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From Tiger to Tech Hub: Talking Brand Ireland with John Dennehy
John Dennehy is CEO of Zartis.com, a recruitment marketing and software company based in Ireland. The company runs regional branding initiatives to attract skilled professionals. These include Make IT in Ireland, and Make IT in Cork. Previously John was co-founder of Upstart Games a developer and publisher of mobile games. With offices in Tokyo, LA and Dublin it was acquired in Nov 2006. The company developed games for US media groups including Disney and Sony Pictures. John has a BA in Communications from Dublin City University and a postgrad in Journalism from Rhodes University, South Africa.
Connect with John:
PB: Hi John, thanks for taking the time to talk with PlacesBrands.
We first got in contact because of the initiative you’re currently running to attract new tech and ICT talent into Ireland, makeITinireland.com. As well attracting top-notch tech talent to Ireland, this project is also contributing to ongoing efforts to develop an international perception of Ireland as an ICT and tech hub.
So how did the Make IT in Ireland and Make IT in Cork projects come into being, and what do you hope to achieve through them?
JD: The objective of both projects is the same: to create an abundance of digital and multi-lingual skills in Ireland. One is a regional initiative, the other operates at a national level.
We started working on Make IT in Cork last year. A group of tech companies got together to look at ways in which they could work together to promote the tech cluster in Cork to an external audience of potential employees. We were introduced to the group and worked on the plan that became Make IT in Cork.
Later last year we were introduced to a group of leading companies in Dublin looking at the same issue but at a national level. This prompted the launch of Make IT in Ireland in January of this year. The project is 100% funded by the companies involved with no state support.
PB: Governments in general are wising up and gaining interest in projects that have the potential to improve their nation’s image. How has the Irish government reacted to Make IT in Ireland?
JD: Make IT in Cork has got great support from stakeholders at local government level. So far there has been no support for Make IT in Ireland. It’s important to show that there is genuine demand for this project from industry before approaching government agencies. We’re close to that point now.
PB: What in particular about Ireland makes it such a strong choice for an ICT and tech destination?
JD: IDA Ireland, an agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, made a strategic decision to focus on ICT companies many years ago. That strategy was hugely successful. The early wave of arrivals included tech companies like Intel and Microsoft. Next came a wave of social media companies including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Now we’re seeing a new phase of high growth companies like of indeed.com, HubSpot and Marketo landing in the country.
There are tax advantages to locating in Ireland. But that’s overplayed as a reason. The primary reason a large tech company will locate in any area is because of the availability of talent. If a region has the talent everything else will follow. Right now, Ireland has the talent. What we have to do is ensure that remains the case.
The population is young, well educated and English speaking. We’ve also benefitted from a huge influx of skilled and multilingual talent over the past decade. It’s a virtuous circle. Companies attract the talent and the talent attracts the companies.
PB: If I was a tech professional considering relocating to Dublin to find work, which features of the city (and Ireland overall) would be most likely to lure me there?
JD: We survey hundreds of professionals who moved to Ireland to find out the answer to that question. Most professional migrants came because of a job. Most of them stay because of the people. It’s the answer we consistently got: we like Dublin because of the people. Over the past decade the number of non-nationals in Ireland has more than doubled. There’s a really interesting influx of people and cultures that are mingling with the traditional Irish culture to create a melting pot of sorts. It’s ironic because Ireland has always been a country associated with massive migration.
PB: Ireland already plays host to some of the world’s major tech giants, such as Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. The presence in itself of these names must be a strong ‘pull’ factor for potential new talent. What kind of reactions has your project received from the tech industry in Ireland?
JD: We’ve got fantastic support from the tech companies in Ireland. All of the ones you mention are sponsors of Make IT in Ireland. They definitely pull talent into the country. Although they’re tech companies, not all of the positions are in software development. If a multinational sets up its European HQ in Ireland they’re going to need business analysts, supply chain experts, online advertising, customer support, sales and technical support. They’re also going to need to fill a lot of multilingual positions. This creates an opportunity for somebody with native language skills to get a job in the tech sector in Ireland that they might not have been able to get in their home country. Some will only stay for a year or two and return with experiences, both professional and social, that will stand to them for a long time.
PB: Social media is a powerful tool for branding, and an important part of your project. I noticed you’ve been getting some great coverage from bloggers and tweeps with huge numbers of followers. How did you make this happen? And tell us about any other ways you’ve been using social media for the project.
JD: Many of the companies we work own the major social media channels. Having Twitter, Facebook and Google onboard is a big plus. All of the people we’re trying to reach consume a lot of their news and content through social media channels. It’s a great way for us to reach them.
We’ve had great experiences in some areas. One of our developers is based in Spain. He contacted some bloggers in Madrid about what we’re doing. The message spread like wildfire on Twitter which was fantastic. A lot of the interest was in a tech map we built of Ireland showing all the tech companies in Ireland. It’s online at http://makeitinireland.com/tech-map/
PB: How would you rate Ireland’s current nation brand value? What do you think springs to mind when people hear Ireland mentioned? And if you had it your way, what would these associations be?
JD: Like any brand identity Ireland’s has gone through numerous changes in the past thirty years. The country suffered some reputational damage in recent years as a consequence of the banking and property sectors. If you ask a 23 year old in Berlin what they think of Ireland I’m sure their impression has been affected by the negative economic news over the past 5 years. Ireland has endured other, and much greater, challenges in the past and has pulled through.
There is still huge growth in Ireland’s tech sector. I’d like to see that communicated. The government has made it clear that it wants Ireland to be the best country in the world for the availability of digital skills. I think that’s a fantastic ambition and believe it can be achieved.
PB: What challenges have you encountered while running the Make IT in Ireland project?
JD: To make the project work three things have to happen. Firstly, we have to do a good job in communicating the message to the right audience. Secondly, companies have to get behind the initiative. And finally, state agencies have to get involved. If any of these three things fails then the project will not work. Getting all three to work on a limited budget is a big challenge.
PB: What would you say is the project’s biggest achievement to date?
JD: The biggest achievement to date is that some of the best companies in the world have thrown their weight behind this and are working together on it. The odds on the project getting launched in the first place were pretty slim. I think it’s a great reflection on the ability of people in a sector that compete in many ways to actually sit down on work together for the greater good of all.
PB: And finally John, what’s your vision for the future of ‘Brand Ireland’?
JD: What we’re trying to do is specially promote the tech sector. Most tech companies already understand the benefits of locating in Ireland. The IDA has done a fantastic job over the past 20 years of communicating the benefits and attracting companies. I would love to see a strategy in place over the next decade that communicates the advantages of Ireland to the knowledge workers of the world, the human capital that drives innovation and growth.
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New Silicon Valley on the Emerald Isle
photo credit: || UggGirl via photopin cc
In 2010, after a job interview with Google’s Dublin headquarters, I remember feeling vaguely surprised that Google was located in Ireland. I’d always associated Ireland with images such as Guinness, Riverdance, and Shane McGowan – not with Silicon Valley-style tech.
Ireland’s reputation has been on a roller coaster ride over recent decades. The ‘Celtic Tiger’ economic boom period came to an abrupt end with the financial crisis of 2008, which hit Ireland particularly hard and caused, among other issues, a mass exodus of local talent, including many one-time expats who had been lured home by the original Tiger boom. As these skilled young Irish packed up and left once again, Ireland’s national image crashed further. People lost faith in the government’s ability to cope with the escalating situation, and doubted that the country would ever be able to attract the people, business, and foreign investment it needed to regain prosperity and confidence.
But fast forward to 2013, and Ireland has done more than simply revive its ailing national reputation – it has managed to change it entirely. Ireland has emerged as something completely new and fresh: a major European destination for tech firms. And now, with giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Google and Intel firmly in residence, Ireland has become one of the top tech destinations in Europe, with an image to match the reality. Google’s Dublin offices employ 2000 people, the largest outside their HQ in California.
So how did Ireland achieve such a radical transformation in its fortunes? How did the Emerald Isle become Europe’s biggest technology destination?
Many people says it’s all down to certain tax incentives, designed to attract foreign investment. But various other European countries offer similar schemes, yet still lag behind Ireland in success rates.
IDA, Ireland’s inward investment agency, pointed out in a 2011 interview that, rather than purely offering tax breaks, Ireland instead boasts a unique combination of attractive factors, to appeal to US firms wanting to expand operations into Europe. Factors include: Ireland’s young, multi-skilled workforce, a relatively low cost of living generated by the economic crash, useful for companies renting offices and workers renting accommodation. Combine this with Eurozone membership, a regulatory environment conducive to new business ventures, and strong business support systems – and you have a highly attractive overall destination for tech firms and tech professionals.
photo credit: The Daring Librarian via photopin cc
Ireland’s branding efforts have been so successful mainly because they are based on solid reality. That’s a no-brainer in place branding. But the IDA and other firms have been particularly savvy about using PR and social media voices to stimulate an ongoing dialogue about Ireland’s new tech credentials. IDA’s goal has been to make Dublin, and Ireland itself, the social media and online capital of Europe. Boldly dubbing itself ‘Europe’s tech hub’, Dublin started talking about its success, other people started talking about Dublin’s success, and a self-fulfilling prophecy began. So far, most of the focus has been on Dublin, but now Cork is the latest Irish city to join the boom, strengthening Ireland’s overall reputation as a major European technology hub.
Next week PlacesBrands will explore Irish nation branding further in a talk with Make IT in Ireland, an online venture that promotes Ireland as a top tech destination and matches bright young overseas professionals to big-name I.T. and tech jobs. To make sure you don’t miss it, go to the top right hand corner of this page to subscribe by email…or follow PlacesBrands on Twitter.
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From Tiger to Tech Hub: Talking Brand Ireland with John Dennehy
Iceland: Democratic Petri Dish
It takes a brave and confident government to allow its citizens free rein on social media to discuss and debate the success, and failure, of policies. Many governments would shudder at the very thought, but Iceland is blazing a new trail in online expression. As citizens of a democratic nation for centuries, Icelanders have full freedom of speech, but the mayor of Reykjavik, Jón Gnarr, has gone a step further by actively encouraging people to get on social media and have conversations about democracy.
Gnarr formed his political party in response to the frustration caused by the 2008 banking sector disaster. He is a strong believer in participation and thinks that the original mess was caused partly by people becoming ‘careless and nonchalant’ about democracy.
To help improve participation, Gnarr’s party created the award-winning ‘Better Reykjavik’, an online social platform where citizens can debate policies, suggest changes, vote on micro-issues, and make budget decisions. This places a great deal of decision-making power directly in the hands of the people. In true Facebook style, citizens can click ‘like’ next to various policies, and those with the most ‘likes’ will head to the top of the queue for actioning.
Digital democracy consultant Dr. Andy Williamson believes that a combination of ‘extraordinary circumstances and mass internet penetration’ in Iceland has created precisely the right environment to encourage digital democratic reform. He believes that other countries could benefit from allowing their people to create a shared conversation, debate issues online, and give direct input on important national decisions.
However, other commentators have been more critical and have urged politicians to proceed with caution. Of particular controversy is Iceland’s constitution, created in 2010, after the country’s shocking economic collapse. Hailed by many as the world’s first ‘crowd-sourced’ constitution, the founding principles of Iceland were decided in one day by a group of 950 randomly selected Icelanders. Critics say that something as important as the constitution should have been created by experts over a period of time, not in a rush by random members of the public.
Two-thirds of the nation voted to approve the constitution, but as elections approach there are fears the document may fail to make it through Parliament, which goes against the will of the people. If this happens, the decision will surely be unpopular among Icelanders, as citizens of a nation staunchly committed to democracy.
As a small, isolated nation, Iceland needs connections with the outside world and therefore takes its reputation very seriously. It spent years working on developing a positive image and achieved UN membership in 1946. But in 2008, everything fell apart with the disastrous banking crash that brought the country to its knees and damaged its international reputation for transparency and financial stability.
Iceland was once well-known for its transparency and lack of corruption, tying with New Zealand and Finland as ‘least corrupt nations’ in Transparency International’s 2007 corruption index. Experts attributed this success to factors such as ‘strong social contract between the government and the people’, and a ‘culture of accountability’ for both citizens and institutions at all levels of society. The average Icelander used to be a well-engaged, well-informed local and international news consumer who would frequently talk about politics as part of daily life. But Iceland’s reputation slipped after the 2008 crisis, along with its corruption index rating, the country struggled to get back on track after experiencing total financial meltdown. People became disillusioned and many lost interest in following politics.
Now Iceland wants to build its reputation afresh, no longer based on transparency in banking, but on transparency in politics. If Jón Gnarr’s innovative ideas and bold moves are anything to judge by, Iceland will soon become known as one of the world’s strongest havens for free speech. If the experiments in Iceland’s ‘democratic petri dish’ are successful, then other governments may follow suit. But it takes considerable courage, and not all governments are up to the challenge…
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Dynamic Globalist: Interview with Jörgen Eriksson of Bearing Consulting
Hailing from Stockholm, Jörgen Eriksson is a dynamic global jetsetter who wears many hats in his busy professional life. He has lived on the Cote d´Azur in France for many years, he teaches courses in Innovation Management to MBA students at the International University of Monaco and also teaches shorter courses in other universities. Additionally, he is a highly experienced strategy and management consultant and founder of Bearing Consulting, a London based management consulting firm with a dedicated team specialising in services related to cities, countries and regions. Jörgen has numerous years’ experience consulting for international clients in both the public and private sectors, and has worked all over Africa, Europe, United States and the Middle East.
Connect with Jörgen:
● Bearing Consulting blog
● LinkedIn
● Twitter
Hello Jörgen, thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to answer a few questions for PlacesBrands, it’s much appreciated. Let’s get started.
Thank you! I do enjoy doing this.
Bearing Consulting handles several areas of management consulting, including corporate innovation and finance. Why did you decide to include place management services in the company’s overall offering?
Development of innovative urban areas was actually the origin of the firm. We started in 2001 as Interlace Innovation Environments and reorganised using the Bearing brand name in 2004. Quite early we opened a practice to also work with finance and in recent years we have established a practice where we work with corporate innovation. Understanding the role of innovation and how it works is very important in today’s global world economy where businesses and places compete in a hyper-competitive environment.
How successful has the place management focus area been for Bearing Consulting since it was introduced?
Most years it has been about half of our business turnover and it includes development of innovation systems, science parks, incubators and clusters, development and assessment of strategy, place development, place branding, place management and inward investment strategies. It is an exciting field, as we quite often work with well-known organisations where we feel we can make a significant difference.
Tell us about your favourite place-branding project. What exactly made it so enjoyable and/or successful?
My favourite place branding project was more than ten years ago when I worked with a client in the Carribeans. I enjoyed the assignment because of the limited scale of the place and the quick decision paths, and also for working in an environment that for me back then was quite exotic. Nowadays projects are usually much more complex and the challenge is not so much in the message but in the process to align and develop consensus among stakeholders in the public and private sector, including civil society.
I am currently working on a project related to the wider Dubrovnik area in Croatia, where the challenge is to enrich the place branding message from the unique old town of Dubrovnik, and also to develop other attraction assets, such as the cultural heritage, the unique marine salt and oyster industries and eco-friendly agriculture, in order to develop the unique offering positioned in the sweetspot for the region’s target markets.
For a region in a country set to enter the European Union on July 1st, this means working with a bottom up and top down cooperative process from the European Union level with the Horizon 2020 strategy, to engage and build consensus among the national, regional and local levels and actors such as the tourist authorities, the regional development agency, civil society organisations such as the Dubrovnik summer festival, etc.
I noticed that you’ve been involved in various projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, although not Qatar (yet…) Were there any particular challenges you encountered while working in this region?
I have been working in the United Arab Emirates since 1997 and I really enjoy working in the region. I enjoy it because of the culture, the substantial resources available for projects, and for the exciting challenge in helping to develop a resource rich economy´s transformation into the knowledge economy.
While we’re on the subject, what’s your opinion of ‘Brand Qatar’? Do you think the country has as much potential as the international media often claims?
As I have not been working in Qatar yet, I do not have a well thought through analysis of the place brand, so I need to give you an unprepared answer to the question. This said, I think people associate Qatar with wealth and luxury, but also with its international conscience, manifested by sending resources and troops to support the Arab spring in Libya. It is a complex message.
As I do not know the facts, I wonder what target markets the authorities in Qatar aims for with the country brand? The possible target markets are visitors, being tourists or business visitors, investors and residents. Qatar is likely to accelerate its branding attempts towards tourists after the success of Dubai and especially after FIFA ’ s decision to designate the country as the host for the 2022 World Cup.
I find it hard to have a clear opinion, as the place brand must be based on the core values of the country and its people, and as I have not been there to think this through, I cannot really judge if the country brand is accurate and believable. The core value should be an element that is embedded in the whole spectrum of the nation. There are other factors that influence the place brand, such as governance, growth and international influence, but I would not like to comment on those.
I was living in Qatar when the UN summit COP18 was held in Doha last December. Qatar is keen to portray itself as a leader in sustainability innovation. How important do you think having a strong ‘green’ image is for a country’s national brand?
It is increasingly important. The global awareness that we have limited resources that have so far in recent human history been misused is putting serious restraints on anything that can be seen as waste. For sure Qatar has the financial resources to develop a sustainable economy and it must continue to do so as anything else would be unacceptable in the future.
Bearing Consulting has recently been working on a corporate finance project in Zimbabwe. I imagine you must have made many observations about the country during your time there. What are the current hurdles for Zimbabwe and what sort of future do you envisage for it?
I would not like to comment on Zimbabwe’s hurdles, but I can say that I think the nation can have a great future. Zimbabwe is rich in natural resources and the population is well educated.
I’ve just finished reading the book ‘Place Management’, by your colleagues Jacob Ikkala and Christer Asplund. In one chapter they discuss Bearing’s unique ‘Quad Helix’ approach to place management. How did you come up with this concept?
By frustration and experience in working with the traditional Triple Helix model! In the Triple Helix model, government, academia and business interact like in isolated drain pipes, as they work with different pace and communicate in different language. As the Quad Helix model brings in the elements of civil society and also the idea of a strong context management, it is more adapted to the complex requirements to succeed with projects today.
Which books are sitting on your bedside table at the moment?
I have thousands of books and I do read a lot, but since a couple of years I read books mainly on my iPad while I travel. I am home from travelling during the weekends and the iPad fits my reading style well as I usually read and switch between about ten books at a time.
The books open in Kindle and iBooks on my iPad at the moment are Peter F. Drucker´s classic “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” (chapter 1), “The Idea Factory – Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation” by Jon Gertner (chapter 9), “Silent House” by Orhan Pamuk (chapter 6), the research study “Global Trends 2030 : Alternative Worlds” (last third, about US economy challenges), “A History of Management Thought” by Morgen Witzel, “The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to today” by Thomas E. Ricks (chapter 7, about McArthur), “Iron Curtain” by Anne Applebaum (chapter 6, on ethnic cleansing), “Back to Blood” by Tom Wolfe (chapter 7), and Karen Armstrong’s “A Short History of Myth” (chapter 4).
Great book list! I’ll definitely be adding some of those titles to my own list. And finally, do you have any tips for people planning to launch a career in place branding and management?
Do get a broad education and also gain perspectives through study and understanding of history, culture, economics and anthropology. Then remember that in place branding there is always a risk of simplification. All too often place brand development results in slogans, but such results are failures. Place branding is not about logo or slogan development, but instead about a commitment to a community-wide strategy on what distinguishes the place from other places, as well as a community-wide effort to effectively communicate and create that unique destination experience to the customer.
For the management aspect, do make a solid business management career first, before making endeavors into place management. Apart from saying this, I can recommend reading the above mentioned book by Jacob Ikkala and Christer Asplund.
That’s all for now. Plenty of interesting info to digest. Many thanks Jörgen!
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Investigating Liverpool: a placesbrands field trip
Liverpool: city of commerce, city of adventure, where the world sent its ships laden with exotic goods. Liverpool: the port that first brought tea to the British Isles. Liverpool: starting point for countless long journeys around the world’s oceans. From Belfast to Brazil, once upon a time all westward bound ships sailed from this port city. Liverpool: melting pot of cultures, home to the largest Chinese community outside London. Liverpool: famed for the arts, home of the legendary Beatles.
Despite this list of impressive associations, I arrived in Liverpool last Sunday with few preconceived notions of what the city would be like. I’d seen various comments and articles, with largely positive opinions, floating round on Twitter about Liverpool’s city branding efforts. Liverpool is riding high at the moment, and today’s success owes much to attaining 2008′s European Capital of Culture title. This prestigious accolade boosted the city’s morale, increased its confidence, and has given wings (and funding) to the numerous, and imaginative, culture and heritage initiatives now emerging from the city.
When in a new and unfamiliar city I can’t help but look at it with a critical eye. What were my impressions before arrival? How does reality compare to those earlier impressions? Which aspects of the city are helping, or hindering, its image? How is the city developing and projecting its brand?
I arrived in Liverpool at a modern and well kept train station (a far cry from the scruffy Birmingham labyrinth where I’d changed trains earlier). My friend, a former Liverpool city councillor turned Middle East regional analyst, met me at the station and drove me through tree lined streets flanked by plenty of green spaces. Many of the terraced houses were old and stately, reminiscent of London’s more affluent streets. Regeneration projects were clearly in evidence, as declared proudly by signs planted along the roadside. We drove past two big green sprawling parks full of trees, and full of people jogging and walking their dogs.
Liverpool’s Albert Dock, once part of the city’s main driving force, has now been revamped and turned into a cultural centre. The Tate Gallery is there, among cobbled streets alongside various other museums commemorating Liverpool’s history and achievements, including one dedicated to the Beatles story.
I liked the Museum of Liverpool best. It documents the city’s bustling, exotic past, cramming lots of detailed, interesting displays into a fairly compact space. Rarely do museums capture my attention for so long, but these neat and informative displays fascinated me. I learned facts about Liverpool that surprised me, such as that the port had strong links with colonial Burma and other areas of the erstwhile British Empire. The museum projected a strong and distinct Liverpool identity, which I’d sum up as a city ‘on the forefront of the world’, cutting edge, open to new and/or foreign ideas, willing to welcome foreigners fresh off the boat, Britain’s trading pulse, and gateway to the Americas and beyond. The upper floors added further layers to the identity, including displays about everyday life in Liverpool; including World War 2, football culture, problems of poverty, the rise of Liverpool as a driving force in popular culture, the Beatles.
Wandering out of the museum and over to the edge of the docks, I saw a large Stena Line ferry awaiting passengers to Belfast. In front of me was an odd-looking statue: a sheep with a banana for a tail? ‘Superlambanana’, combining a (super?) lamb’s head and a banana’s ‘body’. was originally created in 1998 by Japanese artist Taro Chiezo, as part of a project to develop art throughout the north of England. In the past, both lambs and bananas were frequent cargos at Liverpool’s docks. During the 2008 Capital of Culture event, the city organised an initiative for community members to design their own versions, which were displayed around the city, along with a map and guidebook detailing each one.
Next stop: Liverpool One, the city’s main shopping hub. Here, near the entrance, shoppers could let off steam with a free game of ping pong. The two open air tables were a nice friendly touch, suggesting that ‘hey, this city is cool and knows how to have fun’. The rest of the mall was clean, shiny and well laid out, with interesting boutiques nestling next to the usual High Street giants.
At lunchtime I had coffee with Peter Smith, marketing manager at Liverpool Vision, one of the UK’s pioneer companies in urban regeneration. Placed in charge of Liverpool’s physical transformation, the organisation has led many of the city’ most notable urban projects – some of which I’d already seen, such as Baltic Triangle, Liverpool ONE, and Museum of Liverpool – and helped improve the city’s prospects by attracting increasing levels of trade, investment and talent. Peter told me about his experiences in China, in particular during the 2010 Shanghai Expo, where Liverpool organised a city exhibition. There are long-standing connections between Shanghai and Liverpool that I didn’t know about, dating back many years and remaining strong to this day.
Finally, I popped over to Baltic Creative to meet the guys in charge of Seven Streets, Liverpool’s number one ‘local intelligence’ hub, a website offering irreverent and rather cheeky opinions on all things Liverpudlian, combined with a sharp eye for the coolest up and coming venues, gigs, events etc. Dave and Robin know such things as where to find a reclusive dive bar specialising in whisky cocktails, a place too cool for menus, and so well hidden it can’t be spotted from the street. But nevertheless, it can be found on Twitter.
Sadly, I didn’t have time to hit the dive bar, but that’s just one more reason to revisit Liverpool…
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- Three Graces towering over an old Great Western Railway shed
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- International adventures start from Liverpool
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- Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’, UNESCO World Heritage site
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- Superlambanana guards the waterfront
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- Boat at anchor in the Albert Dock
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- Albert Dock with Museum of Liverpool behind
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Burma Has Far To Go
An iron law of effective diplomacy is that if you make public demands, your credibility depends on sticking to them. European Union foreign ministers saw fit to ignore that lesson yesterday when they formally lifted all sanctions on Burma except an arms embargo. Last year, the same ministers said this step would only be taken if President Thein Sein…
Indeed, Burma's reputation, which has been improving over the last 2 years, now faces a severe loss of credibility if the government does not act to end the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. This issue alone is becoming widely known and discussed around the world, particularly through social media channels. It will damage Burma, perhaps irreparably, if it is not addressed quickly, efficiently, and compassionately.
