Prisoners of Geography

Travelling provides an excellent opportunity to catch up on some reading. Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography provided absorbing material for my recent Eurostar trip to Brussels.

Brexit seemed to be on the minds and tongues of everyone I met in Brussels – from the European Parliament to the EU Studies Fair, as well as on all newsstands and points in between. Questions and what ifs abounded. It was interesting to hear and read views on our island nation from outside our borders.

Britain has been blessed by its geography unlike many countries described in Tim Marshall’s book. It has been our fortune to be

“close enough to the European Continent to trade

and yet protected by dint of being an island race” (p91).

Our geography has shaped our independent spirit. We are also seen as being

“at one remove from living with the historical collective memory

of frequent invasions and border change” (p91).

Thanks to our geography we have grown accustomed to punching above our size and weight globally. As the sole Brit, I was outnumbered by youthful representatives from the other 27 member states on the European Parliament tour. There were also young visitors from candidate countries.

I couldn’t help wondering how Britain’s future generations would feel about being outside the “club” whatever its faults. The Union Jack seemed to be on the way out already. Then, I realised that its position at the end of the line was probably due to the diplomatic use of alphabetical order.

Our excellent Latvian guide was very open in discussing both the good and bad aspects of the European Parliament. He mentioned the financial wastefulness of the Strasbourg Parliament. (It is still maintained due to the ongoing vetoes of France and Luxembourg). He shared the difficulties of progressing any legislation without Germany’s support. He mentioned the frustrations of smaller nations and parties in getting their voices truly heard.

Human rights were seen as a strong area for the EU. For example, the EU can criticise China’s human rights’ record and invite the Dalai Lama to speak to the Parliament without fear of trade reprisals. The 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought went to the Saudi Arabian blogger, Raif Badawi. Europe enjoys peace and freedom of expression under the EU’s watchful eye.

Prisoners of Geography is particularly strong in explaining how geography shapes Russia and China. It invites the reader to picture Putin ruing the absence of mountains and watching as the EU encroaches ever closer through the former Soviet bloc. Ukraine was “the red line”. As Tim Marshall concludes:

“It doesn’t matter if the ideology of those in control is tsarist,

Communist or crony capitalist – the ports still freeze,

and the North European Plain is still flat” (p25).

The world’s flashpoints are all enlightened with reference to their geography. The Arctic features at the end of the book. The melting ice cap is changing geography. Climate change is creating new tensions. 80% of Bangladesh is on a flood plain and it cannot relocate. The Maldives will disappear.

In conclusion, the author casts our eyes upwards away from the land. He refers to spy satellites and international cooperation in space. He speculates whether we will learn to meet the challenges ahead as “representatives of humanity” rather than as of a particular nationality. The road ahead seems to require even greater cooperation, rather than a self-interested retreat within our own borders.

Tim Marshall ends on a pessimistic note:

“... we are still imprisoned in our own minds,

confined by our suspicion of the ‘other’,

and thus our primal competition for resources.

There is a long way to go. (p240).”

I hope history will prove that he should have been more optimistic. It is an eye-opener to discover how much world tension is based on geography rather than our neighbours’ actual actions.

Book review details:

Tim Marshall: Prisoners of Geography. Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics. Published by Elliott & Thompson, 2015.

Biometrics 2015

The Biometrics 2015 Conference and free exhibition will take place from 13-15 October in London. The conference's subtitle is Secure Identity Solutions Now! This clearly conveys the topical and urgent nature of secure identity management today.

The 3-day conference will discuss issues and applications relating to:

·      ID management in the digital world

·      Law enforcement, forensics and military applications

·      Borders and travel

·      Developing economies

·      Mobility and payments

The event is organised by the scientific, medical and technical publishers Elsevier in partnership with the Biometrics Institute.

Biometrics 2014

I attended Biometrics 2014 at the QEII Centre in Westminster. Biometrics is an ideal domain for Anglicity's translation and copywriting services. It intersects my financial background, specialisation in technological innovation and keen interest in human rights' issues.

Secure border controls and identity authentication in the banking world are of even greater concern in 2015 than in 2014. Following Biometrics 2014, I was invited to attend Biometrics in Banking at Citibank on 24 October 2014. The European Association for Biometrics organised that event with Financial Fraud Action UK. 

Developments in biometrics were initially driven by the US military and Homeland Security. Technologies developed for national security purposes cannot simply be transferred to the banking world. Banks have to strike the right balance between security, respect for privacy and serving their customers.

Mobile and Contactless Payments

In the past year, I have become a big fan of the ease of online payments using my laptop, mobile or iPad. I am very used to Oyster card or contactless payments on the London Underground and buses.

I have just read the latest revelations from whistleblower Edward Snowden on how GCHQ can track and access your mobile remotely.  At a UKTI event at London's City Hall, I was introduced to the company that produces TFL's real-time maps of commuter movements. They assured me that all data is anonymised. It is hard not to wonder what fraudsters might do in future - or can possibly do already.

Fraud

I have had two fairly recent experiences of fraud on my personal bank account. On the first occasion, I was impressed by how quickly my bank called my mobile to advise me of the attempted fraud. I had only just reached the store's exit following a purchase. A lost debit or credit card is easily replaced and any losses are covered. 

The second fraudulent transaction took place online. I spotted the problem and advised my bank. Amounts were debited from my account in the Netherlands. A series of debits hit my account. Although my losses were covered, the incident was more alarming and took more time to rectify.

Password Alternatives

I would welcome alternatives to reduce the number of passwords that I need to remember. Banks have to find an alternative or combination of alternatives that the public will accept. Just today, I overheard a conversation in which a customer did not wish to give her credit card details over the phone while travelling.

Different age groups have different expectations. All customers want convenience without any security worries.

The loss of biometric data would be even alarming than either of my two experiences above.

Range of Technologies
At Biometrics 2014, I was amazed at the range of technologies in use or in development. Last year I saw or heard about the following biometrics:

·      Fingerprint

·      Palm

·      Hand

·      Vein pattern

·      Face recognition

·      Voice recognition

·      Iris

·      Behavioural

·      Real-time signature recognition

·      Gesture recognition

·      2-factor

·      Multimodal

I am looking forward to an update from the experts at Biometrics 2015.

To discuss your communication requirements, email karen@anglicity.com

What remains of the Magna Carta?

The Magna Carta is a landmark in British history and human rights law. June 2015 marked the 800th anniversary. The British Library ran an exhibition from 13th March until 1st September to celebrate the occasion. The exhibition was entitled:

Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy.

This medieval document has been cited in legal arguments both in Britain and abroad throughout the centuries. According to Lord Denning, it came to be seen as a guarantee of

"the freedom of the individual against

the arbitrary authority of the despot." 

The word "freedom" does not even appear in the text. Lord Bingham stated that

"the significance of the Magna Carta lay not only in what it actually said,

but in what later generations claimed and believed it had said."

I visited the busy exhibition on two occasions. On the first visit, I watched the videos and studied the various exhibits in the cases. On my second visit, I took more time and followed the detailed audio guide.

Medieval documents preserved under glass and in dark

Just three of the Magna Carta's original clauses survive in the law of England and Wales today. The best-known section was prominently displayed at the exhibition's entrance.

"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, 
or stripped of his rights or possessions, 
or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, 
nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, 
except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."

The above seem basic human rights to us today. And yet, there are still countries in the world where these human rights are abused 800 years later. I can't help wondering about the application of the last part even in Britain today:

"To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice."

The following issues come to mind: court and tribunal delays (particularly for the disabled), access to interpreters, legal aid reductions for the poor while the wealthy can pay clever lawyers to stay out of court and keep their names out of the Media, money-making and arbitrary parking fines where no offence has been committed, etc.

No one above the law

Significantly, the Magna Carta placed the king under some legal restraint. King John was a notorious tyrant. The Magna Carta established that no one is above the law. Today that means that the monarch, the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, MPs, hereditary or life peers, security services, local government officials, the wealthy, celebrities, judges, barristers or lawyers are not above the law. Attempts are currently being made to correct past injustices, particularly those relating to child abuse. Sometimes the innocent have been caught up in the new wave of transparency.

Remaining clauses
The 2015 issue of the Magna Carta contained 63 clauses. The 1297 version under Edward 1 had just 37 clauses. I particularly liked the visual way the exhibition showed the deletions over time. Clause 1 still remains today. It relates to the liberties of the English Church. Clause 9 confirms the liberties and customs of the city of London, and other towns and cities.

Visual explaining deletions in the document clauses

Technology

The exhibition drew out well what the Magna Carta signified in following centuries. The charters appeared at the very end. One copy had been badly damaged by a fire. Advances in technology now mean that we can see the text more clearly again. Maybe this is also symbolic of how intrusive as well as beneficial technology can be in our lives? More can be seen of our lives than ever before. Does that restrict our freedom? Or enhance it?

Cornelia Parker's Magna Carta Embroidery

Wikipedia Embroidery

The British Library also commissioned an embroidery to commemorate the Magna Carta anniversary. It echoes the Bayeux Tapestry with embroidered contributions from over 200 people. In a contemporary twist by Cornelia Parker, the artwork captures the Magna Carta's Wikipedia article as it appeared online one year earlier.

An opportunity for the general public to interact at the end would have been great. Posting human rights suggestions could have brought the exhibition right up-to-date.

Although little remains of the Magna Carta's text in law today, it provided the foundation for many other such documents. Its influence and spirit endures.


For further information about Anglicity's translation and copywriting services, please email karen@anglicity.com