Stop acting like a child!

Why is this an insult? It is the innocence of children and lack of respect for the convention that can scream that the emperor has no clothes. The courage of girls like Malala Yousafzai, who can confront the Taliban for the right to education, is an inspiration. Today’s children clearly see that my generation has failed them when it comes to protecting our planet, the destruction caused by climate change, and they are acting all over the world to hold adults accountable. Children also have a special ability to teach us. When they play, they have an inherent sense of fairness, and when we look at politics through the eyes of a child, we also know what is right and what is wrong. We need to rediscover this urgently.

Children also offer us a way out, because they do not hold grudges. We must learn from them how to reconcile our differences be friends again. My own daughter Ito teaches me. It was she who told me “Daddy, do not waste water, we must save the planet”. And it’s my son Enzo, who when he plays football with passion and soul who teaches me that I should never give up and that I should always give myself completely in everything I do. This year I choose children as our theme to celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen. What better way to do it, when the Royal Family is celebrating the birth of Prince Harry’s firstborn.

The United Kingdom has contributed enormously to how we see childhood, from the works of Charles Dickens and Beatrix Potter to the characters that have shaped the childhood of many of us, such as the Paddington Bear, Alice in Wonderland, Peppa Pig and Harry Potter.

We can learn many things from children. For example, they laugh on average about 300 times a day, compared to only 20 adults.

We, as parents, governments and members of society, have the greatest responsibility.

As Kofi Annan said, “There is no more important duty than ensuring that the rights of children are respected, that their well-being is protected, that their lives are free from fear and that they can grow in peace.”

And we can do better in this. One billion children around the world live in poverty. Twenty-two thousand children die every day due to poverty. Although poverty damages all human beings, it particularly threatens children. Almost half of the population living in extreme poverty in the world is under 18 years of age. Child poverty is an issue that confronts all societies. That is why we must unite globally to fight against it, and also against the international trafficking and trafficking networks, which target children as their main victims.

An obligation of adults is to preserve the planet that we are leaving for our young people. There is a lot to do in this space and we all have a role to play. For example, in the Embassy we are supporting the efforts of authorities and civil society to combat the illegal traffic of wildlife, especially the jaguar. A project to protect the Andean bear has received significant funding from the Darwin initiative in the United Kingdom.

Education is also very important for children and adults. We support this by offering young Boliviana professionals the opportunity to study postgraduate courses at British universities, with the Chevening scholarship. We have also facilitated English courses for Foreign Ministry staff, and we have supported a study on the demand for teaching English in Bolivia.

Part of our legacy for children should also be free societies, in which the values ​​of respect for human rights and democracy are preserved. At this point I can not help but refer to the importance of this year in the history of Bolivia. As part of the international community, we can not get involved in a country’s elections, but we can support the process to ensure that elections are free and fair. A contribution of ours in that sense has been the support in organizing a workshop aimed at journalists to identify fake news and combat misinformation.

This is something very important and necessary in an electoral environment, and we are pleased that the Bolivia Verifica platform had begun its work in this field.

As all the children present here know, and as the Beatles sang, nothing can be achieved without a little help from our friends. For that reason I want to thank today the friends that have made possible this wonderful celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in La Paz. I want to highlight especially Shell Bolivia, Eximbol, DyM with Chivas and also the tourism company Crillón Tours. We greatly appreciate the support that the law firm Aguirre Quintanilla Soria Nishisawa, Insurance Consultants S.A., G4S, Marconsult, Sinchi Wayra and Cambridge College have given us. And I can not fail to thank the Educational Unit of the Colegio Gran Bretaña un El Alto, which has lent us its choir today.

After this act we will make the draw of the raffle and the money raised will be given to the school to help with its infrastructure. Many thanks also to Nidia Doria Medina for lending us the costumes that we are using today.

I also want to thank my embassy team, because I really have the easiest job in the world. I am the head of a wonderful team, and they have achieved this event without much support and with all their passion and energy with which they always apply to every task.

My thanks also to our friends from AESA Ratings, Lazo de la Vega Lawyers, Delizia, Santa Cruz International School, Salar Amazon Tours, La Republica, Prost, Colloky, Urban Rush, Downtown Adventure and Loki Hostel.

Barely four months ago I began in Bolivia as Ambassador of the United Kingdom, and I hope to achieve many things to strengthen relations between our countries, including in the area of business. I would like to see our bilateral trade figures double during my time here.

And regardless of what happens with Brexit, I want to continue working with my colleagues in the European Union and with the entire diplomatic corps.

Today we celebrate Childhood. Given the way we have acted, damaging our planet, failing to face climate change, allowing famine, poverty and conflict, it might be better to say: “stop behaving like an adult”. We have so much to celebrate about childhood. We have a lot to learn. So, the next time we think about calling someone’s attention for their childish behavior, maybe we should think twice. And for my part, if someone tells me that I am behaving like a child, I will take it as a compliment.

I invite you to toast with me for Bolivia, for the United Kingdom, and for children all over the world.

• Seven projects land funding to help support women and those with caring responsibilities back into employment
• Initiatives to help veterans, victims of domestic abuse and homeless women
• Funding part of the government’s £5m commitment to help people with care responsibilities back into work

The funding is the latest to be awarded as part of the government’s drive to support disadvantaged women in the UK, and comes ahead of the launch of a new strategy which will set out how women of all ages should be supported to achieve their potential.

Working with more than 100 employers, the seven projects have been allocated nearly £500,000, which will go towards providing refresher courses, training and qualifications to women from all backgrounds who have taken time away from work for caring responsibilities.

Minister for Women & Equalities, Penny Mordaunt, said:

“It is completely unacceptable that the careers of talented women are held back because they take time out of their jobs to care for a loved one.

“Businesses cannot afford to overlook the potential of these talented women. That’s why we are investing in returners to work – giving them the opportunity to refresh and grow their skills. By acting on this issue we can grow the economy and achieve true equality in our workplaces.”

The successful bids include a project that will give women the tools to progress in the security industry, another that will seek to help victims of domestic abuse and an initiative to help female partners of the Armed Forces and veterans return to work.

Pioneering research by Eige found that reducing gender gaps in labour market participation, STEM qualifications and wages, could increase the size of the UK economy by around £55 billion by 2030.

This funding is part of the government’s £5 million commitment to boost projects supporting women with caring responsibilities across the country back into the job market.

Notes to Editor:

Winning organisations:

Mpower People CIC: £96,505

MPower People CIC have a track record of supporting disadvantaged people into work, specifically those with mental or physical health issues, victims of domestic abuse, ex-offenders and people in challenging economic circumstances. Their programme will support women from various disadvantaged backgrounds, back into employment across the Liverpool City Region.

Liverpool City Council: £87,500

Liverpool City Council will develop a specialised women’s returner programme supporting victims of domestic violence, ex-offenders and those with limited English language skills. Partnering with existing refugee programmes, women’s probation and local domestic abuse services, the programme offers accredited (ESOL) training, soft-skilled training and personal development that leads to paid employment.

Shpresa Programme: £78,000

Shpresa will develop a BAME women returners’ programme, based in two locations. Their target group are migrant women with significant employment history, but due to cultural reasons are the main carers. These barriers, along with limited English skills create further issues for returning to employment.

Adviza: £71,042

Adviza Partnership will launch a sector-focused returner programme (security industry), designed to support BAME women into a male dominated sector. Participating returners will receive accredited qualifications and direct entry into security work that reduces cultural barriers often associated with this sector.

Westminster City Council: £60,000

Westminster City Council will develop a returner programme to support BAME women into the hospitality sector, focusing on some of the most deprived communities in Greater London.

Beam: £50,000

Beam will empower women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to secure employment by providing award-winning support and training through online fundraising. This is an innovative approach that is unique in the market.

RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity: £48,000

The RFEA programme will support the female partners of serving Armed Forces, and women veterans back into employment. The pressures of service life cause isolation for many Armed Forces’ partners, which create complexities around building a career for themselves, as they by default, become the main caregiver of children and relatives.

The programme aims to reduce the disadvantages of this returner group and for the veterans of the future by enabling spouses of serving personnel to return to the workforce and build a career for themselves.

Minister for Women & Equalities, Penny Mordaunt, announced today that seven organisations in England have been awarded funding to support innovative projects which aim to help women back into work.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the investment firm and the Financial Conduct Authority’s supervision of the firm

A 29-year old Nottingham man has been fined almost £600 for fishing without a licence on the River Trent at Colwick, near Nottingham, and found with a bag full of Perch which he had removed from the water.

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on 3 June 2019 where Constantnsocv Florin of Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham was proved guilty in absence and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £597.47. An annual fishing licence would have cost him just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £220 for fishing without a licence contrary to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975), a fine of £220 for removing fish contrary to the Environment Agency National Byelaws (2010), costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Following the verdict, Lee Watts, Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

This case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and we hope the high penalty will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence. It also shows we are catching and prosecuting people for removing fish from waters, which is an offence under our national byelaws.

We work 24/7 and carry out our enforcement duties throughout the evening and night. We have the same powers and liabilities as a police constable to uphold the legislation and can arrest and detain offenders, enter land, stop and search, seize boats, vessels, vehicles and equipment, and ask people to show them their fishing licences.

Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

Anglers who wish to buy their licence online should buy it directly from GOV.UK as they will receive a reference number allowing them to go fishing on the same day. Customers who use third party sites may be charged more and might not get added to the official database as quickly.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13-16 year olds. Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively you can purchase a licence from your local Post Office branch.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.