضون للسجن والإعتداءات والضغوطات، كما في سوريا حيث معظم وسائل الإعلام محظورة والصحافيون يخاطرون بحياتهم للعمل.

نحن في المملكة المتّحدة نعرف أن إعلاماً موضوعياً ومستقلاً يتمتع بحرية كاملة لا يمكن أن يبصر النور بين ليلة وضحاها. ونفتخر بالتزامنا مبادىء حرية الإعلام التي هي مكوّن رئيسي لمجتمعات ديمقراطية وحرة، فقد تطلّب مسار نيل الحريات عندنا مئات الأعوام والتحدّيات ما زالت قائمة. وإذا صح التعبير، فإن مسيرة الديمقراطية طويلة وتحتاج إلى وقت وعمل دؤوب قد يجعل المجتمعات المتحولة تتخبط تارةً وتستقيم تارةً أخرى لتحقيق حياة أفضل للجميع .ما نحاول أن نركز عليه خلال برامجنا التدريبية للصحافيين في المنطقة، والتي تمثل محوراً مهمّاً في برنامج الشراكة البريطانية – العربية، هو تعزيز استقلالية ومصداقية مضمون الخطاب الإعلامي العربي، من أجل قيام نهضة إعلامية وسط مجتمعات مفتوحة وديمقراطية.

 الإعلام الجديد

الكلام هنا يقود إلى وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي التي شهدت هي الأخرى ثورة واكبت “الربيع العربي”. قبل نحو عامين عندما وصلتُ إلى دبي، لتسلّم منصبي، لم تكن لي أي صلة بتلك الوسائل. اعتقدتُ أنها أدوات يمكن من خلالها للجيل اليافع تمضية أوقاته في وقت يتعيّن عليه الاهتمام بأمور أخرى. اعتقدتُ أن “فيسبوك” يشكّل تهديداً للخصوصية وطريق نحو الانهيار المهني. واعتبرتُ كذلك أن “تويتر” هو لمجرّد التغريد! فتغيير العالم بـ 140 حرفاً غير ممكن..!

ومع الوقت، أدركت أن الإعلام الحديث يشكل جزءاً لا يتجزّأ عن الإعلام في المنطقة. وليس من قبيل المصادفة تنامي عدد السفراء البريطانيين والديبلوماسيين في الشرق الأوسط الناشطين على “تويتر” معتبرين أنهم بهذه الوسائل يمكنهم بلوغ شرائح جديدة والتفاعل معها. وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي لن تحلّ يوماً مكان الإعلام الجماهيري التقليدي من حيث التأثير أو الصدقية. لكن الإعلام الحديث بات يشكل وسيلة رئيسية في الانخراط في الأحداث وتبادل الآراء والوصول إلى جمهور جديد ولا سيما إلى الأجيال الشابّة.

الإعلام الجديد سلطة تكنولوجية ذات منظومات معقدة، لا تلتزم بالحدود الوطنية للدول، إنما تطرح حدوداً فضائية غير مرئية وعالمية، تتخطى حواجز الزمان والمكان واللغة، لتخاطب جماهير متعددي الجنسيات والعقائد والتطلعات. إن تغيير العالم بـ 140 حرفا، أمر يستحقّ المحاولة…

 ماذا بعد؟

ما زالت أمامي سنة أخرى في منصبي، وغالباً ما أقول في نفسي ماذا سأناقش مع من يأتي بعدي في يوليو 2014؟ وكيف ستكون رقعة الإعلام في المنطقة بعد سنتين من تعيين خلفٍ لي؟ مَن يملك أجوبة؟ الأحداث على مدى العامين الأخيرين دّلت على أن  التوقّع لا يستحقّ الجهد. لكن لنأمل أننا سنشهد في المرحلة المقبلة وسائل إعلام عربية تعمل بحرّية في أجواء أكثر أمناً وسلامة، وتعمل على مراقبة الحكومات ومحاسبتها على امتداد المنطقة. أما حكومة المملكة المتّحدة فستعمل من جانبها على تحقيق ذلك. ولنأمل أيضاً أن لا تكون إمرأة متحدثة بإسم الحكومة البريطانية بأمر جديد!

Our support for equal opportunity

You might remember that in 2011 I blogged about IDAHO, which is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (not the US state!).

It’s a day to remember that across the world there are people facing very serious discrimination because of their sexuality, or even threats and violence.

The situation is not nearly as bad here, of course, but Japan is still not an easy country to live in as an openly gay, bisexual or transgendered person. Though discrimination is not as extreme as in some countries, pressure to conform to social norms is strong, and public role models are limited.

Civil partnerships or gay marriage are not on the mainstream political agenda and there are few public figures outside show business who can act as advocates/leaders for the LGBT community.

Ambassador Tim Hitchens (right) addresses the crowd, highlighting the UK’s commitment to diversity and equality

We want to demonstrate our support for those who are working to raise awareness in Japan and were pleased to see another successful Rainbow Pride Day in Tokyo on 28 April, attendance nearly three times last year’s turnout.

Our Ambassador, Tim Hitchens, delivered a speech to the event, was interviewed by the Mainichi newspaper and met some of Japan’s leading gay politicians: Aya Kamikawa; Taiga Ishikawa; and Wataru Ishizaka.

Alongside a number of other Embassies, we organised a UK stall (together with the British business community), encouraging those attending the event to consider visiting the UK, as a liberal, welcoming destination for tourism and business.

On Friday, we’ll be flying the Rainbow flag over the Embassy to demonstrate our support – what will you do?

Having a look at the IDAHO/やっぱ愛ダホ websites to better understand why IDAHO matters would be a good way to start!

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt receiving from His Grace Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre an open letter from UK interfaith leaders calling for the release of Baha’i leaders. London 14 May 2013.

What is it that leading British Sikhs, Jews, Hindus, Roman Catholics, Copts, Buddhists, Presbyterians and Muslims have in common? Too often, we hear about the differences between faiths. But this week we saw an extraordinary coming together for a great cause.

On 14 May, Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt received in person an open letter addressed to the Foreign Secretary by fifty religious leaders. The issue that brought this important and diverse array of faith leaders together was religious freedom or belief. Specifically, the fifth anniversary of the imprisonment of the seven leaders of the Baha’i community by the Iranian government. The only reason for their imprisonment was their faith.

Both Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have said that religious freedom is at the heart of human rights, the right that underpins all other rights. No state should dictate to its citizens what to believe. Iran, like too many other countries that violate that right, has signed the relevant international instruments protecting freedom of belief. And yet it is responsible for the systematic persecution of its Baha’i community, ranging from exclusion from higher education to imprisonment, torture and execution.

Religious persecution is wrong, wherever it occurs. It is wrong when it is applied to anyone of any belief, be they Shia Muslim, Jewish, agnostic, Christian or, yes, Baha’i. In the land of their birth, their simple wish is to practise their faith in peace. Successive Iranian governments have refused them this basic right.

My government is active in lending its voice to that of the leaders of all the great religions present in our country today. Their common decision to sign the letter shows that this is not a partisan cause, but one deeply held. The failure of the Iranian authorities to respect the faith of the Baha’i is a clear demonstration of their disregard for fundamental human rights. I wonder how my Iranian opposite number explains this systematic persecution of people of faith to our common hosts here at the Vatican?

With Kuwait starting to hot up, and many of my Kuwaiti friends and colleagues looking forward already to their well-earned summer vacations, I have found once again that London features highly on their planned travel itineraries. Having lived and worked in many countries the world over, I am constantly struck by the affinity to London felt by a large percentage of the population.

There are many reasons for this; and 2012’s magnificent Olympic Games put London firmly at the forefront of international attention. But I think the ties between London and Kuwait go a lot deeper.

Tourism is clearly a factor. London has unparalleled historic buildings and monuments, luxury hotels and dining, outstanding museums and galleries, and of course, top class football. I have many Kuwaiti friends who travel to London each year to stay at the Dorchester, dine at The Ivy and take in a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium or Stamford Bridge.

But London offers far more than what one would expect to find in the pages of a tourist brochure. Its Houses of Parliament, Metropolitan Police service and City of London financial institutions are respected the world over – and are potential partners for their Kuwait equivalents.

The city’s array of leading universities makes it a top destination for thousands of British and overseas students each year, including many Kuwaitis, who study both traditional academic subjects and an increasing number of specialist vocational courses. And the development of London’s transport system – which of course includes the world-famous Underground network, the first of its kind – set the standard for other countries to follow.

As Kuwait looks at implementing its own plan for a metro system, I sincerely hope UK experience and expertise will be able to assist where appropriate.

Some of those I talk to in Kuwait also speak fondly about the incredible ethnic and demographic diversity that entitles London to lay claim to the title of the most multicultural city on Earth.

Throughout the twentieth century North London became established as a destination for European émigrés fleeing persecution in continental Europe; further east, the streets of Whitechapel and Shoreditch buzz with the sights, sounds and tempting smells of outstanding Asian cuisine.

London’s rich Caribbean legacy, which can be traced back to the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948, lives on today in West London, home of the annual Notting Hill Carnival. And the Baitul Futuh mosque, in the southern suburb of Morden, can accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers and is the largest mosque in Western Europe.

Kuwait and Kuwaitis have a prominent place too. I myself sometimes feel when visiting Edgeware Road or Knightsbridge that I have been briefly transported back to the Gulf. This year will in fact see a celebration of Arab culture in London through the Shubbak festival, which brings together more than 40 events across visual arts, music, literature, theatre and film at venues across London from 22 June – 6 July 2013.

In the UK we are rightly proud of this legacy, and hope that by continuing to shine as a beacon of tolerance and cultural cohabitation, London can maintain its reputation as a world leader. Equally important are the creative and technological advances epitomized by London’s Tech City hub, which help ensure that the city remains progressive, modern and at the cutting edge of global innovation.

But, this short article cannot quite do London the justice it deserves, as a place of great depth and character, and one of the world’s great cities. However I have many Kuwaiti friends who know the place far better than I, and the facts and figures about the number of Kuwaitis who spend time in our capital speak for themselves. So if you really want to know and understand London, Kuwait is definitely a decent place to start.

For centuries the dream of many has been to create wealth out of nothing. In the Philippines, stories of Yamashita’s gold (or even Lim Ah Hong’s) still encourage people to go off to the countryside with their metal detectors.  I suspect this may prove to be a modern equivalent of alchemy: the hope of turning base metals in to gold.  But there are other more viable ways to turn nothing in to something quite remarkable.

There is much discussion at the moment about the lack of adequate supply of energy in parts of the Philippines, particularly Mindanao. That’s clearly a top priority to remedy due to the limitations it places on economic growth in addition to the problems it causes for people living in those areas. Fortunately, the technical solutions needed are readily available. Investment and quick / efficient project management is needed rather than alchemy.  In fact, similar problems were tackled and to some extent solved in the 1990’s. The reoccurrence of the problem does not in itself invalidate the changes of the 1990s. But the 21st century requires 21st century solutions as well as continuing investment– at least if you want to keep the lights on (and the air conditioning).

Energy in the UK, or more precisely energy efficiency, is an area where we have been trying to perform something akin to alchemy. Whether it is capturing the power of the sun’s rays, having wind and water turn turbines, splitting atoms or digging up and burning hydrocarbons, energy is a costly business. Wasting, or using unnecessary energy, is the equivalent of putting Pesos on an open fire. It makes no sense to pay for something you waste or don’t need.

UK Government policies have meant that we have already dramatically increased our energy efficiency. And much more is planned. Our Energy Efficiency Strategy aims to cut our energy use by a further 11 per cent by 2020. That is the equivalent of 22 power stations. This can be done through a range of measures. It can be as simple as turning off the lights or unplugging electrical appliance when not needed. It can involve use of smart grids for electricity distribution and smart meters for people to understand how they can save energy.  Another major area is retro-fitting existing buildings. 

Retro-fitting building is a major area of opportunity for the Philippines. In the UK, this involves keeping in more heat. Here it involves keeping out heat more effectively and having modern and efficient cooling systems. A recent project involving my Embassy, the Department of Finance and The Clinton Foundation produced some startling results. A comprehensive analysis of current energy usage and potential savings at the DOF’s headquarters in Manila, a relatively new and efficient building, showed that further investment could achieve 12% reductions in energy usage. If applied across big government Departments such changes could save around Php361 million per year and deliver a full return on investment in 2 years. I know of very few investments that could deliver this.

And what could Php 361 million buy you?  For the government it could mean an additional 1,500 kilometres of rural roads, 1,800 more classrooms or, if you prefer, an additional 63,000 more beneficiaries for conditional cash transfer per year.  For businesses, it could be the difference between profits and bankruptcy.

Whatever way you want to spend it, I think the facts are clear. Investing to save energy is a win-win. Good for the customer, good for the government, good for business and also good for the environment.

This is a guest blog from our Ambassador for one day Paola López

According to the Oxford Dictionary, an Ambassador is “a representative or promoter of a specified activity”.   However as ‘Ambassador for the Day’ in El Salvador on 8 May, I found out that in reality an ambassador, like  Linda Cross, is someone sincerely friendly to those who they work with, responsible in every sense and charismatic even under the toughest pressure.

Even though I was not at the British Embassy for more than an hour, it was enough time to notice the sense of unity in the relatively small team. What shocked me the most within the team was not the strictly tight agenda they had, but how smoothly and calmly they managed to carry it all out.

Ambassador Linda Cross and Ambassador for a day Paola López with progressio british volunteers

Linda effectively made me feel as a real ambassador all day, and I am really grateful to her for the opportunity. At the event in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark Europe Day, I met many more ambassadors from all around the world, and without exception, they were all gracious and welcoming. I found it fun trying to identify each one’s nationality according to their accent! During the speech by Stefano Gatto, I learned about economic and political relations between the European Union and Central America: I honestly was unaware of the magnitude of the contribution from the EU towards our country.

Our last activity was in the ‘Universidad Jose Matías Delgado’. We saw a documentary about the Falkland Islands, heard about the experience in the Islands of a Salvadorean reporter, Alex Pineda, and some words from Linda about the UK’s position on the Islands. We had lunch in approximately half an hour because of our tight schedule. When we were done we went to ‘Progressio’, a British NGO, where we met a group of British volunteers. They told us about their actions and outcomes in projects in Santa Marta, a community in Cabañas; I was inspired by their enthusiasm and devotion towards everything they did.  I enjoyed the activity because of the similarity between their opinions despite the difference amongst their origins.

Overall, the experience was beneficial for my understanding of the activities as well as responsibilities of an Ambassador. Moreover I enjoyed the whole day because of everybody’s warmth. I really want to thank the British Embassy and my school (Academia Británica Cuscatleca, British School of El Salvador) for this great opportunity. Finally, I would like to encourage everybody with an opportunity like this to take advantage of it, and I dare to say you will not regret it.

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 the UK’s annual “Leadership Conference” in London, a gathering of British diplomacy’s senior managers and Ambassadors. This is the collective leadership of the Foreign Office. If it tells me anything about leadership it is that everyone leads in a different way depending on their personality and ability.

Role models illustrate the same point. People like Mahatma Gandi, Steve Jobs and Alex Ferguson are all regarded as iconic leaders. They inspired loyalty, created a vision, persuaded people to follow them and drove change. But they all did it differently.

So leadership is hard to define; though you know it when you see it. Perhaps it is easier to define what it isn’t. It certainly isn’t making lots of noise, firing off orders or being a know-all.

Listening is a crucial part of leadership. But it is under-rated and under-valued. If bosses want to get something done, they should listen to their staff. In democracy, leaders need to listen to the street. In business, CEOs should explore innovative ideas coming from the shop floor.

By listening you also become sensitive to your environment. By understanding how your staff feel, and by being interested in their ideas, you have a better chance of carrying them with you.

These days, leading and managing change in any environment is tough. The pressures – in politics, in business, in diplomacy – are enormous and many people fear the uncertainty created by those pressures. Employees want leadership, they want to be persuaded that there is a better future. But they also want their leaders to listen to them and feel that they have contributed to the process. Creating the journey together is better than trying to force a reluctant workforce to change.

In short, leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done. To succeed you need to convince them that they want to do it. You won’t get it done just by telling them. Listening to their views will make sure you do it better.

A startling statistic – over half the businesses that get help from UK Trade & Investment go on to win additional sales of over £600,000 within two years.

The UK’s trade performance is often discussed in the abstract, or at the macroeconomic level. People look at the effect on UK GDP or the balance of payments.

But when it comes down to it, exports are all about British businessmen and women making the decision not to stay stuck in a groove, but to venture out to find new customers.

The role of UKTI is to help such businesses – sitting down with them to find out which markets suit them, working up concrete plans and linking them up with the right people to make the deals that make the difference.

This week is Export Week, and UKTI has set up events around the country to encourage more businesses to export.

About two-thirds of UKTI’s staff are located overseas, working as part of the FCO’s network.

And if you’re wondering what they get up to, I can recommend a blog written by Dan Rutstein, Head of UKTI Germany, who has been helping to sell Sunseeker Yachts, made in Dorset, to sun-seeking Germans.

Because while the headline economic news from Europe can make gloomy reading, there are plenty of bright spots to focus on.

Look at exports of food and drink, our biggest manufacturing sector, which employs half a million people in the UK.

Nine out of the top ten export markets for the UK’s food and drink sector in 2012 are in the EU. Last year, exports in this sector rose by 1.7% to Ireland (our top food and drink market overall) by 7.7% to Germany, by 16.5% to Sweden, and by 52.6% to Bulgaria.

Decisions to export are made by companies. But Government has a role in creating the most favourable conditions.

And that’s why we are pushing so strongly for the world’s biggest trade deal – a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the EU and the US, that could set the standard for trade deals worldwide.

The Prime Minister will be discussing this in Washington this week with President Obama.

Businesses across the UK would gain, as this study shows.

And, to end on another interesting statistic, the Centre for Economic Policy Research estimates that this deal alone could benefit a family of four by £460 a year.

Click here for the national programme for Export Week. Prime Minister David Cameron’s article on the EU-US deal, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, can be read on this link.

Earlier this month, we recruited a new intern to work with SIN Canada from the British Consulate-General here in Toronto. Saira Meese-Tamuri will be taking projects based on some of the eight great technologies forward, as well as working on external communications (follow her on Twitter at @SMeeseTamuri). You may have already seen some of her blog posts, which means that she’s already quicker than me at getting new content out.

Saira holds a B.Sc. in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience and a M.Sc. in Behaviour Genetics, both from the University of Toronto. Her research has been submitted to the Journal of Neuroscience and Heredity, and has been accepted in Journal of Neurochemistry, and presented at several conferences. She has also been extremely active as a volunteer and mentor, running programmes aimed at getting girls into science and improving green initiatives on campus.

A warm welcome from the SIN team to Saira, and we look forward to some new and interesting UK-Canada projects.

This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. 

My parents were both born in Laos but came to the UK in the 1970s. I was born in Hackney in East London. Having visited Laos twice (once 8 years ago and most recently earlier this year), I am increasingly interested in finding out more about my Lao roots and doing what I can to build links between the UK and Laos.

I ended up spending a bit of time in Vientiane in January this year after taking time out from competition in Australia. I was injured and my parents had gone back to Laos for 3 months so I decided to join them there.

Anne Keothavong

During my visit, I was asked by the Lao Tennis Federation to do a tennis clinic with their young players. Some Lao follow my tennis so I am relatively well-known in Lao tennis circles. The experience reminded me a lot of how I started out playing tennis, with very little, just playing on public tennis courts in parks in East London. It is nice to do what I can to help them to achieve what I have, but professional sport, particularly tennis, is still very much in its infancy there.

My family links with the Lao sporting world also stem back to London 2012 when both my father and my sister were involved with helping the Lao Olympic Team during their stay in London. My father worked with the Lao National Olympic Committee to plan the stay of the Lao athletes in the UK and my sister was the Games Maker assigned to the Lao team!

I also met the Lao athletes who competed and particularly remember a couple of 100m sprinters they had and a swimmer.

I remember when I was younger attending reunions of Lao people at the Vietnamese Lao and Cambodian Society (VLC) in Hackney, including parties to celebrate Pi Mai.

There are not that many Lao people in the UK so my family tend to know most of them, and my parents are still very much part of that community. I travel so much for my tennis that I don’t have the chance to get as involved. For example, I was playing in a tournament in Argentina at the time of Pi Mai this year so I missed the celebrations in Hackney.

It’s great news that we now have a British Embassy back in Vientiane. Perhaps there’s chance for a game of tennis on that Embassy tennis court next time I visit…?

In today’s ‘Information Age’,  data is the fuel driving innovation in economy and society.

Chris Yiu, head of the Digital Government Unit at the Policy Exchange (a leading London think tank) sits on the UK Government’s Data Strategy Board. He was recently in Ottawa to speak at the Data Effect conference about UK initiatives. I had a chance to ask  him about open data, big data, and how governments are using them to improve accountability and drive the economy.

The government of the United Kingdom is a founding member of the Open Government Partnership, an initiative to encouraging transparent, effective, and accountable governments. The UK is leading its own transparency policy with several key initiatives:

• Data is being made available, searchable, useable, and ‘open’ through data.gov.uk
• The establishment of a ministerial advisory Data Strategy Board
• Government has established an Open Data License to make it simple to release and use data
• Government has helped establish the Open Data Institute to catalyze open data culture

To see more current information on how the UK government is pursuing transparency and openness in government, check out GOV.UK

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt has visited Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Lashkar Gah for an update on progress.

The visit was the premier’s second since she took office in 2011.

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt with Helmand PRT.

The Prime Minister expressed her gratitude and pride of the Danish military and civilian staff in Helmand. She stressed that Denmark will be engaged in Afghanistan after 2014 but with more focus on civilian and development efforts.

The premier visited the Danish troops based in Helmand (app 550), including special forces in Lashkar Gah as well as soldiers and envoys at Camp Price in Nahr-e Saraj and Camp Bastion.

She also met key representatives from the international community including the Commanding General RC South West Major General Walter Miller, Commander of Task Force Helmand Brigadier Rupert Jones of Britain and leaders from the PRT.