iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Marking 80 years since VE Day at the Tower of London

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David Clay @davidclay.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Just finishing off this wonderful domestic history of the Victorian Foreign Office. Never have I read a book more deserving of being made into a period TV drama. In case Netflix are reading, some thoughts on the first couple of episodes:

Book cover: “Servants of Diplomacy: A Domestic History of the Victorian Foreign Foreign Office” by Keith Hamilton

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The Wonder of Tolkien @tolkienwonder.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

“Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer.” - Tolkien (forward to LOTR)

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David Clay @davidclay.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

“A frightful day in which everyone lays hand on every box they can find, crams into it all the worst and most complicated files, and throws them at my head” From the diaries of Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Alexander Cadogan, 84 years ago today.

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

If you’re interested in diplomacy, you might like the thread below - not only my modest Brit Dips starter pack, but all the others I’ve found so far. If you’re in diplomacy and not in the below lists, please do reply with your details or starter pack. #BlueskyDiplomacy

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Tatiana Fajardo @tatiana1979.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Utagawa Hiroshige, 'New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji,' ca. 1857

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

British Diplomats often stand lost in the beauty and significance of Holbein’s Ambassadors (which is handily just down the road from our HQ). This brilliant thread explains it 👇 Thanks @davidclay.bsky.social for drawing my attention to it

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

One of the great joys of a life in diplomacy is the opportunity to learn languages. Although I wouldn’t describe myself as a naturally gifted linguist, I’m currently deep into studying my seventh and though it might be helpful to share what I find useful (and get some tips in return!)

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Women of South London @womenofsouthlondon.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

1/2 Maud Chadburn (L) & Eleanor Colley-Davies were among first women to train as surgeons. They worked at New Hospital for Women in Euston Rd then raised funds to open a hospital solely for women & children. In 1912 the small South London Hospital for Women was opened on Clapham Common Southside …

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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

NEW RECORD: 2024 is the first year in history when wind, solar and hydropower generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the UK.

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Hope for a better future in #Syria isn’t enough. Am pleased that 🇬🇧 is increasing humanitarian aid for the people of Syria by £11m to help the @UN and NGOs meet the needs of the most vulnerable. An estimated 370,000 people have been displaced by recent events. ➡️ gov.uk/government/new…

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David Clay @davidclay.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

1949 Foreign Office advice for junior diplomats heading off to a job in the US: “To appear superior is the eighth deadly sin. Let Mr and Mrs John Bull be their natural selves and never, never behave as if their name was Mr and Mrs Cholmondeley Haugh-Haugh.”

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Museums Association @museumsassociation.org · 11/11/2024

Hey! We’ve compiled a starter pack of museums, galleries, archives and libraries in the UK who are right here on Bluesky 🦋 go.bsky.app/9o1sRWp

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Every year the kind people of Norway give the Foreign Office a bit of Christmas cheer, with a special gift. Here, in all its glory, is this year’s lovely 🎄

Brightly lit Christmas Tree in the Foreign Office Quad - a gift from the people of Norway

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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Parliament

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

With sunset now before 4pm, an evening visit to the twinkling lights and beautiful plants of Kew Gardens is balm for the soul

A beautifully lit tree in Kew Gardens surrounded by spirals of light

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Well this is exciting - with a message in a bottle too! Must pay a visit to 🇳🇴

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Andrew Mitchell @andrewmitchell67.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Visit of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to Hamburg this week and first Ministerial since signature of 🇬🇧🇩🇪Trinity House defence Agreement on 23/10

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Today’s #MosaicMonday treat, this rather lovely peacock, gracing the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia

Mosaic from ancient Carthage - with a peacock, a grapevine and a smaller bird

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Optimist: The cup is half-full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Diplomat: The cup has the potential to be full and we’re working on a resolution to address the remaining capacity

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Finding new starter packs full of friends feels like opening a 🎁 - with thanks to @weixinwindow.bsky.social for forwarding and @christiangoebel.bsky.social for compiling - here are some great China ones 👇

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Nice to see @harryvx.bsky.social newly joined here - 🇬🇧 High Commissioner in Trinidad and Tobago - well worth a follow

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Ian Wiggins @itswiggins.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Some Friday reading on #ScienceDiplomacy: this year we’ve been working on a major project to review how Science Diplomacy has evolved since a major Royal Society - AAAS report we published in 2010. As part of that work, we’ve produced a special issue of “Science and Diplomacy”

sciencediplomacy.org

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Nihad Aboud نهاد عبود @nihadaboud.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Hello! I thought a list of women scholars in conflict and security studies could be helpful! Let me know if you want to be added/removed! go.bsky.app/Np3NivX

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Lovely autumn sky in Westminster today

Elizabeth Tower - commonly known as Big Ben - the name of the famous clock - with blue sky behind

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

A tile in one of the quite beautiful ‘Weijin’ (Wei & Jin Dynasty period: 220-420CE) family tombs (魏晋墓葬) outside Jiayuguan in China’s Gansu province - so many vivid - cartoon-like - depictions of ordinary life #TileTuesday

A painted tile with black and orange colouring, depicting a man in ornate costume kneeling over plates of food

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Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

A group of researchers have recreated the clothing of medieval Nubian royalty and clergy from the wall paintings in the cathedral of Faras, which sits at the border of modern Egypt and Sudan.

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Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

If you're into archaeology, the ancient world, and related fields, here are some starter packs you will like 🧵 1/? go.bsky.app/J2BAdwu

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

For #MosaicMonday one of my favourites from the glorious Fishbourne Roman Palace - the largest Roman house in Britain excavated to date - with a larger footprint than Buckingham Palace

The Dolphin mosaic from Fishbourne Roman Palace - a pristine mosaic of a winged boy riding the dolphin

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

I can’t at all claim to be a dab hand at starter packs - but here’s a fledgling one for Diplo-Bluesky. I hope to expand considerably very soon - with your help! go.bsky.app/LFoxg2C

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Welcome @christinascott.bsky.social to Bluesky! Christina is currently the 🇬🇧 Deputy High Commissioner to India. If you like wonderful posts about all things India, do give Christina a follow

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Intrepid women in history: In 1930, Gladys Aylward from North London spent her life savings to become a missionary in China. After a brief detention in Russia and some British Consul support, she made it to remote Yangcheng in Jincheng and was met by older missionary Jeannie Lawson

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Very keen to connect here with fellow diplomats, foreign policy wonks, lovers of history and archaeology and people who are just wonderfully curious about the world. If that’s you, or you’ve built a starter pack that fits the bill, lets connect and share!

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

This is well worth a watch. Like Jane, I was inspired to become a diplomat by women who’d demonstrated that we too could work on matters of national security, like the indomitable journalist, Kate Adie m.youtube.com/watch?v=WcQu...

m.youtube.com

I escaped a burning embassy | The Diplomat Diaries

YouTube video by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 21/09/2024

On this day in 1937 something very magical happened. Hope you too are celebrating Hobbit publication Day

Illustration of Smaug the dragon snoozing on a large pile of gold in Erebor, the Dwarven kingdom under the Lonely Mountain

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 05/09/2024

Been a little while since I last posted here 8 months ago. Would you say it’s more or less active now?

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 08/01/2024

An inspiration for fanciful follies and the Famous Five. Is there a fairer ruin than Corfe Castle?

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 16/12/2023

First attempt at a homemade gingerbread house. Possible structural integrity issues….

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 03/12/2023

Tis the season….for foxes to dig up their buried treasures. Stumbled (almost literally) into this very focussed little urbanite in Greenwich park

Fox poised to do some serious digging in the Royal Observatory garden, Greenwich Park

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Leigh Turner Diplomacy @leighturnerwriter.bsky.social · 23/11/2023

This analysis by my former colleague - and former UK Ambassador in Moscow - Laurie Bristow is excellent. That there are no easy ways forward on the Russia/Ukraine war does not mean there is nothing we can do. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/europe...

prospectmagazine.co.uk

The fear from within

With or without Putin, the dysfunction of the Russian state will endure. That raises serious questions for the west about how to deal with Moscow, support Ukraine—and transform itself

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David Clay @davidclay.bsky.social · 11/11/2023

On 11 November 1918, Harold Nicolson was working in the Foreign Office basement preparing for the Paris Peace Conference. Just before 1100, he called in to the Chief Clerk’s office to order a tin box for his papers. He strolled to the window and looked out over Downing St.

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 12/11/2023

Visited the Sculpture Park in the pretty Surrey village of Churt yesterday - a surprisingly beautiful, magical, humorous and quirky experience…

Autumn colours in Churt’s beautiful Sculpture park

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Danae Dholakia @danaedholakia.bsky.social · 03/11/2023

Sunshine, shower and a double rainbow - just now in Greenwich. Maybe there’s a pot of gold right by the O2……

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Elad Nehorai @eladn.bsky.social · 29/10/2023

Multiple things can be true at once: 1. Oct 7th was the worst collective trauma Jews have experienced in our lifetimes 2. The war on Gaza is a horror 3. Antisemitism is rising 4. Islamophobia is rising Those trying to use one of these to cancel others are making things worse

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