16th December 2013 Washington DC, USA
Washington truly epitomises the holiday spirit. It’s my first holiday season here, and I’m seeing firsthand the spirit of giving across the city. Bell-ringers collecting for the homeless. Toy drives in offices all across town, including our own. Washingtonians’ generosity is making an impact from local neighbourhoods to the far side of the globe. This […]
8th November 2013 Washington DC, USA
The following is a guest blog from Major James Knight from the Royal Marines. Major Knight works in the British Embassy as the staff officer to the Royal Marines Attaché. James has been in the Marines for 11 years and his career has seen him deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan and various ship deployments around the […]
31st October 2013 Washington DC, USA
I’ve been looking forward to October 31st for some time now. Why you ask? Because it marks two occasions that signal the UK’s commitment to aid transparency – the official full launch of DFID’s Development Tracker website and the first day of the 2013 Open Government Partnership Summit. That may not have been the answer […]
24th October 2013 Washington DC, USA
As the deadliest war in history was coming to an end in 1945, the international community began to envision ways to maintain peace and prevent another global conflict. This led to the adoption of UN Charter, the founding document of the United Nations, and the creation of the United Nations 68 years ago today. After […]
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18th October 2013 Washington DC, USA
Tom Hanks and I fell out back in the early 1990’s. I’m not sure if he noticed. The problem was, first, that he won the Oscar for Philadelphia when I wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to get it for In the Name of the Father. Then, to rub salt in my movie-nerd wounds, the awful Forrest Gump […]
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2nd October 2013 Washington DC, USA
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to travel to NATO headquarters in Brussels to attend a course put together by my colleagues in the UK Joint Delegation to NATO. The course is designed to give staff a thorough introduction to NATO and an understanding of its place at the centre of the UK’s defence […]
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20th September 2013 Washington DC, USA
This week marked a significant historical moment for my nation—the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Britain. A brief description of this titanic struggle: by the 18 of June 1940, following the chaotic evacuation of 330,000 men from Dunkirk, all of Britain’s forces had been driven out of France. Recognising the very great danger that now loomed, Winston Churchill—who had been Prime […]
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25th July 2013 Washington DC, USA
Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the Armistice that concluded the Korean War. The Korean Peninsula was divided by American administrators along the 38th parallel following the Japanese surrender in September 1945. On 25th June 1950, North Korea invaded the South. The United States of America provided 88 per cent of the 341,000 international soldiers who aided the Republic […]
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8th July 2013 Washington DC, USA
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by the nation.” President George Washington, 1789. Judging by the amazing opportunities and activities of the last few months for […]
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3rd July 2013 Washington DC, USA
I’ve never met Nelson Mandela, nor have I been to South Africa. But like many who care about Africa or human rights or history, I am thinking of him a lot these days. And I can’t help but remember February 1990, when he was released from prison. Back then I was ten and living in […]
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