Tim Garden, 23 April 1944 – 9 August 2007
Although he only formally became a Patron in 2001, Tim Garden's association with Oxford Research Group predates that by some years. During the early and mid-1990s, at a time when he played an important role in determining key aspects of UK and NATO defence policy, he showed an unusual willingness to engage openly with NGOs, including those like Oxford Research Group that could be expected to be asking hard questions about the utility of military defence. His view was always that engagement is preferable to confrontation. He came into closer contact with ORG as a result of accepting an invitation to be part of an ORG-led delegation to China in 2000 to discuss issues related to Missile Defence with defence and policy experts there. He contributed a paper entitled Military implications of BMD Investment which was published by ORG in a Current Decisions Report. Tim's links to ORG increased in scope and depth after he was made a Liberal Democrat peer, and became the Lib Dem spokesperson on Defence in the House of Lords, and later Convener of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Security and Non-proliferation, as well as chair of some important Lib Dem defence policy groups. His position of seniority and respect in Parliament, and his very wide contacts, made him a key bridge and source of advice and contacts about a very wide range of defence issues, from the most immediate (e.g. the current situation in Iraq) to the most strategic (links between climate change and security, and seeking politically pragmatic ways of reducing the threat of nuclear weapons). He was a prodigious, and incredibly efficient email correspondent. Few parliamentary contacts were as efficient and to the point as Tim. He was also generous with his time, and addressed several ORG meetings over the years, as well as welcoming individuals and small groups for briefing meetings. Several APPG meetings addressed themes of direct relevance to the work of ORG. Tim Garden combined military and political expertise of the highest order with a big-picture approach which was not afraid to move beyond current security orthodoxy. Although his thinking was always practical - looking for not only what is desirable but what is doable - he was always open and forthright when he thought some policy direction was misguided or just plain wrong. He was, in addition, a person of great charm and courtesy. His loss is felt very deeply, and our deepest sympathies are extended to his family. John Sloboda and Scilla Elworthy, 21 August 2007
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