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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260311T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260311T120000
DTSTAMP:20260112T092244Z
CREATED:20251202T084304Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T092244Z
UID:10000166-1773226800-1773230400@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by Sir Vince Cable on 11 March
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk\nSpeaker: Sir Vince Cable\nTopic: Eclipsing the West: China\, India and the Forging of a New World\n📅 Date: 11 March\n🕚 Time: 11:00 AM\n📍 Platform: Zoom\n🎟 Tickets: £5 \nModerated by James Kynge\, Senior Research Fellow\, Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House \n\nJoin us for an insightful session with Sir Vince Cable\, former Business Secretary\,  who will examine the shifting balance of global power as China and India emerge as dominant players on the world stage. This talk will explore how geopolitics\, economics and influence are being reshaped—and what this means for the future of the West. \n\nThe book examines the shift of economic power toward the Asian superstates — China and\, potentially\, India. In a world where global rules have weakened\, size increasingly confers advantage. The coming decades may see intensified competition among the USA\, China and Japan\, unless the EU can\, however improbably\, realise its potential as a unified bloc. \nThe book outlines three long‑term scenarios for the global order: \n\nGlobal West – in which India aligns with the Western bloc\, collectively confronting China and its allies.\nMultipolarity – a world divided into competing spheres of influence\, with weakened global rules and insufficient attention to global public goods.\nVortex – a downward spiral in which neglect of shared challenges such as climate change\, economic coordination and pandemic preparedness leads to recurring crises and instability.\n\n\nBio  \n\nVince Cable had a varied career before entering Parliament\, including service in the Kenya Treasury\, a period in the Diplomatic Service\, work in Shell Planning as Group Chief Economist\, and roles as Programme Research Director at ODI and Chatham House. \nHe served for 20 years as MP for Twickenham and was Secretary of State for Business\, Innovation and Skills\, as well as President of the Board of Trade\, throughout the five-year Coalition Government. He later became Leader of the Liberal Democrats. \nHe is now a Visiting Professor at the LSE\, Nottingham University and Shenzhen University. His business roles include Chair of Element 2\, the hydrogen infrastructure company\, and Chair of the eFreight2030 consortium.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-vince-cable-on-11-march/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260318T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260318T120000
DTSTAMP:20260210T083439Z
CREATED:20251201T100451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T083439Z
UID:10000163-1773831600-1773835200@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by Adrian Clewlow: A Deniable Conspiracy. (Mogadishu)
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk\nSpeaker: Adrian (Ade) Clewlow\nTopic: A Deniable Reality: the real life inspiration behind a spy thriller set in Mogadishu\nModerator is Emily Hawke \n📅 Date: 18 March\n🕚 Time: 11:00 AM\n📍 Platform: Zoom \nTicket £5 \n\n\nJoin us for an online talk with Adrian (Ade) Clewlow\, who will discuss his debut novel A Deniable Conspiracy (Mogadishu)—a gripping espionage and political thriller set against the volatile backdrop of Somalia. Drawing on first-hand experience and deep regional insight\, Ade offers a compelling perspective on the world of intelligence\, conflict and covert operations. \n\nA Deniable Reality\nThe Real-Life Inspiration Behind a Spy Thriller Set in Mogadishu \nFrom a detached villa in a quiet Nairobi suburb\, Ade Clewlow began a journey that would blur the boundaries between contractual obligation and duty to country. \nIn this candid and compelling talk\, Clewlow recounts his experience of living and working in one of the world’s most dangerous cities at a time when access to key decision-makers was both rare and highly prized. He reflects on how those experiences—twelve years later—became the inspiration for his debut spy thriller\, A Deniable Conspiracy. \nDrawing directly on his remarkable military and post-service career\, Clewlow delivers a story rich in authenticity\, intrigue\, and danger. Set against the volatile backdrop of Mogadishu\, the novel follows Christian Travers\, a British ex‑military contractor working for the United Nations who becomes entangled in a covert operation with global ramifications. \n\nSpeaker Bio\nBetween 2010 and 2012\, Lieutenant Colonel Ade Clewlow MBE operated at the highest levels of defence diplomacy\, leading UK Ministry of Defence policy and planning for the Horn of Africa. After overseeing the launch of the first military operation in Somalia in decades\, he retired from the armed forces and transitioned to life as a civilian contractor in the region. \nWhile serving as Chief of Staff for a UN‑funded strategic communications team in Mogadishu\, Clewlow developed an extensive network within the Somali political elite—gaining a level of access that far exceeded his original brief. This influence did not go unnoticed and drew the attention of former colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. \n\n📘 A Deniable Conspiracy is available to purchase online:\n👉 https://amzn.eu/d/d2Gf2Ns \n  \n\n  \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-adrian-clewlow/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T120000
DTSTAMP:20260309T104523Z
CREATED:20260128T090426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T104523Z
UID:10000169-1776164400-1776168000@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by Sir David Omand: Surviving Crises
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online talk by Sir David Omand\nSurviving Crises\nFormer Head of GCHQ \na talk on the theme of his book “How to Survive a Crisis“ \non 14 April 2026 at 11.00-12.00 \nModerator: Sir Jeremy Greenstock \nTicket £5 \n\nSir David Omand will draw on his most recent book\, How to Survive a Crisis (Penguin paperback\, 2023) and on his own career to discuss how organisations and government can best try to to survive crises and avoid disasters. Conflict\, terrorism\, cyberattack\, climate change\, the threat of AI\, rupture in the international order: it has never been more important to be prepared for the crises that await us. “This book is the instruction manual we all need. Leaders\, in particular\, should take note”\, Sir Alex Younger\, former chief of SIS. “We live in a world where crises have become the new normal. Here is the survival guide you need”\, Peter Ricketts. \nProfessor Sir David Omand GCB \nSir David Omand is a Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies\, King’s College London. He was Director of GCHQ\, Permanent Secretary of the UK Home Office\, Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office as UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator.  He also served in the MOD as Deputy Under Secretary of State for Policy and was Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence during the Falklands conflict. He served for three years with the Diplomatic Service as the UK Defence Counsellor in NATO\, Brussels. He served for seven years on the UK Joint intelligence Committee. For many years he was the Senior Independent Director of the Babcock International Group. Among other publications\, he is the author of How to Survive a Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster (Penguin Viking\, 2023)\, How Spies Think: 10 Lessons in Intelligence (Penguin Viking\, 2020)\, Principled Spying: The Ethics of Secret Intelligence (with Professor Mark Pythian) (Oxford University Press\, 2018) and Securing the State (Hurst\, 2010). \n \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-sir-david-ormand/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260421T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260421T120000
DTSTAMP:20260420T110858Z
CREATED:20251202T132214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T110858Z
UID:10000168-1776769200-1776772800@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by Sir Mark Lyall Grant: Are we facing the death of multilateralism?
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk\nSpeaker: Sir Mark Lyall Grant GCMG \nAre we facing the death of multilateralism?\nModerator is Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE  \n📅 Date: 21 April\n🕚 Time: 11:00 AM (London time)\n📍 Platform: Zoom\n🎟 Tickets: free \n\nWith the UN failing to stop or prevent conflicts in Ukraine\, the Middle East and Africa\, and President Trump openly dismissive of multilateralism\, have we reached the end of the road for the post World War 2 international order?  If so\, what will replace it and how can the UK exploit its strengths to thrive in this new environment?  \n  \nSir Mark Lyall Grant GCMG \n  \nMark Lyall Grant qualified as a Barrister before joining the diplomatic service in 1980.  After postings in Pakistan\, France and South Africa\, he was appointed High Commissioner to Pakistan (2003-06)\, Political Director in the FCO (2007-09) and British Ambassador to the UN (2009-15). In that capacity\, he chaired the UN Security Council on 4 occasions. \nMark’s final Government appointment was National Security Adviser to David Cameron\, then Theresa May (2015-17)\, advising the Prime Minister on Security\, Defence and Foreign policy issues\, overseeing the British Intelligence Agencies and acting as Secretary to the National Security Council. \nMark is currently a visiting Professor at King’s College\, London\, a Bencher at Middle Temple and a fellow at Eton College. He has a number of private sector consultancy roles\, focussed on national and international security\, and on geopolitics; and is on the advisory board at Chatham House. He was knighted in 2007 by HM Queen Elizabeth the Second and in 2022 was appointed the King of Arms at the Order of St Michael and St George.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-mark-lyall-grant-on-multilateral-diplomacy/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260506T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260506T120000
DTSTAMP:20260427T071939Z
CREATED:20260324T104700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T071939Z
UID:10000171-1778065200-1778068800@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by William Horsley
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA is organising an Online Talk\nby  William Horsley\nPress freedom ‘under attack’: what’s really at stake?\non 6 May at 11.00 am London time on ZOOM\nModerator is Fiona O’Brien \nTicket £5 \n\nWe have scheduled this talk to coincide with World Media Freedom Day at a time when Media freedom faces a severe global decline due to surging political repression\, violence against journalists\, and economic fragility. Among the challenges facing the media are authoritarian censorship\, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)\, dangerous working conditions in conflict zones\, and the rapid spread of misinformation\, which collectively fuel widespread self-censorship. The UK has played an active role in developing policies to protect Journalists launching our National Committee for the Safety of Journalists in 2020 and the UK’s National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists was first launched in 2021 and refreshed in 2023. In 2025 the UK’s National Committee for Safety of Journalists  focused on three priority areas: enhancing the criminal justice response to crimes against journalists; supporting journalists and their employers to tackle online and offline harassment; and – with a non-legislative focus – tackling the risks posed by SLAPPs and other abusive legal threats against journalists. \nWilliam Horsley will draw on his 35 years’ experience as a BBC journalist and foreign correspondent\, and his ‘second career’ as a press freedom advocate and international director (2009-2026) of the Centre for Freedom of the Media at University of Sheffield \nHe will share his analysis of the ‘democratic backsliding’ associated with increasingly harsh suppression of critical media worldwide\, and the countervailing efforts by press freedom advocates and international institutions to protect the Fourth Estate in recent times. \nBio \nUK Chairman of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ); co-founder of the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) and Emeritus Professor at the University of Sheffield; former BBC foreign correspondent and TV & Radio programme presenter; author of the OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebooks and consultant to UNESCO and the Council of Europe; co-author of Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth (2025); member of the RSF London Bureau Advisory Board.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-william-horsey/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260527T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260527T120000
DTSTAMP:20260518T101704Z
CREATED:20260407T143014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260518T101704Z
UID:10000173-1779879600-1779883200@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by Fiona Clouder: Wednesday 27 May
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online talk by \nFiona Clouder\n‘Latin America – From Canning to Mining – Opportunity’ \nWednesday 27 May at 11.00 GMT on ZOOM \nModerated by Dr Christopher Sabatini \nsenior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House \nAdmission free \n\nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/89177206719?pwd=kBuhfGGKhzKsWvFgbuft8x5C6LTFFa.1 \nMeeting ID: 891 7720 6719\nPasscode: 112959 \n  \n\n  \n\nWe are delighted to welcome Fiona Clouder\, former UK Ambassador to Chile and a leading expert on Latin America\, for a talk exploring the region’s historic ties with the UK\, current strategic priorities\, and the opportunities that lie ahead. \nFiona will open with a brief look at the UK’s longstanding connections with Latin America\, including the origins and impact of the FCDO’s Canning Agenda\, which she led to revitalise UK engagement across the region. She will also touch on her work as Regional Ambassador for COP26\, driving collaboration with governments and businesses towards a Net Zero world. \nThe main focus of her talk will look forward: \n\ncritical minerals and the energy transition\,\ngeopolitics and regional dynamics\, and\nemerging opportunities for the UK in an increasingly strategic part of the world.\n\nAbout Fiona Clouder \nFiona Clouder has extensive experience in Latin America\, both as a senior diplomat and in the private sector\, particularly in mining\, energy\, environment\, and the geopolitics surrounding these sectors. She served as UK Ambassador to Chile (2014–2018) and later as Regional Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean for COP26 (2020–2022). \nHer diplomatic career has spanned trade and investment\, defence and prosperity\, science and innovation\, and environmental policy. Before joining the FCO in 2001\, she worked with the Research Councils (now UKRI)\, where she helped develop the UK’s early approach to science diplomacy and established the global Science and Innovation Network (UKSIN). \nIn addition to running her own consultancy\, Fiona works with The Ambassador Partnership and is: \n\nSenior Advisor to Appian Capital Advisory\,\nDirector at the Chilean Cobalt Corporation\,\nDistinguished Fellow at RUSI\,\nChairman of the Anglo Chilean Society\, and\na Board Member of Canning House\, the UK’s leading forum on Latin America.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-fiona-cloudesly/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260612T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260612T120000
DTSTAMP:20260407T123202Z
CREATED:20260407T123202Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T123202Z
UID:10000172-1781262000-1781265600@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:AGM Registration
DESCRIPTION:Please register here to attend the FCDOA AGM online on 12 June 2026 at 11.00 on ZOOM: \nHere are your log in details: \nTopic: FCDOA AGM 2026\nTime: Jun 12\, 2026 11:00 AM London\nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/85363384581?pwd=0OvtocEWfhE7OT3BwN7YZpxResDLeH.1 \nMeeting ID: 853 6338 4581\nPasscode: 000654 \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/agm-registration-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260707T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260707T120000
DTSTAMP:20260616T080134Z
CREATED:20260407T143317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T080134Z
UID:10000174-1783422000-1783425600@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by General Sir Simon Mayall: De-coding the Modern Middle East
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk with\n General Sir Simon Mayall KBE CB\nwith the title \nDe-coding the Modern Middle East\n7 July\, 11:00 (Zoom) \nTicket: £5 \nModerated by Nick Hopton \n\nWe are pleased to welcome General Sir Simon Mayall KBE CB for an in‑depth online talk on the current state of the Middle East. Drawing on more than 40 years of senior military and diplomatic experience\, General Mayall will offer his highly respected analysis of a region marked by persistent change\, conflict\, and profound uncertainty. \nGeneral Mayall’s long career has taken him across many of the key countries in the Middle East\, where he has worked closely with political and military leaders and helped shape elements of the UK’s engagement and policy. His insights into the dynamics of the region—including his widely regarded analysis of the revolution in Iran—bring clarity to some of the most complex and consequential issues in global affairs. \nIn this talk\, he will explore: \n\nthe historical\, political\, and religious forces shaping the region\nthe relationships and rivalries driving today’s conflicts\nthe implications for regional stability and global security\nwhat the coming decade may hold for the Middle East\n\nKnown for his ability to explain complex situations in an accessible and engaging way\, General Mayall offers an informed and human perspective on a region whose developments will continue to influence global affairs for years to come. \n\nLieutenant General (Retired) Sir Simon Mayall KBE CB \nSir Simon Mayall was commissioned into the British Army in 1979 after graduating from Balliol College\, Oxford\, where he read Modern History. Over the course of a distinguished career spanning several decades\, he served in Germany\, Belgium\, the United Kingdom\, and Oman\, and was deployed on operations in Northern Ireland\, Cyprus\, the Balkans\, and the Middle East. He commanded troops at every level and held a succession of increasingly senior staff appointments within the Ministry of Defence\, including Assistant Chief of the General Staff\, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations)\, and Defence Senior Adviser for the Middle East. \nAlongside his military service\, Sir Simon pursued academic study\, completing a Defence Fellowship at St Antony’s College\, Oxford\, and earning an MA in International Relations from King’s College London. He was knighted in 2014 and retired from the Army in 2015. \nSince retirement\, Sir Simon has combined his academic interest in history with his extensive professional experience in the Middle East to develop a recognised expertise in this complex and volatile region. He is frequently sought after for commentary and analysis\, drawing on his deep understanding of history and religion to provide context and insight into contemporary events across the wider Middle East. \nIn 2020\, he published Soldier in the Sand: A Personal History of the Modern Middle East\, which uses a three-generation family narrative to explore the history of the region since the end of the First World War. In 2024\, he published The House of War: The Struggle between Christendom and the Caliphate\, examining the 1\,300-year interaction between the Christian and Islamic worlds through ten pivotal sieges and battles\, from the early medieval period to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. \n\nJoin us for what promises to be a compelling and thought‑provoking session.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-general-sir-simon-mayall/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260907T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261007T120000
DTSTAMP:20260915T112556Z
CREATED:20260805T144430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T112556Z
UID:10000176-1788778800-1791374400@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by Ian Proud on 6 October
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk by\n\nIan Proud\nKEEPING CALM AND CARRYING ON: SAFEGUARDING MENTAL HEALTH IN A CRISIS\non 6 October\, 11.00-12.00 on Zoom\nModerated by Dr Dipti Patel \nAdmission free\n\nForeign Office staff will climb mountains to step up and help British citizens in the event of a major crisis overseas\, whether a natural disaster\, terrorist attack or a global repatriation caused by a pandemic. But\, as first responders\, the experience can exact a huge emotional toll and create a timebomb of mental health challenges that can endure for years. Loving relationships and powerful social circles can help them to cope. Employers also have a role in managing the consequences of events which touch staff so closely in so many ways. Ian Proud dedicated his personal experience to improving Foreign Office crisis capability\, a commitment he took into his final role in the Office\, as Vice Principal of the International Academy.\n\nDr Dipti Patel\, Chief Medical Officer at the FCDO\, will invite Ian to share his experience and discuss with him how the FCDO and other organisations can learn the impact of responding to such events on their staff\, and support them.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-ian-proud-on-6-october/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T120000
DTSTAMP:20260824T075721Z
CREATED:20260428T102403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T075721Z
UID:10000175-1789470000-1789473600@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by Lord Peter Ricketts: Peace Makers: Shaping the Modern World: The Men and Women of the Foreign Office in the Second World War
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online talk \nby Lord Peter Ricketts\nPeace Makers: Shaping the Modern World: The Men and Women of the Foreign Office in the Second World War\non Tuesday 15 September at 11.00 am BST\n \nOn Zoom \nModerated by Dr Richard Smith\, FCDO Historian \nAdmission free \n\nThe Foreign Office is the Cinderella in Britain’s national story of the Second World War\, dominated by Churchill\, the epic battles and the clandestine world of the spies. Peace Makers celebrates the largely unknown story of the men and women who served in the Foreign Office in London and in Embassies around the world. \nIn London\, the policymakers and their support staff laboured through blitz and blackout\, advising ministers on issues of national survival while spending their nights on the roofs watching for incendiary bombs or patrolling the corridors with fixed bayonets on home guard duty. From early in the war\, a group led by Gladwyn Jebb were thinking ahead to the future peace\, drawing up blueprints for what became the UN and NATO and ensuring in the process a leading role for Britain in the post-war international order. \nBritish Embassies were vital to the war effort. They oversaw evacuations\, competed with Nazi agents for influence in the neutral states\, supported refugees\, organised escape lines for allied PoWs and nurtured relations with allies. \nThe War also changed the Foreign Office. A number of women proved to be highly effective at promoting British interests in tough places abroad. Their achievements helped sweep away the barriers which had kept women out of the senior ranks of the Foreign Office\, and which were jettisoned in 1945. The book includes for the first time the recollections of some of the many young women who joined the Foreign Office during the war. I had the great privilege of interviewing one lady in her 100th year who had been a secretary in Eden’s Private Office and travelled with him to Yalta and San Francisco in 1945. \nThe peace makers were a remarkable generation. This book aims to tell their story. \n  \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-lord-peter-ricketts-peace-makers-shaping-the-modern-world-the-men-and-women-of-the-foreign-office-in-the-second-world-war/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261014T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261014T140000
DTSTAMP:20260922T124549Z
CREATED:20260922T115647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T124549Z
UID:10000179-1791977400-1791986400@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:DFID Alumni Association/FCDO Association Joint Webinar
DESCRIPTION:DFID Alumni Association/FCDO Association Joint Webinar \nWhat next for international development? \nWednesday 14 October 2026 1130 (UK time) \nAdmission Free \n2025 has been described as a seismic year and 2026 is no different. \nBut what does the evidence show about the impact of the widespread cuts and reprioritising of aid? And what difference is the erratic use of tariffs and general unpredictability of the US’s approach to international relations making to poorer country economies? Progress against the Millennium Development Goals was remarkable\, prospects for the (more complicated) Sustainable Development Goals not so good. Or is this apparatus outdated\, patronising and unwanted by poorer countries who have moved on? \nThe world economy is changing fast – powered by AI\, increasing wealth but concentrating it in fewer hands. How will that affect poorer countries – better\, more rapid research into finding new crops\, solutions for tropical diseases\, managing the effects of climate change? New financial instruments could help to speed new projects. International institutions could become cheaper to run. Or will jobs drain away and the concentration of wealth just lead to ever bigger oligarch yachts? \nOur international laws and institutions were mostly formed to create order and promote human progress after the Second World War. There have been remarkable achievements but the world is polarising around a few super powers\, war is again seen as the solution to national ambitions\, and the means of warfare are transforming fast. The old international structures are being sidelined. Can the international system be reformed and made more relevant? \nAnd what is the UK’s role? Claims to soft power now focus on the Premier League\, English language and education\, not its contribution to international development. \nPlease join us for a webinar at 11.30 UK time on 14 October 2026. Our speakers are: \nDr Donald Kaberuka\, Finance Minister of Rwanda from 1997- 2005; President of the African Development Bank from 2005-15; chair of the Global Fund Board from 2019-23 and on multiple boards now. \nSarah Champion\, MP for Rotherham since 2012\, a former shadow minister\, and since 2020 chair of the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee which holds the government to account for its contribution to international development. \nMichael Anderson CB\, former Director General in DFID\, adviser to David Cameron on the UN Development goals\, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation\, and currently CEO of Med Access. \nThe webinar will last about 75 minutes. Please register below and you will receive the joining instructions soon.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/29763/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261021T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261021T120000
DTSTAMP:20260928T131752Z
CREATED:20260922T121948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T131752Z
UID:10000180-1792580400-1792584000@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk with Mohanad Hashim\, BBC East Africa 
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk with Mohanad Hashim\, BBC East Africa  \nMiddle powers and the struggle for hegemony in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa \non 21 October at 11.00-12.00 on ZOOM \nTickets £10 \n \nSudan has had years of military rule\, humanitarian crises and political upheaval. BBC   Journalist Mohanad Hashim explains some of the complex history of the country he grew up in. \nMohand’s talk will focus on the Geopolitical realignments and Maritime Hegemony in the Red Sea and the Horn a Strategic Analysis of Saudi\, Emirati\, and Turkish Tripartite Competition and how it is shaping the region. \nBio Note and photo \nMohanad Hashim is an award-winning London-based journalist\, with two decades covering the Middle East and Africa. He joined the BBC in 2008\, reporting on the Arab Spring and later on ISIS’s rise in Syria and Iraq. He has received several awards\, including a BBC News Award and a Webby Award for investigative reporting. He was nominated in 2024 for the AIB Awards for his reporting on the Sudanese civil war for the BBC World Service. He has covered Sudan extensively since the uprising of 2018-2019 and his most recent visit to Sudan was in March/April 2026. \nTwo recent features by him: \nReturn to Khartoum: War\, loss and hope \nhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002w5vb \nKhartoum: Lessons in War \nhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nqw6tl \nContact details for Mohanad \nhashim.mohanad@gmail.com
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-with-mohamad-hashim-bbc-east-africa/
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261029T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261029T133000
DTSTAMP:20260907T101957Z
CREATED:20260907T101957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260907T101957Z
UID:10000178-1793271600-1793280600@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Annual Lecture 29 October 2026 by Lord Robertson: How Safe Is the UK?
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Annual Lecture 2026\nHow Safe Is the UK?\nLecture by Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT\, GCMG \non Thursday\, 29 October 2026 | 11:00 – 13:30 \nLocarno Suite\, King Charles Street \nTickets \n\nThe Foreign\, Commonwealth & Development Office Association (FCDOA) is delighted to announce that the Annual Lecture 2026 will be delivered by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen\, former Secretary General of NATO and former UK Secretary of State for Defence. \nIn his lecture\, “How Safe Is the UK?”\, Lord Robertson will draw on his extensive experience in government\, international affairs and defence policy to reflect on the security challenges facing the United Kingdom in an increasingly complex global environment. \n\nAbout the Speaker\nRt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT\, GCMG\nLord Robertson became Chancellor of the University of Dundee in 2023. In 2025\, he served as Lead Reviewer of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review. He is currently Senior Counsellor with The Cohen Group in Washington DC\, Co-Chair of the Global Strategy Forum\, Vice Patron of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo\, President of the Council of Military Education Committees\, and a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on International Affairs and Defence. \nA Member of Parliament for twenty-one years\, Lord Robertson served in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland before becoming Secretary of State for Defence in 1997. From 1999 to 2003\, he served as the 10th Secretary General of NATO and Chairman of the North Atlantic Council\, leading the Alliance through a period of major international challenges and chairing the first meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in 2002. \nBeyond public service\, Lord Robertson has held a number of senior corporate and non-executive roles\, including Executive Deputy Chairman of Cable & Wireless plc\, Deputy Chairman of TNK-BP\, and Non-Executive Director of the Weir Group plc\, Smiths Group plc\, and Monaco Telecom SA. He has also served as Chairman of the FIA Foundation\, Chairman of Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd\, Chairman of The Ditchley Foundation\, and Vice Chairman of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. \nLord Robertson is an Elder Brother of Trinity House and a Visiting Professor at both Stirling University and King’s College London. He serves on the Board of the Centre for European Reform\, is a Distinguished Fellow of Chatham House\, and sits on the International Advisory Board of the Atlantic Council. For seventeen years he was Honorary Colonel of the London Scottish Regiment. \nAmong many honours\, Lord Robertson is one of the sixteen Knights of the Thistle and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. In 2003\, he was awarded the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom\, the highest civilian honour bestowed by the United States. He has also received Ukraine’s Grand Cross of Prince Yaroslav the Wise and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-annual-lecture-29-october-2026-by-lord-robertson-how-safe-is-the-uk/
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261110T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261110T120000
DTSTAMP:20260922T122428Z
CREATED:20260819T064818Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T122428Z
UID:10000177-1794308400-1794312000@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online talk by Sergei Cristo
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online talk \nby Mr Sergei Cristo\nwith the title \nThe Russian Lesson: Building Deterrence against Foreign Political Interference \non Tuesday 10 November at 11.00 am on zoom \n\nSuccessive British governments failed to recognise and address Russian political interference as a multi-faceted operation\, structured along lines associated with the Gerasimov doctrine. Sergei will examine how UK security and intelligence agencies appear to have been constrained by political considerations and their preoccupation with terrorism\, while Moscow weaponised corruption through wealthy proxies and corporate interests. At the same time\, Russian diplomacy increasingly became an instrument of the intelligence services. He will also argue that Britain’s asymmetric interdependence with Russia helped blind successive governments to the toxic combination of KGB mentality and a mafia-state system at the heart of the threat to British democracy. Finally\, he will consider why effective deterrence requires an open post-mortem of what took place\, fearless realignment of the agencies charged with protecting democracy\, and stronger measures against foreign actors and their proxies\, including the use of sanctions. \nBio \nSergei Cristo is a PhD researcher in Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham\, and a former BBC journalist\, asset management specialist and Conservative Party fundraiser turned whistleblower on Russian interference in British politics. He publishes the Russian Interference Substack [https://sergeicristo336888.substack.com]\, which includes a weekly summary of Russian political interference operations around the world. \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/the-fcdoa-online-talk-by-sergei-cristo/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261125T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261125T120000
DTSTAMP:20260922T122948Z
CREATED:20260922T122948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T122948Z
UID:10000181-1795604400-1795608000@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by Dr Daniella Lock
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk by Dr Daniella Lock\nPublic Power in Private hands: the impact of outsourcing public services on foreign policy and security\, Outsourcing in UK National Security Law\n  \non 25 November at 11.00-12.00 on ZOOM \nTickets £10 \n \nCan we continue to meet our responsibilities for national security and foreign policy\, and fulfil our obligations under international law\, conventions and alliances\, when so many key functions have been outsourced? \nOutsourcing raises important questions about the delivery of government policy\, UK security\, accountability\, responsiveness to public needs and expectations\, and trust in government. These are particularly live issues for our members at present. \nMore information will follow soon. \n 
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-dr-daniella-lock/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261202T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261202T120000
DTSTAMP:20260922T123603Z
CREATED:20260922T123603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T123603Z
UID:10000182-1796209200-1796212800@fcdoa.org.uk
SUMMARY:FCDOA Online Talk by Sir Anthony Seldon
DESCRIPTION:FCDOA Online Talk by Sir Anthony Seldon \non Reforming Government for a New Era \non 2 December at 11.00-12.00 on ZOOM \nTickets £10 \n \nMore information will follow soon.
URL:https://fcdoa.org.uk/event/fcdoa-online-talk-by-sir-anthony-seldon-2/
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