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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Tag Archives: Church of England
The Church of England is a European Church
You can always gauge how sensible ones comments are on Europe by the furore they create in certain quarters. The more sensible the comments, the more severe the tongue lashing. The Telegraph’s reaction today to the recent submission from the … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
Tagged Church of England, Daily Telegraph, Diocese in Europe, Europe, European Union, Ian Martin, Rowena Mason
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Europe and its crisis of legitimacy
The reaction across European capitals to the Greek elections appears to be one of sober relief. With Greek so deeply divided and with Europe still short of a road map to solve the Eurozone’s structural problems this is not a … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
Tagged Archbishop of Canterbury, Church of England, Democracy, Euro, Euro zone, Europe, European Commission, Greece, Legitimacy
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Power, Violence and Democracy Post 9/11
With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching I’ve been reviewing some of the reports I wrote or assisted in producing for the Church as it grappled with the repercussions of that fateful day. This is not an exercise in nostalgia … Continue reading
Posted in American Foreign Policy
Tagged 9/11, Church of England, Democracy, House of Bishops, Just War Theory, Power, Richard Harries, Terrorism, Violence
2 Comments
Development Futures
How should Labour work with civil society, faith groups and others to deliver effective development? That was the question that I posted last week following a meeting of the Labour Party’s policy review group on international development. The little research … Continue reading
Brief a Bishop: The Middle East Peace Process
Next Friday, 1 April, Peers will spend the whole day debating recent events in Libya and the wider Middle East. It is my job to ensure that those bishops taking part in this debate are properly briefed. Whether they use … Continue reading
Brief a Bishop: Egypt
Next Friday, 1 April, Peers will spend the whole day debating recent events in Libya and the wider Middle East. It is my job to ensure that those bishops taking part in this debate are properly briefed. Whether they use that briefing … Continue reading
The EU and Religious Freedom
The Daily Telegraph ran a story today on the question of religious freedom in the Middle East and the failure of EU foreign ministers to condemn the sectarian attacks over the Christmas period that targeted Christians in Iraq and Egypt. … Continue reading
The General Synod and DfID – East Kilbride Reflections
Yesterday’s meeting with the DfID’s Civil Society Department in East Kilbride was a positive if tiring affair. The professionalism of staff was self-evident as was their willingness to engage in a frank conversation about the potential for collaboration around the faith … Continue reading
What Future NATO? – The Bishop of Wakefield Reflects on the NATO Summit
After my post last Thursday on the prospects for the forthcoming NATO summit in Lisbon, the Rt Revd Stephen Platten, the Bishop of Wakefield and the lead bishop on international security affairs, offers his own expert reflections on the subject. These … Continue reading
Posted in NATO
Tagged Bishop of Wakefield, Church of England, Georgia, Just War, NATO, Stephen Platten, Strategic Concept
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How do you legislate for the Jesus nut?
For the last two days I’ve been participating in an expert seminar here in London on the arms trade. Its been a welcome break from trying to make sense of last week’s Strategic Defence Review. The seminar is the latest in … Continue reading
Posted in Arms Trade
Tagged Arms Trade, Arms Trade Treaty, Church of England, Gothenburg Process, United Nations, Zimbabwe
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