Category Archives: Uncategorized

Westminster: A Small Village in London

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

I’ve just finished reading John Le Carre’s entertaining spy thriller, A Small Town in Germany. This story takes place in Bonn in the 1960s and concerns the joyless workings of the British Consulate at a time when Britain was desperately … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

When aid works and why

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

In my last blog, We CAN end poverty by 2015, I wrote about the G8 religious leader’s letter that appeared in the Financial Times to mark the 1000 day count down to the Millennium Development Goals. This letter was picked … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Co-ordination in the Holy Land

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

This is the first in a series of blogs documenting a week long visit to the Holy Land with the Vatican’s Holy Land Co-ordination Group, 4-10 January 2013. Poor internet connections throughout the trip meant that my reflections could only … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Egypt and the Altar Lot

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

It has been amusing over the last few months to read the media stories as to who might or might not be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. More interesting perhaps is who will succeed Pope Shenouda III as the leader … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Greece and its Anti German Sentiment

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land, followed by a series of meetings in Brussels and a week of General Synod have all contributed to a packed work agenda that has allowed little time for blogging. Today’s edition of the The … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Afghanistan: To 2015 and Beyond

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Rather than face the inevitable tsunami of emails that arises from being holiday, I decided to escape the office today for the relative sanctuary of the IISS where resident scholars were launching the results of their research project on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reflecting on 2011 – A Year of Contagion

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

It’s nearly the end of the year, and traditionally the time when we look back and try to make sense of the past 12 months. My suggestion for the word of the year is ‘contagion’. Contagion in the sense that … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Financial Stability and Economic Growth in the EU

Posted on November 3, 2011 by

With the leaders of the G20 meeting in Cannes, France, against a backdrop of continued confusion and uncertainty in the Eurozone, the House of Lords will today debate the matter of financial stability and economic growth in the EU. The Bishop of Bath … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Waking up to a World of 7 Billion

Posted on October 31, 2011 by

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 →

Posted in Development, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Euro Crisis and the Birth Pangs of a New Europe

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

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 , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment