Esther Boers, General Manager of Carlton Ambassador Hotel, The Hague.Photography by Marian van Noort. By Diplomat Magazine. The Carlton Ambassador, located in one of the most beautiful street of The Hague, serves many functions. Foremost, the Mansion operates as Diplomat Magazine’s headquarters and is the venue of our traditional Diplomat Meet and Greets. Additionally, the venue hosts celebrations for national days, and is often the site where Ceremonies of Merit are presented for parting ambassadors. In order to cater to all of these events, effective and sharp management is necessary. We asked Esther Boers, current manager of the Carlton Ambassador, how she upholds the prestige associated with this establishment. Diplomat Magazine: How do you see your role and duties representing Carlton Ambassador vis-a-vis the international community in The Hague? Esther Boers: We are a Mansion in The Hague, where every guest is more than welcome. So everyone is welcomed with this idea of a “warm embrace”. We have great relationships with different types of international communities and we want to let them be part of our Mansion in any way, be that for events, drinking coffee, or high tea. Diplomat Magazine: In the two years that you have been managing the hotel, what have you done so far to increase the Carlton Ambassador visibility in the Netherlands? What are your plans, and how much more can be done in future while maintaining this position? Esther Boers: Firstly, we are branding the Carlton Ambassador hotel by hiring a Brand Ambassador. We also made a blueprint of the hotel. We answered questions like, “why are we doing this?,” “what is our main purpose?” We have gone through this trajectory with all the team members. Additionally, our Sales Department connects with local communities and people to share our words and to show them who we are. We work with local and Dutch entrepreneurs to be more connected to the city. We also work closely with the Hague Marketing. Finally, we changed our website completely and we invest a lot in marketing activities. We feel special that we meet so many different nationalities in the hotel. That is what makes our work so interesting and meaningful as well. The diplomatic community is part of The Hague and also part of our hotel. We are grateful to work together and to be a good place for them. We provide a place where they feel home, where they receive unlimited hospitality. I want to share with you that our Mansion is so much more than a hotel. We are a place to meet, greet, laugh, talk, eat, work, sleep and enjoy life! When you are in The Hague for business, I can promise you that you will feel like a leisure guest when you enter our Mansion, because of our special ambiance and because of all the Ambassadors who work in the hotel. Every individual team member has the passion and drive to make your stay as memorable as possible.

By Mirko Zambelli, Minister, Embassy of Switzerland to  the Kingdom of the Netherlands After completing a round-the-world trip in his solar catamaran PlanetSolar in 2012, Swiss adventurer Raphaël Domjan was wondering what on earth to do next. The field of innovations in eco-transportation was becoming more competitive. Another Swiss project, the manned solar airplane Solar Impulse, was underway and managed to fly around the world in 2016. Since Domjan also wanted to take to the air, and his colleagues were making their mark with long-distance horizontal flights, he decided to go vertical – to the edge of space. At the invitation of the Swiss Embassy and with the support of Presence Switzerland, Domjan and CEO/chief engineer of SolarStratos, Roland Loos, visited TU Delft on October 19 to present their project. Addressing the knowledgeable audience gathered for his evening lecture at the aeronautical faculty, Domjan explained how his ultra-light, solar-powered airplane SolarStratos, only 8.5 metres in length, will be capable of flying to a height of 25,000 metres. “SolarStratos is a symbol of the pioneering spirit, of the dream, of innovation with the aim of demonstrating the potential of renewable energies and energy efficiency”, he explained. The team brought along a model of the delicate-looking airplane, whose shape is reminiscent of a dragonfly. The faculty’s students had already taken the opportunity to quiz Loos about the technical details during a preceding lunchtime lecture, and guests had the opportunity to meet the team during a reception following the presentation. Domjan’s flight to the stratosphere is scheduled for next year, and will take off from an as yet to be determined location near the equator, where the sun’s strength is at its maximum. Twenty-two square metres of solar panels on SolarStratos’ long wings are the only source of energy for the electric motor. Given the lack of oxygen and extreme cold at that height, Domjan will wear a space suit, which has been provided by Russian partners. The flight is expected to take about five and a half hours.

It is this adventuresome spirit of innovation and international cooperation that keeps Switzerland at the top of international innovation rankings. As a small country with few natural resources, it has a long tradition of fostering new ideas to develop the economy. Its research landscape, too, is an open space – currently, two thirds of the scientists working in Swiss universities come from abroad, and hundreds of young Swiss researchers work and gain experience outside their own borders. In a true spirit of collegiality, and given that SolarStratos is technically a two-seater, the pilot of Solar Impulse and Domjan’s friend, Bertrand Piccard, will join Domjan for an initial flight to break the altitude record for a manned solar-powered flight, which Piccard hat set at 9,235 metres. After that, Domjan will make his riskier solo trip to the stratosphere. “Today, adventures and explorations are not done to discover unknown continents or to beat records,” he said. “Their aim is to protect the environment and its biodiversity. In this way we can restore real meaning to the terms progress and innovation.” ———— For more information, please visit https://www.solarstratos.com/en/    

By Mara Lemanis.  In his Politics, Aristotle states: “He who trusts any man with supreme power gives it to a wild beast, for such his appetite sometimes makes him: passion influences those in power, even the best of men…” But as a descendant from the Baltic States, particularly Latvia, I have noted that power does not need to be vested in a single man for a country to fall under the sway of autocracy. And that autocracy can be captured not just by one “wild beast” but by a coalition of governing systems.

A case in point is Latvia: it does not legislate state subsidies nor does it regulate party finances more than nominally. Political parties enjoy rather cozy ties to major economic interests that are no different from the sway of vast corporate lobbies that contribute to and control the Republicans and Democrats in America. These unregulated ties between various factions and economic enterprises in Latvia have produced an undemocratic dependency, turning several parties into that wild beast that devours whatever tries to check its habits. Civil liberties, or human rights, are essential to democracies, but the World Bank has indexed countries that have been captured by companies and business interests that infiltrate legislation, regulation, the judiciary, and political decisions based mainly–often exclusively–on economic decisions advantageous to themselves. Consequently everything from the courts to the office of the president, including political parties, parliaments and ministries, become pawns in the play of economic dominion. Biased interest groups are then in a position to offer bribes or outright payment to politicians who ingratiate the group’s interests, receive campaign funds, and gain seats in parliament that will effect policies to profit their businesses. A consensus of belief among political scientists used to be that if the economy is solid, democracy is guaranteed. That idea has been upset by the growth of prosperity in many countries–China, Saudi Arabia—without any accompaniment of political freedoms. But the greater shock to that belief comes from countries where economic crises trigger political reforms. Brazil’s economic crisis swerved from military rule to a more civil society; Mexico went through some of the same pattern in the 1980s; and Indonesia’s 1997 financial crisis spiraled into political reforms. However, more often crises simply make way for authoritarian rule. Coalitions of integrated elites and despotic leaders become the last resort for a nation made vulnerable by economic chaos. Strongmen and autocratic parties step into the disruption, promising crackdowns on feuding groups within the polity to ensure a stable government, and win popular support and confidence not through violent overthrow but through straightforward elections. Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have all elected leaderships that suppress the freedoms of their citizens. The president, prime minister, and the ruling factions in charge start shutting down independent media. Opponents’ revenues are often reduced or divested through co-opting their advertisers, while any dissenting news that trickles out is distorted by reports that disseminate false stories and misinterpret events in order to victimize foreigners, liberals, and other resistant groups. Since elections are the paradigm for democracy, autocratic leaders and coalitions espouse them to validate legitimacy for themselves. Having won an election, such leaders can then claim popular support in subverting institutions with democratic constituents, and strip power from various departments and ministries, dismantle term limits, or increase presidential power. In such cases, those who criticize the ascendant government are smeared as undemocratic, as willfully undermining the people’s franchise. Diplomacy is derailed, coercion becomes the negotiating beast. Even when nations seem economically stable, they are susceptible to cultural exclusion or segregation. The leader or controlling party is in a position to mold voters toward partisan affinities, influencing them to react with hostility against candidates from an opposition party. That is a typical response infecting voters who are ready to excuse autocratic behavior because they dislike the groups and politicians who detract from the policies their leaders support. Within national communities populism can become harnessed to ethnic dominance of one group over another, basically weakening, even neutralizing ethnic minorities. The effect does produce stability, but at the cost of civic liberties, at the demotion of human rights.

Among the Baltic nations, it is Estonia that has been most able to maintain an inclusive civic democracy. Not as heavily Russified as Latvia during the Soviet occupation, it was less constrained to mount its aspirations. Thus it was able to assemble various informal networks of cultural ideals and intellectual coordinates that operated at the level of grass-roots incentives. The social networks fostered Citizen Committees and independent clubs that reclaimed Estonian history, reviving national identity. Within the EU community Estonia might serve as a model for democratic development that could succor civil liberties in several other countries.      

By Sunday Oyinloye. Nigeria and Ghana have over the years enjoyed good economic and political relations. They also have mutual respect for each other. However, what has happened between July 2017 and now is phenomena, a plus to President Muhammadu Buhari administration which is anchored on positive change. When a professional who is committed and dedicated is placed in a position of authority, the people will surely feel the impact and the society will be better for it . The fragrance coming from Ghana today is very encouraging and a new dawn not only in Nigeria-Ghana relations at governmental level, but a new lease of life for Nigerians living in Ghana because of the transformation that has taken place at the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana. The man driving the change agenda of the Government of Nigeria in Ghana is a seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Olufemi Michael Abikoye, who arrived Ghana in the middle of July this year and presented his letter of Credence to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo on 18^th August, 2017. Like a good administrator who he is, immediately after presenting his letter of Credence, Ambassador Abikoye hit the ground running by cementing relationship with key stakeholders that could make his assignment a smooth sail in Ghana. Few months after, the positive results are visible. As an experienced diplomat, few days after taking his instrument of office, Abikoye paid courtesy call on allies of Nigeria in the diplomatic community and also paid courtesy calls on key government officials that will be instrumental in accomplishing his goal in Ghana. They include Inspector General of Police, David Asante Apeatu, the DG, Ghana Immigration, Minister of Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery, DG of Ghana Prisons, the Director State, Protocol, Chief of Protocol and other key Ghanaian government officials. The energetic High Commissioner within five months in office has visited five out of the ten regions of Ghana to have town hall meetings with Nigerians in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Western and Greater Accra Regions. The strategy is to afford the High Commissioner the opportunity of meeting Nigerians at the grassroots level, garner information about various challenges confronting them and also serve as a platform of informing the communities of the developments back in Nigeria Not only did Abikoye met communities in these regions, the High Commissioner also had interface with officials as well as the Nigerian students in various tertiary institutions in the regions such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Garden City University, Kumasi, Catholic University College of Ghana, Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region Cape Coast University (Central Regions) and University of Ghana, Legon (Greater Accra Region) Ambassador Abikoye used his diplomatic experience to negotiate the downward review of fees paid by Nigerian students as this was a major challenge raised by the students when he met with them. The good news from this is that the management of the various institutions have given assures that they would look into this request and give positive feedback. Interestingly, the visit of the High Commissioner to the Ministers, Mayors, Regional Police Commanders, the paramount traditional rulers in the various Regions have paved the way for greater collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana. Besides, the 7^th Ghana- Nigeria Permanent Joint Commission held between 18^th and 20^th October, 2017 was historic because it had been pending for a long period, but Abikoye’s arrival made the meeting a reality. This is expected to cement and foster both bilateral and multilateral the unique relationship that exist between Ghana and Nigeria. The other leg will be held soon in Nigeria. The good thing is that the two countries are expected to sign nine MOUs and seven agreements, including, Economic, Finance, Trade and Investments, Diplomatic Consultations, Immigration Service, Food & Drugs control as well as Treaty on Prison Transfer, Youths and Sports, Education, Culture , Transportation and Air Service developments. Determined to make the Mission more accessible, Ambassador Abikoye revived its website .There is no doubt that this will go a long way in assisting Nigerians living Ghana to know the activities of the Mission and happenings in Nigeria. A proactive personality who understands that the future of Nigeria belongs to the youth, Ambassador Abikoye also took turn to visit all Nigerian owned institutions in Ghana to entreat them to absorbing, the Nigerian students and their Ghanaian counterparts during their holidays for internship in order for them to be engaged productively during the period and further canvassed for permanent placement on graduation. On consular matters, the High Commissioner has ensured issuance of Nigerian Passport/Visas within 48hrs and immediate production of passports for students and Nigerians from far away Regions. This step has been commended by the Nigerian community in Ghana. In addition, with discussion the High Commissioner had with the DG, Ghana Immigration, the visitor’s visas for Nigerians is expected to be reviewed from 60 days to 90 days. Ambassador Abikoye in his five months as the High Commissioner has visited all major companies with Nigerian interest in Ghana . The list is long, GTBank, UBA, Zenith, First Atlantic, Access, Energy. Insurance companies; RegencyNem, Equity, WAPIC. He also visited SIFAX Agency, Dangote Cement, Sahara Group among others. In all the places visited, Abikoye admonished them to be good ambassadors in their dealings and to continue diligently in flying Nigerian flag higher in their respective businesses. The job of an Ambassador is not just to represent the interests of his country, it is a complex position which requires a man or woman with the right frame of mind, administrative acumen and intellectual capability, attributes which Ambassador Abikoye possess. It is therefore not surprising that he has made a meaningful impact in just five months in office. However, my advice to Ambassador Abikoye is not to relent as he continues to fly Nigerian Green- White- Green flag to the next level in Ghana Oyinloye is the Publisher of Green Savannah Diplomatic Cable, a weekly international online magazine in Nigeria