In this penultimate episode, BIGA explores a debate that seems to be at the cross-roads of many of the issues that the UK faces: whether to build, or conserve. Our guest today has spent his career in “Prac-Academics” making sure that his research could be put to good use but Councillors and MPs alike. With …
Image: The Outdoor Education Group Throughout the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, frequent references are made to the importance and value of incorporating youth into political and security structures – particularly regarding peacebuilding attempts. Across reports and research, quotes are shared that support this line of argument. Take the ‘The Missing Peace’ progress study, for …
As we reach the midpoint of our series on Green Politics, we are joined by two sustainability consultants: Adam Ellis and Peter Westbury. Adam’s work focuses on incorporating climate consciousness into F1 and racing while Peter’s work looks to help account for, and measure, carbon output from organisations. Their current work builds on their university …
Read more “Season 3, Podcast #3: Adam Ellis x Peter Westbury”
This year’s COP summit faces one of the lowest attendance rates in recent years and has made headlines for protests led by indigenous Brazilians. In this podcast, we talk to Ekaterina Dimitrova – a certified Youth Climate Ambassador who has attended multiple COPs in the UK, Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates. In this conversation, …
Welcome back to the BIGA Podcast! We are excited to bring you another season filled with guests from a variety of backgrounds from climate diplomacy to the artistic world to green consultancy – this season has something for everyone! The theme of this season is Green Politics: how climate change affects the UK at home …
‘The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est, Pro patria mori.’ This is the end to Wilfred Owen’s famous poem about the First World War. The Latin phrase is a reference to a Roman poem that says ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country’. While I may have discussed the Roman idea of …
Welcome to the British Institute of Global Affairs’ first thematic series! This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda and the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250). In the build up to the day of the 10th Anniversary, the BIGA team has been collaborating with key …
In Paul Cartledge’s history The Spartans, he shares a story toward the end of the age of Spartan prominence. For much of its history, Sparta had intentionally been a city without a wall: for an enemy to have reached the city of Sparta, the Spartans would have already fallen. The lack of defence encouraged Spartan …
Today, the Western Balkans seems like a region at peace. Tourists flock to the Croatian coast while more adventurous types travel further inland to the mountains, monasteries, and rakia-filled towns of Montenegro, Macedonia, and Bosnia. Left out of that list is the unresolved reminder of NATO’s final 20th century intervention: Kosovo-Serbia. Much of the news …
Read more “Confrontation and Conflict in the Western Balkans”
Last weekend, my phone buzzed with a message from a friend who is involved in diplomacy. It was a Facebook link to a British embassy event that was showcasing the soft power hegemony that is Paddington Bear and Tyrrell’s crisps. We have a running joke about Paddington and his influence on British diplomatic overtures; wherever …