Donald Trump is a "true friend" of Saudi, says Deputy Crown Prince

We know the animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Shia versus Sunni. This article that appeared in the UK"s Independent newspaper the other day illustrates how wide the hatred between the two countries has become- or is the "cosiness" between Saudi Arabia and the USA?

Continue reading
  1171 Hits
  0 Comments

NZ Superfund CEO wins Business Achievement Award

It’s good to know that the organisation for New Zealand’s Techweek ‘17, which will run from 6-14 May 2017 is moving ahead. A week of events bringing together bright minds to tackle global issues with local ingenuity. Head to Techweek‘17 to meet like-minded people, discover new opportunities, and learn about the latest and most exciting technologies that are changing the shape of the near future, according to Techweek’s website.

Continue reading
  1327 Hits
  0 Comments

EU says it's legal to ban women wearing headscarves at work.

The EU decision comes as countries across Europe are grappling with how to accommodate huge numbers of migrants, many from predominantly Muslim countries. AP
Continue reading
  1168 Hits
  0 Comments

A Japanese ad agency invented an AI Creative Director

Recently, I've been reading about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how we can exploit it in different fields such as education. Therefore, I was very interested when I came across this article that talks about AI and the advertising industry. How uncomfortable would you feel if AI was preferred to a human?

Continue reading
  1470 Hits
  0 Comments

Iran: making the most of it

Recently I was elected president of Queenstown Travel Club and at the first meet up of the year we learned all about Iran. Here is what the speakers said.

Jon and Robyn Bitchero talked about their experiences in Iran when they spoke at the Queenstown Travel Club, which met on 27 February. They pointed out how different Iran is from the way it is portrayed in the media. Referred too in the ancient world as Persia, it conjures up romance, great food and great living. In contrast, the country Iran often conjures up visions of burqa wearing women (which is often not the case), tyranny and evil. Yet it is the same country.

Continue reading
  1204 Hits
  0 Comments

Trump declares war on grammar

This story made me laugh. Since it appeared in the "Evening Harold" I take it, it's tongue n' cheek. It's well said though.

Factor investing will not dumb down the craft of investing

This article crossed my desk the other day. It was sent by one of the author's, Amin Rajan. in it, Rajan and Pascal Blanqué explain the blurry distinction between passive and active investing. The article first appeared in The Financial Times.

“Truth is rarely pure and never simple,” cautioned Oscar Wilde, the 19th- century playwright. The advice is worth heeding in the current seemingly black and white debate on active versus passive investing. It ignores the rise of a third way, factor investing, that is blurring old demarcations.

Continue reading
Tags:
  950 Hits
  0 Comments

Accessing the right information in crisis situations

How accessing the right information in crisis situations can be crucial

In this article Lucia Dore and Melisande Middleton, founder of the Center for Internet & Media Ethics (CIME), discuss how information flows matter in crisis situations, even in small, far away countries like New Zealand.

 During the civil war in Afghanistan (1989-92) Iran opened its borders to refugees but not many people knew about this, cites an Afghan familiar with the situation. “Many people fled to there and sought safe haven and temporary education for their kids. Many didn’t hear about it and stayed and I know many people who lost their loved ones because they didn’t know that Iran had finally opened the border.”

Continue reading
Tags:
  1347 Hits
  0 Comments

Gaw Capital Partners Recognized as the Winner of Asia Firm of the Year 2016

From time to time I receive press releases from private equity firms since I worked in this sector for so long, in Asia/Pacific and in the Middle East. Here is the latest release from Gaw Capital Partners, a Chinese private equity firm that specialises in real estate.

Continue reading
  1209 Hits
  0 Comments

Bernie Sanders' Speech on Israel

This article first appeared in Haaretz on February 28th. It's worth the read.

Bernie Sanders' Speech on Israel, Trump and anti-Semitism at J Street Conference

Thank you for inviting me to address you here today. It’s a pleasure to be here with J Street, which has been such a strong voice for saner, more progressive foreign policy ideas. And I am delighted to be in the company of friends from the Middle East and all over the world who I know will continue the struggle for a world of peace, justice and environmental sanity.

Continue reading
  1319 Hits
  0 Comments

Trust and warmth matter most

It's interesting that trust and warmth matter more than competence when people first meet you. What does that mean for you?
A Harvard psychologist says people judge you based on 2 criteria when they first meet you
Continue reading
Tags:
  1064 Hits
  0 Comments

Walking the Kepler Track

It's been a week since I last posted on here. Since then I've been on a 60km hike from Te Anau and back again. It's a hike known as the Kepler Track http://www.doc.govt.nz/keplertrack, one of New Zealand's Great Walks. It is a great way to get away from it all, without going on a retreat. No internet, no cellphones-  only freez dri food and lots of walking, with a full pack. 

For me, since my great grandfather was an early explorer around Lake Manapouri and I was born in that part of the world and spent my early years there, the information I found out was even more impactful. Here are some photos.

Continue reading
Tags:
  1478 Hits
  0 Comments

Why New Zealand needs a written constitution?

by Lucia Dore

On a road show around New Zealand are Sir Geoffrey Palmer, law professor and former prime minister, and Andrew Butler, a litigator at Russell McVeagh in Wellington, New Zealand. They are promoting their book: “A constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand” and are asking people for their views on the points they have laid down for a otential written constitution.

Continue reading
  2345 Hits
  0 Comments

How to hunt a lone wolf

Anti-Muslim rhetoric is increasing all the time and much of it is a result of "lone wolf" attacks. Often these attacks are the result of people acting alone but whom ISIS has approached later in the day. They then claim the attacks as their own. This article is from Brookings Institute.

Continue reading
  1305 Hits
  0 Comments

Investment Environment Report - February 2017

I received this report from the NZ Super Fund earlier today. It provides some insights into the investment environment right now.

 In this 'Investment Environment Report', Dr Roland Winn, Senior Investment Strategist, explains the global investment environment and its implications for the NZ Super Fund.

Continue reading
  1123 Hits
  0 Comments

Journalists who obtain leaked official material could be sent to prison under new proposals

Reading this article, I hope the proposed law doesn't proceed in Britain and that it doesn't even get proposed in New Zealand.

Continue reading
  1333 Hits
  0 Comments

Backing into World War 111

Continue reading
  1368 Hits
  0 Comments

Denmark’s 29,000 Doctors Declare Circumcision of Healthy Boys an “Ethically Unacceptable”

I came across this article that appeared in The Huffington Post about a month ago. Here, research is discussed that furthers the debate as to whether one should circumcise or not.

Denmark’s 29,000 Doctors Declare Circumcision of Healthy Boys an “Ethically Unacceptable” Procedure Offering no Meaningful Health Benefits

Continue reading
Tags:
  1099 Hits
  0 Comments

Why Companies Should Seek #INSTAFAME Right Now

Continue reading
  1173 Hits
  0 Comments

New Zealand’s Refugee Report Card

A campaign to increase New Zealand's refugee quota started two years ago, when I completed a documentary: "Stepping up: NZ's response to the refugee crisis" https://www.luciadore.com/blog/stepping-up-nz-s-response-to-the-refugee-crisis. 

Amnesty International then endorsed it. In it, I point out that while I agree with increasing the refugee quota, any increase should also go hand-in-hand with an increase in government funding. Refugees will only do well if they have employment, have educational prospects, overcome any language barrier and have good access to healthcare. The Canterbury Refugee Resettlement and Resource Centre (CRR&RC), formerly, the Canterbury Refugee Council (CRC) and I are about to embark on a study to investigate these issues further.

In the meantime, Tracey Barnett, has written this great article about NZ's response to the refugee crisis so far.

Continue reading
  1571 Hits
  0 Comments