Category: Personal

We had the pleasure of taking part of the Otepää Ironman 70.3 in both 2016 and 2017.  Highly recommended. Read the full post »

Why cyclists cycle in the middle of the lane. Read the full post »

I went on Newsnight to explain why humanitarian aid is important but can be improved. Terrifying. Read the full post »

My review of A Season in the Congo, a play about Patrice Lumumba by Aimé Césaire. Well worth seeing if you can get tickets. Read the full post »

Please come and meet the CGD Europe team  this Tuesday evening (6 August) from 6pm at the The Rooftop Café near the Shard. There is no charge for admission, but you'll have to buy your own drinks and food. We've reserved the whole venue, so please sign up here so we know to expect you.  Read the full post »

We are back from a few days in Dubrovnik. Here are some photos. Read the full post »

I spoke at student-led conference on international development at Oxford University last night.

When I was a student at Oxford, the international development group, Third World First, used to meet in a small cafe on the Cowley Road. Last … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner

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It seems like only yesterday that we moved to Ethiopia, but our three years has come to an end. Without wanting to be too sentimental, I have loved getting to know Ethiopia better and especially its people, culture and history. … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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Christoph Niemann at the New York Times offers a splendid visual diary of a trip from New York to Berlin. The first image is below. More here.… Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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We are back in Addis after backpacking through France, Italy and Switzerland on the Tour de Mont Blanc.  Highly recommended: if you are interested, the details are elsewhere on this site.

I’ve come back buzzing with energy. (Memo to … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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Hadley Freeman in the Guardian has rumbled my black jeans delusion:

Black button-down shirts are basically the upper-body equivalent of black jeans, which were discussed on this page a few weeks ago. Just as some misguided men think the black

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Today’s Guardian newspaper has an article about Robert Owen, after whom I was named:

the Scottish parliament spent part of yesterday debating whether Robert Owen’s face should appear on Scottish banknotes. The explanation, as those who know the history

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G and I had the privilege of joining great athletes and olympians including Haile Gebreselassie, Paula Radcliffe, Richard Nerurkar, Millon Wolde, Hugh Jones, and sponsors of tomorrow’s Great Ethiopian Run, for dinner at Castellis … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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The sweetness of the apricots offsets the spiciness of the curry in this dish which I am sure has no connection with India at all.   It is a very quick and easy vegan dish.   I usually serve it with brown … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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I was touched to receive the following message through my website yesterday:

i am one of the proud person in the world when in heard that you are going to man utd but please i am applealing to you that

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My father was a diplomat.  When he left his last post in Africa (as High Commissioner to Nigeria) to become High Commissioner to Australia, he sent a message to the then Foreign Secretary reflecting on a career spent mainly in … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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We went to see Teza last night, a newish film by Haile Gerima which won Best Screenplay and the  Special jury prize at the Venice film festival last year.  The film is in Amharic with English sub-titles.

The film is … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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Edward Barder is a not-very-distant relative who makes fishing rods.

According to a quote from the Independent, quoted on the The Edward Barder Rod Company Website

“Barder is unquestionably Britain’s finest rod-maker”

Personally, I’m for banning fishing, though I wish … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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Bill Sonnenschein, educator, civil rights activist, roadie, and friend, died on 29 December 2008.

Bill had been  a special advisor to President Marc Ravalomananat of Madagascar for the last few months.  He taught leadership at Berkeley, which is where I … Go to www.owen.org to read the rest

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