Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Swazi scene - handmade tapestry from Swaziland.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Experience
Reason someone once gave me for not sponsoring me on a 10 000 feet tandem skydive to raise money for VSO: 'I don't give money to people for having fun.'
What my father said when I told him I had adopted a child from Swaziland: 'Don't you think you should send him back to be looked after by a black family?'
The look most people give when I say that I taught in Zimbabwe for two years earning USD 200 per month: blank.
The look most people give when I say that I have given in excess of EUR 5000 of my own money to pay for one child's education and support in the past six years: blank.
Why not make a difference?
Don't just donate to a faceless charity. This way you will know where your money is going.
What my father said when I told him I had adopted a child from Swaziland: 'Don't you think you should send him back to be looked after by a black family?'
The look most people give when I say that I taught in Zimbabwe for two years earning USD 200 per month: blank.
The look most people give when I say that I have given in excess of EUR 5000 of my own money to pay for one child's education and support in the past six years: blank.
Why not make a difference?
Don't just donate to a faceless charity. This way you will know where your money is going.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Overseas adoption.
Did you know that you can adopt a child easily if you have a UK passport and are resident in certain (mainly commonwealth) countries? This is how I adopted my son.
Once local adoption procedings are completed, you apply to your British Consulate for citizenship under section 3 (1) of the British Nationality Act 1981. The application form is available online. There is a charge for the application in the region of GBP 600 and it will take about three months to process. In the application, you need a statement from the social worker who dealt with the adoption to say that all relevant local laws were followed. You also need death certificates for the biological parents and the adoption certificate of course.
Once you receive the certificate of registration of citizenship, you can apply for a passport. You will not be permitted to reside permanently in the UK without permission from Social Services. But if you are an international traveller like me, that won't be a problem for you.
Once local adoption procedings are completed, you apply to your British Consulate for citizenship under section 3 (1) of the British Nationality Act 1981. The application form is available online. There is a charge for the application in the region of GBP 600 and it will take about three months to process. In the application, you need a statement from the social worker who dealt with the adoption to say that all relevant local laws were followed. You also need death certificates for the biological parents and the adoption certificate of course.
Once you receive the certificate of registration of citizenship, you can apply for a passport. You will not be permitted to reside permanently in the UK without permission from Social Services. But if you are an international traveller like me, that won't be a problem for you.
Mark Beaumont
Congratulation on Mark Beaumont and the team he was filming on their journey to the magnetic north pole. Read my other article about him here.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Swaziland attempts to buy $60 000 000 of weapons
document
The text of a cable from the U.S. Embassy to Washington on June 11, 2009, according to WikiLeaks:
Classified By: AMB. MAURICE PARKER FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d)
1. (S) SUMMARY: In December 2008, the GKOS sought to purchase approximately 60 million USD worth of military equipment, including helicopters, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition from a British weapons manufacturer.
The British government denied the request over end-use concerns. In documents requesting permission to purchase the equipment, Swaziland's Ministry of Defense stated that the equipment was for use by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF) on United Nations peacekeeping deployment in Africa. It is unclear whether this was the intended purpose, or whether GKOS was attempting to build up domestic capability to deal with unrest, or was possibly acting as an intermediary for a third party.
END SUMMARY
2. (S) In December 2008, the GKOS sought to purchase approximately 60 million USD worth of military equipment from British weapons manufacturer Unionlet Limited (please protect). The British government denied the request over end-use concerns. A senior level contact with the British High Commission in Pretoria (please protect) recently provided Ambassador Parker with documentation on the attempted purchase.
3. (S) The purchase application, signed by XXXXXXXXXXXX, included requests for 3 Bell Model UH-1H helicopters, FN Herstal 7.6251mm Minimi light machine guns, blank and tracer ammunition, armored personnel carriers, command and control vehicles including one fitted with a 12.7x99mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun and others fitted with the FN Herstal light machine guns, military ambulances, armored repair and recovery vehicles, weapon sights, military image intensifier equipment, optical target surveillance equipment, 620 Heckler & Koch G36E assault rifles, 240 Heckler & Koch G36K assault rifles, 65 Heckler & Koch G36E rifles, 75 Heckler & Koch UMP submachine guns 9x19mm, and 35 Heckler & Koch USP semi-automatic pistols. SwazilandQs Ministry of Defense stated in the purchase documents that the equipment was for use by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force on United Nations peacekeeping deployment in Africa.
4. (S) COMMENT: Post is disappointed that XXXXXXXXXXXX did not disclose anything about this request to Ambassador Parker or DATT Langdorf in one of several very candid and private discussions since this order was placed. If XXXXXXXXXXXX were coerced into making the order, he might have been embarrassed to discuss it, though from his experience, one would think he would assume we would find out about it and that he might have wanted to do damage control.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Swaziland
Arms and Armies
U.S., Canada and Africa
Europe and Africa
5. (S) The array of weapons requested would not be needed for the first phases of peacekeeping, although it is possible someone tried to convince the Swazi government they were required. The GKOS may have been attempting to build up domestic capability to deal with unrest, or was possibly acting as an intermediary for a third party such as Zimbabwe or a Middle Eastern country that had cash, diamonds or goods to trade. XXXXXXXXXXXX, traveled to Iran and later to Libya, and several GKOS Ministers made trips to Kuwait, Dubai, and other Arab nations. We also understand that an Iranian ambassador, resident in either Pretoria or Maputo, recently presented his letters of credence to King Mswati to establish formal diplomatic relations with Swaziland.
6. (S) We are not aware of subsequent purchase requests. XXXXXXXXXXXX
7. (S) Please protect information on the identity of the British weapons manufacturer. The British contact providing documentation for this purchase informed Ambassador Parker that if the information becomes public, the manufacturer could sue the British Government for violating confidentiality. END COMMENT.
PARKER
The text of a cable from the U.S. Embassy to Washington on June 11, 2009, according to WikiLeaks:
Classified By: AMB. MAURICE PARKER FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d)
1. (S) SUMMARY: In December 2008, the GKOS sought to purchase approximately 60 million USD worth of military equipment, including helicopters, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition from a British weapons manufacturer.
The British government denied the request over end-use concerns. In documents requesting permission to purchase the equipment, Swaziland's Ministry of Defense stated that the equipment was for use by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF) on United Nations peacekeeping deployment in Africa. It is unclear whether this was the intended purpose, or whether GKOS was attempting to build up domestic capability to deal with unrest, or was possibly acting as an intermediary for a third party.
END SUMMARY
2. (S) In December 2008, the GKOS sought to purchase approximately 60 million USD worth of military equipment from British weapons manufacturer Unionlet Limited (please protect). The British government denied the request over end-use concerns. A senior level contact with the British High Commission in Pretoria (please protect) recently provided Ambassador Parker with documentation on the attempted purchase.
3. (S) The purchase application, signed by XXXXXXXXXXXX, included requests for 3 Bell Model UH-1H helicopters, FN Herstal 7.6251mm Minimi light machine guns, blank and tracer ammunition, armored personnel carriers, command and control vehicles including one fitted with a 12.7x99mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun and others fitted with the FN Herstal light machine guns, military ambulances, armored repair and recovery vehicles, weapon sights, military image intensifier equipment, optical target surveillance equipment, 620 Heckler & Koch G36E assault rifles, 240 Heckler & Koch G36K assault rifles, 65 Heckler & Koch G36E rifles, 75 Heckler & Koch UMP submachine guns 9x19mm, and 35 Heckler & Koch USP semi-automatic pistols. SwazilandQs Ministry of Defense stated in the purchase documents that the equipment was for use by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force on United Nations peacekeeping deployment in Africa.
4. (S) COMMENT: Post is disappointed that XXXXXXXXXXXX did not disclose anything about this request to Ambassador Parker or DATT Langdorf in one of several very candid and private discussions since this order was placed. If XXXXXXXXXXXX were coerced into making the order, he might have been embarrassed to discuss it, though from his experience, one would think he would assume we would find out about it and that he might have wanted to do damage control.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Swaziland
Arms and Armies
U.S., Canada and Africa
Europe and Africa
5. (S) The array of weapons requested would not be needed for the first phases of peacekeeping, although it is possible someone tried to convince the Swazi government they were required. The GKOS may have been attempting to build up domestic capability to deal with unrest, or was possibly acting as an intermediary for a third party such as Zimbabwe or a Middle Eastern country that had cash, diamonds or goods to trade. XXXXXXXXXXXX, traveled to Iran and later to Libya, and several GKOS Ministers made trips to Kuwait, Dubai, and other Arab nations. We also understand that an Iranian ambassador, resident in either Pretoria or Maputo, recently presented his letters of credence to King Mswati to establish formal diplomatic relations with Swaziland.
6. (S) We are not aware of subsequent purchase requests. XXXXXXXXXXXX
7. (S) Please protect information on the identity of the British weapons manufacturer. The British contact providing documentation for this purchase informed Ambassador Parker that if the information becomes public, the manufacturer could sue the British Government for violating confidentiality. END COMMENT.
PARKER
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)