DIPLO Blog Archives - Page 4 of 19

International Women’s Day of solidarity and unity!0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 7th March 2020
Skip to content Natasha Dimitrovska
Gender Specialist and Chevening Scholar
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
7th March 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
International Women’s Day of solidarity and unity!The past year was very eventful for women’s rights and feminism. On a global level, among other events, the #metoo movement has been growing stronger, bringing down some very privileged and powerful men, a feminist song originated in Chile spread across the globe, pointing the finger at the systemic violence women endure around the world, and women finally got the deserved place in missions to space. On the other hand, women’s reproductive rights and freedoms got to a halt with the reinstated global gag rule, feminists increasingly face backlash by right-wing governments, and the home is still the most unsafe place for a woman.
Turning to the Balkan region and North Macedonia, advancements seem to be going at a much slower pace. Female politicians, espec..
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8 March – How far have we come?0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 6th March 2020
Skip to content Kristina Hadzi Vasileva
Managing Director at Strategic Development Consulting and Chevening Scholar
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
6th March 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
8 March – How far have we come?The first week of March is always so intense for me. Not that there are no such other weeks during the year (family birthdays, new years’, vacation preparations..). Yet during the first week of March everyone and anyone suddenly remembers us, women. Flowers are sold on improvised stalls of cardboard boxes on every corner, presents are bought and given, dinners organized and celebrated with music and dancing. TV shows are hosted with the sole topic of discussing women’s rights, gender equality, domestic violence, political participation of women, women’s economic advancement. The reason, as you might guess is 8 of March. Recognized as international women’s day, this date celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievem..
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Authors you should read more 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 5th March 2020
Skip to content Leigh Turner
Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of UK in Austria
5th March 2020 Vienna, Austria
Authors you should read moreI’m looking at my bookshelf at home when I notice a weird similarity to the rogues’ gallery of former British ambassadors to Austria in the embassy.
My bookshelf is dominated by male authors.

The rogues’ gallery for Vienna is exclusively male, up until my excellent predecessor, Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque (in Vienna 2012-16).

Male domination of both literature and diplomacy belongs in the past. Despite their relative rarity on my bookshelves, I enjoy many women authors: a quick scout turned up Jane Austen (“Pride and Prejudice” – a fantastically elegant, and funny, book); Charlotte Bronte (“Jane Eyre”); AS Byatt (“Possession”); Jung Chang (“Wild Swans”); Jackie Collins (“Hollywood Wives” – my tastes are eclectic); George Eliot (“Middlemarch” – one ..
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My Welsh Great-Grandfather, literature and football 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 28th February 2020
Skip to content Leigh Turner
Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of UK in Austria
28th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
My Welsh Great-Grandfather, literature and football 1 March is St David’s Day, named after the patron saint of Wales who died in 589. I’m part-Welsh: my great-grandfather John Derfel (photo above) came from the the town of Llanderfel in north Wales and was the son of the Welsh poet and political writer Robert Jones Derfel (for the Welsh-language Wikipedia entry, click here).
According to family lore, Robert Jones Derfel took the name “Derfel” because the winner of the Bardic poem at the national Eisteddfod, a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance, was encouraged to take his birthplace as a last name as a distinction. The name “Derfel” continues in our family to this day. I recently learned that a digital version of his works is in the archive of the National Librar..
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What matters to me on the day before the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 28th February 2020
Skip to content Nick Pearson
Pro Consul at the British Consulate-General
Guest blogger for UK in Australia
Part of UK in Australia
28th February 2020 Canberra, Australia
What matters to me on the day before the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade Nick Pearson our Pro Consul at the Consulate-General office in SydneyEvery year it is hard to miss the signs that the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras season is upon us. While permanent reminders of Sydney’s support for the LGBTQI community – such as the iconic Rainbow Crossing in Taylor Square – remain with us year-round, it is fair to say the city shifts into gear as the Mardi Gras parade approaches. Whether it is a more civic reminder, such as a rainbow flag flying above Sydney Town Hall, or something more vibrant like a drag queen passing by at a pedestrian crossing en route to a performance in a city pub, the visibility of the LGBTQI community in Sydney truly reaches an all-time high at this time of year.
Culminating in a parade drawi..
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Disarmament blog: the P5 meet in London 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 21st February 2020
Skip to content Aidan Liddle
UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament
21st February 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Disarmament blog: the P5 meet in London Last week saw a major milestone in preparations for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in April, when the five NPT Nuclear Weapon States met at Lancaster House in London for their ninth annual ‘P5’ conference.
We began the Conference by welcoming the new RevCon President-designate, Gustavo Zlauvinen of Argentina, and the chairs of the three Main Committees, collectively known as the Bureau. It was useful to hear more about what they thought the key issues for the RevCon would be, what a successful outcome might look like, and what they thought the P5 could do to help achieve it.
In the afternoon, we continued the P5 Conference tradition of a civil society segment. This one was bigger and better than ever: thanks to our partners at King’s College London and the European Leadershi..
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