I always try to remain positive and optimistic, and to look for signs of encouragement. But I am moved to re-ignite my blog (sorry for the hiatus!) by the current rash of crises, both natural, and made or exacerbated by the errors and folly of human beings. And we seem to face very real and… Continue reading A world beset by crises needs compassionate leadership

What has gone wrong with today’s capitalism? It seems that every day we hear about a new outrage. Should we be surprised – perhaps not, but after many years of working with some of the best companies through charitable partnerships, I had allowed myself to become optimistic about the prospects for a new kind of… Continue reading Whatever happened to responsible capitalism?

With the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President and the UK Supreme Court decision on Brexit, the crisis in our National Health Service seems to have fallen to the back of the news agenda, at least temporarily. Yet, there is a close connection between these issues. In the post Brexit world, we are about… Continue reading Saving the NHS from Trump, Trade Deals & Brexit

Famine is a word with enormous power. It conjures intense and emotional images and brings to mind momentous events from history. Depending on our age, we will recall the tragedies of Biafra, Bangladesh, Cambodia or Ethiopia, or perhaps China or India. People in the humanitarian field are very sensitive to the use of the “f”… Continue reading The ‘F’ word

You can generally feel the culture of an organisation as soon as you walk through the door. Are you made to feel welcome, greeted with a smile? Is there a quiet buzz of excitement and creativity, or a deathly silence, among the people around the office? Do people seem relaxed and happy or stressed and… Continue reading Culture & Leadership

I was pleased to be asked recently to address the Economist’s Society at University College London. My subject was “Humanitarian Economics” and this blog post is based on that talk. This was not an attempt to deal with the economic aspects of humanitarian aid, but rather a broader effort to imagine a new approach to… Continue reading Humanitarian Economics

Baquer Namazi is an 80 year old US/Iranian citizen who has spent a lifetime in the service of humanitarian causes and especially as a defender of children’s rights. He was detained when he landed in Iran in February and has now been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Baquer is unwell and this sentence is… Continue reading The case of Baquer Namazi, jailed humanitarian

On 15th July, I wrote an open letter to our Prime Minister, who took office on 11th. Theresa May has now been PM for 99 days. It is customary to hold leaders to account after 100 days on the basis that they have had enough time to at least set out their agenda, assemble their… Continue reading Mrs May’s first 100 days

More than 2 million people watch the popular BBC show Escape to the Country. In 2012 there was a net migration of 40,000 people from urban to rural areas in the UK. Yet, the population of our towns and cities continues to grow more quickly and one estimate predicts that the UK population could be… Continue reading Rural development in an age of urbanisation