Peter Millett » Ambassador to Jordan, Amman

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 … Read more »Listening: The Secret of Leadership

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 that Za’atri is the biggest issue. Jordan’s refugee crisis is not only in Za’atri.  It … Read more »Syrian Refugees in Jordan

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 University.  If you’re heading for the UK, a visa is an essential part of this … Read more »Student Visas

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 sexual violence in conflict? The figures from Bosnia illustrate the nature and extent of the … Read more »Angelina Jolie and William Hague: Campaigning for Justice

What’s it like organising a royal visit?  They don’t come round very often in a diplomatic career. But when they do, they present extraordinary opportunities. Last week’s visit by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall  was just such an opportunity. It was made all the more meaningful because of the lasting relationship between the royal families, as demonstrated when His Majesty King Abdullah recalled that Prince Charles was a … Read more »The Prince’s Trust

Last week we celebrated Burns Night, the traditional gathering of the clans to commemorate the great Scottish poet who was born into a poor farming family, but is now the literary hero of a nation. He had to struggle to gain acceptance and appreciation and faced bankruptcy and failure many times. I was reminded of another Scottish hero, Robert the Bruce, who failed in war but who is remembered for … Read more »Try, Try Again

Political slogans are part of elections all round the world. They try to encapsulate a simple attractive catchphrase to make the voter support their candidate. They usually promise a better world and try to energise the voter: “Yes We Can”, “Tough on Crime” “The Buck Stops Here”. The trouble with election slogans is that they tend to be empty, devoid of real content. At best they promise Motherhood and Apple Pie: … Read more »Fatherhood and Mansaf

The flow of Syrian refugees entering Jordan has now reached crisis point. What started as a trickle over 18 months ago has now become a flood. Even a few weeks ago the UN was reporting 300 – 400 new arrivals each night. Now it is 3,000 – 4,000 most nights. These are bald figures. Like all statistics they mask the reality of multiple human tragedies and personal suffering. On our … Read more »Syria: Stepping up to the Plate

These days text communications shorthand is using “Gr8” to mean “great”.  It looks and sounds similar to “G8” a heading that many people see in their newspapers and websites. The G8 heading is now part of my daily activity. We even have a website: @G8 and a similar Twitter address. What’s going on? The UK has taken over the Presidency of the G8 for the next twelve months. So London will … Read more »Can the G8 be Gr8?

Cartoons at this time of year usually show a battered, bruised and battle-scarred old man handing over the torch of time to a new-born infant, symbolising the passage of time from the horrors of the old year to the hopes of the new.    The change of year always inspires thoughts about what has passed and what is coming over the horizon.  What can we celebrate?  What can we thankfully forget? And … Read more »A Great Year