The ladies from the Concept Store "L'Armore", which sells some of my pieces, Mihaela and Lacramioara have put together a Fashion Show on the 29th August at the Romanian Diplomacy Days, something to entertain and draw the attention of the ladies-diplomats, who in the words of the two ladies, are more often then not disregarded in these sort of events.I am pleased to say that the out
Here is the other speech you probably did not see from the RNC Convention. It is given by Dr. Bill Frist, the former Senate Majority leader from Tennessee. He spends a lot of his time on mission trips for the One Campaign. In fact one of his last trips was to Rwanda and he was accompanied by Cindy McCain and Mike Huckabee.
In this speech, Frist explains why medical diplo
Ahmet Turk, leader of Turkey’s Democratic Society Party(DIP), urged his nation to move away from the current focus on military action and consider the possibility of employing other strategies in order to end the conflict with Kurdish militants. He told the Turkish Daily News neither guns nor violence are effective means of dealing [...]
Luminary of the Autumn Night Sky, 40x30, oil Evening Falls, 36x24, oil These two paintings are now on their way to the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras as part of the United States Department of State Art in Embassies Program. They are being installed along with other paintings by American artists to mark the appointment of the new US Ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens, and they will remain
... "But just how effective is U.S. public diplomacy? Critics have suggested that it is simply a packaged ad campaign; a critique that has some merit ..." In an era where both the divisions among us and the source of international friction is increasingly cultural, the maintenance of U.S. leadership rests more or less as much on ideas and there promotion, as it does on military and economic stren
Strap yourselves in, folks; if you are willing to be casual about the general election this year, your new President will begin by 'chatting' with known despots, pushing down on anyone who doesn't align perfectly with his views (just try to disagree with his wife), sweeping away opportunities for wealth from every successful capitalist (sure, at first we'll just start with the oil companies...), a
Sharon Stone has apologized for her remarks indicating that the earthquake was “bad karma” for the people in China. You can read articles pertaining to the incident, China citzens’ reactions, and Dior’s statement of apology. Also check out the video where she makes the infamous remarks. And, view fantastic video coverage of rescuers finding people [...]
A recent article in the German online publication, Der Spiegel, provides further insights into FARC's efforts to get itself off international terrorist lists. According to Der Spiegel , documents provided to it by Colombian officials said to be from the seized compters of the late FARC #2 leader Raul Reyes, obtained in Colombia's March 1 cross-border raid of a FARC camp in Ecuador, describe FARC m
Petraeus said the possibility of military action against Iran should be retained as a "last resort." But he said the United States "should make every effort to engage by use of the whole of government, developing further leverage rather than simply targeting discrete threats."
What, exactly, does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's latest junket to Iraq have to do with her official duties? Her inability to keep her amateur fingers out of the foreign policy pie suggests a political power grab.
During a speech in Jerusalem, President Bush jumped head first into the 2008 presidential campaign by taking a shot at Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama, by comparing his willingness to hold diplomatic talks with Iran to the appeasement of Nazis in the 1930’s. President Bush’s foreign policy has been nothing short of a disaster and even MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan can&rs
Outgoing President Vladimir Putin was rarely out of the spotlight last week. After agreeing to lead the country’s biggest political party, United Russia, on Tuesday, he then flew on to Libya and Italy for talks on trade and politics. He rounded off the week in Moscow at talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.During a two-day visit to Libya, where he met the country's long-standing leader Muammar Gadaffi, Putin discussed multi-billion oil and gas deals as well as Libya's $US 4.6 billion Soviet-era debt.The President then flew to another destination in the Mediterranean for discussions with his old friend and allly, Italy’s Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi.The talks concluded with assurances of continued good trade and energy relations.Putin's visit to Sardinia could well have
Although I strive to present a professional image (hard sometimes when Arthur is with me), there are occasions when my tact and diplomacy appears to come straight out of the German Gestapo's handbook. The Evening Gazette has just run a story about the launch of our Environmental policy, click here for details. During the conversation with the reporter I made a comic remark about being hit over the head by a compost bin, only to see the line appear in print. Oh well, won't be the first time my strange sense of humour rears its head.
I attended another of Leeds Mets networking events recently, Arthur was supposed to be there with me, unfortunately the day before he had been doing a bit of work on something and managed to get a bit of rust in his eye. He rang me about half way to Leeds to t
Well, it's come and gone. The New York Philharmonic has been in North Korea for one day and they performed tonight in Pyongyang.According to reports, the melody that got the most applause was, not surprising, the Korean folk song called Arirang.Hangul아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요...아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.나를 버리고 가시는 님은십리도 못가서 발병난다.RomanizationArirang, Arirang, Arariyo...Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeunSimnido motgaseo balbyeongnanda.English(check the comments below for a correction of this translation. Thanks 제니퍼)Walking over the peak at Arirangyou left me behind.You will be tired before you reach one mile.Walking over the peak at Arirangthe sorrows in my heartare as many as the stars in the sky.Here is
After her house arrest was lifted, Benazir Bhutto resumed her campaign against military rule in Pakistan. She has planned to lead a “long march” from Lahore to Islamabad (170 miles) beginning Tuesday.
Seminal readers, what do you think about Bhutto’s activity? Is she more motivated by democratic goals or looking to capitalize upon political opportunity?
Police broke up a protest in Malaysia, using water canons and tear gas to disperse protesters wanting electoral reform.
In Prague, more than 1,000 marched in the Jewish Quarter an effort to stop a demonstration of the right-wing neo-Nazi Young Nationalist Democrats. Police were largely successful at keeping the two groups separate, but few squirmishes did occur.
In China, three people died during a sale-enduced stampede at the French-run supermarket Carrefoure. Seven other individuals are in serious condition as a result of their injuries.
If you think things are looking up in Iraq, then Mit Romney is your man.
American business proudly supports our nation's diplomats and officials who provide critical assistance that directly enhances the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and service industry workers and companies.
Doping has reared its ugly head at the Tour de France again. After the latest scandal, tour director Christian Prudhomme says professional cycling needs a total overhaul.
The leader of Turkey’s opposition party—Republican People’s Party—said it would not back the majority party’s presidential nominee, saying he questions the candidate’s dedication to Turkey’s secular constitution.
The Arab League has sent its first ever
Wastraprema, an association of traditional textile lovers, has suggested the government use batik to promote Indonesia's culture, values and heritage abroad.The association's chairwoman, Adiati Arifin Siregar, said batik could facilitate the sharing of ancient values and national history with other countries."We have always supported the government's efforts to promote traditional cultures and to introduce cultural heritage to other nations. Batik can be part of the package," Adiati said during a ceremony to mark the association's 31st birthday Thursday.To celebrate its anniversary, the association is currently holding a traditional textile exhibition with a batik and wayang (puppet) theme at the Jakarta Textile Museum in West Jakarta. The exhibition will run until July 5."Batik is not just something our ancestors wore, but is also a medium through which their philosophies and moral values can be seen," Adiati said.
Quotes of the Month (Britain & Diplomacy)Iran – Britain Dispute~ Iran wants an apology ... ~Alexander Pope: A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday.Frank S. Nugent: Never apologize and never explain – it's a sign of weakness.~ While sailors await their fate ... ~Robert Browning: Oh, to be in England now that April's there.Rupert Brooke: If I should die, think only this of me:That there's some corner of a foreign fieldThat is for ever England.~ Britain stands firm ... ~Winston Churchill: We shall go on to the end ... we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.William Shakespeare: This England never did, nor never shall, Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror.~ The talk of the town ... ~John Florio
“I do not regard the procuring of peace as a matter in which we should play the role of arbiter between different opinions ... more that of an honest broker who really wants to press the business forward.”Otto Edward Leopold von Bismarck (1815 – 98) Prussian chancellor
Two of the main tennants of the recommendations from the Iraq Study Group are being downplayed by President Bush. They are the need for troop withdrawls and diplomacy with Iran and Syria.
The need for a troop withdrawl plan speaks for itself, I’m not even going to get into that now. The failure to establish diplomatic relations with Iran and Syria would prove to be the epitome of Bush’s foreign policy failures. Not only will it make a realistic solution to the problems in the Middle East impossible, it is exactly the type of policy that has led us to the mess that has been created.
But Mr. Bush, making his first extended comments on the study, seemed to push back against two of its most fundamental recommendations: pulling back American combat brigades from Iraq over the next 15 months, and engaging in direct talks with Iran and Syria. He said he needed to be "flexible and realistic" in making decisions about troop movements, and he set conditions for
It ain't over till it's over but at least North Korea declared they would cease their nuclear weapon program. The US envoy, former Ambassador to Seoul Christopher Hill, eventually accepted South Korea's proposal : light water is better than heavy fuel.The Seoul-Beijing team defeated the Washington-Tokyo axis. Beyond nationalities, doves won over hawks in a most crucial part of the world.Let's see what Karen Hughes can spin out of this new insult to the Bush doctrine.
Furthermore, let's see how far Seoul can go : pleasing Pyongyang was an easy job, tackling the human rights issue a much tougher challenge.
It's a symptom of Cuba's claustrophobia — both political and economical — that thousands of its health workers leapt at the chance to work in Venezuela's most frightening slums. These professionals saw little choice. For decades, President Fidel Castro has dispatched physicians to poorer countries as a form of diplomacy. If the political pressure to go weren't enough, the need to earn more than $15 monthly in Cuba often sufficed. In Venezuela, however, Cuba's "doctor diplomacy" looks more like horse-trading than ever. As a swap for about 93,000 barrels of oil daily, Castro sent more than 15,000 doctors, therapists and physical trainers to Venezuela's slums. For Castro, it's a way to keep the lights on. For Chavez, it's a wildly popular way to provide round-the-clock health care to a population that until recently received none. Without question, the doctor trade serves both leaders' political needs beautifully. But it's also been a historic benefit for Venezue
