One of the very best things about my role as Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is that I have the privilege to meet some extraordinary people from all across the Commonwealth, from Ministers and CEOs to street children, farmers and musicians. It is truly amazing to have the opportunity for my life to be touched by their energy, passion and enthusiasm. To be able to help bring incredible people together, and encourage them to work collaboratively to use ICTs to make the world a better place, is just fantastic.
I have always believed in working hard and playing hard! The CTO’s conferences are therefore very much about having great discussions, but also getting to know each other in ways that one simply cannot (yet) do over the Internet! A valuable lesson that I have learnt in my time at the CTO has most definitely been the importance of the politics of the dance floor – and there are far too many embarrassing photos around to show this!
Our recent Commonwealth e-Governance Forum in Rwanda was just such an occasion, and shows above all the importance of friendship in international relations. Back in 2013 I had the privilege of attending the Transform Africa conference held in Kigali. As with so many international events (but sadly all too often not in my own country!) the government hosted some spectacular networking events in the evenings, none more so than a festival of dance and music held one evening in the Milles Collines hotel that showcased the very best of musical talent in Rwanda. It was there that I first saw Teta Diana perform, and was captivated by her talent and personality. So, when we were discussing our own Commonwealth e-Governance Forum I mentioned to a very special Rwandan friend that it would be amazing if he could arrange for her to perform at our event.
Incredibly, he did, and the photos below try to capture something of the very special evening event that he ensured was laid on for delegates (and thanks very much too to Rwanda Online who sponsored the evening):
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The star of the event, though, was absolutely Teta! She has risen already to be one of the real stars of the Rwandan music scene, combining magical performances of traditional Rwandan music with more mainstream jazz, RnB and reggae. She is an amazing ambassador for Rwanda, performing at various official events, and is now eager to take her passion for the way in which music can bring people together to a much wider audience internationally. She is definitely someone to look out for – and I really hope that fellow musicians and promoters in Europe will find ways through which she can bring her talent and personality to a much wider audience. The links below provide an introduction to her music and her life:
Teta Diana is a very special person, determined to do very special things for Rwandans and for the spirit of the music that lives within her.
I drove up Mont Ventoux years ago, and thought it then to be one of the bleakest drives I had ever been on. Little did I think then that my daughter and son-in-law would actually cycle up the mountain in the early hours of the morning some 20+ years later. It was actually great fun being their support vehicle, offering water and encouragement along the way! An early start shortly after six enabled them to be on the mountain just after seven in the morning on a day when the temperatures reached the high 30s. I very much hope that the images below capture some of the beauty and energy of this amazing HC mountain climb. Mind you, I am sure that using Pinarello Dogma bicycles helped them achieve their target in such an amazing time.
Jenny’s next cycling adventure is the 100 mile Ride London event at the start of August. As she says, Mont Ventoux was “Just some “light” hill training for my 100 mile cycle, Ride London, in less than two weeks time. Please help spur me on by providing some extra motivation and sponsor me riding for War Child here https://www.justgiving.com/Jenny-Bowe/ or come cheer along on 2 August”
Tim Unwin's Blog 