About this blog
Welcome to my blog - I'm Charles Reed and I advise the Church of England on foreign policy issues.
This blog covers a variety of topics from US foreign policy to European politics and the Middle East - and whatever else happens to be in the news or catch my attention.
This is a conversational blog so please join in as your comments are an essential part of making the whole thing work.
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Monthly Archives: October 2011
Waking up to a World of 7 Billion
Today, the world’s population is projected to reach 7 billion – that’s the claim made by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, in its report last week, The State of World Population 2011. How should we engage with this statistic? … Continue reading
Global looters who act in secret
The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, has written a challenging opinion piece on why laws must change concerning multinationals and tax havens that appears in this week’s edition of the Church Times. In case you don’t read the … Continue reading
Posted in Development
Tagged Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, Christian Aid, Church Times, G20, Tax, Tax Havens, Tax Justice
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The Euro Crisis and the Birth Pangs of a New Europe
The Euro zone deal agreed in the early hours of this morning might be short on financial details, but there is little doubt as to its political ramifications. Signatories have made clear that they see the Euro as core to … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, The EU, Uncategorized
Tagged Angela Merkel, David Cameron, EU, Euro, Euro Crisis, Europe, European Commission, European Council, Fiscal Union, The European Union Bill
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The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out on the situation in Egypt
Yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a statement – copied below - on the recent disturbances in Cairo. The statement draws attention to Egypt’s long history of peaceful interfaith relations and the urgency of ensuring the rights of all citizens are assured. In a … Continue reading
Posted in Middle East
Tagged Arab Democracy, Archbishop of Canterbury, Coptic Christians, Egypt, Pope Shenuda, Rowan Williams
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CEC 2030
Tuesday’s industrial action by French train drivers made my journey to Strasbourg a more complicated, but no less pleasant affair. There really is no other way to travel in Europe. The protracted eight hour journey from London Kings Cross provided … Continue reading
Violence and Solidarity in Cairo
Which ever way you look at it the disproportionate use of force over the weekend against peaceful demonstrators in Cairo is alarming and disconcerting, but we should be wary of seeing the recent disturbances as the start of some Iraqi … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Islam, Middle East, Religious Freedom
Tagged Arab Spring, Cairo, Coptic Christians, Democracy, Egypt, Human Rights, Religious Freedom
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Being Church in Sao Paulo
With the Anglican Alliance’s regional consultation in Sao Paulo drawing to a close, it is time to reflect on a question I posed at the start of my visit here, namely what does it mean to be Church in such a … Continue reading
Posted in Development, Latin America
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The Bishop of Exeter’s Food Problem
The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Michael Langrish has written a challenging opinion piece on food security that appears in this week’s edition of the Church Times. In case you don’t read the Church Times or miss this week’s edition … Continue reading
Follow the Lights to Sao Paulo
Today, at the start of the Anglican Alliance’s Regional Consultation in Sao Paulo, Sally Keeble, the Alliance’s Director launched the Alliance’s website. This is a significant and exciting moment in the life of this new body. What is striking about … Continue reading
A Weekend in Sao Paulo
The sheer size of Sao Paulo is breathtaking. With a population of 20 million and rising Sao Paulo is the fifth largest city in the world. Its urban sprawl consumes some 30,000 square kilometres. Catching a taxi from the airport … Continue reading
