The politics of hunger in Sudan
3 December - 1 hour 24 minsContributor(s): Dr Nisrin Elamin | The ongoing war in Sudan has produced the world’s largest humanitarian and hunger crisis—devastating a country that could easily feed itself and its neighbours.
As millions of Sudanese face starvation, global markets are also experiencing a surge in the value of key Sudanese commodities such as gold, gum Arabic and livestock that are smuggled out of the country to places like the UAE, Egypt and Kenya. This talk situates Sudan’s current famine within a broader historical context of neoliberal economic restructuring, US aid policies, foreign land investments and resource extractivism. It traces how this history is connected to the current dismantling of rura...
Why I am an anarchist: insights into British anarchist thought and politics
Contributor(s): Dr Sophie Scott-Brown | Anarchism has had a more powerful impact on political life than most people realise. What are the roots of this radical tradition? How has it had this impact? And what is the contemporary case for embracing it?
1 hour 24 mins
2 December Finished
Should the UK have a wealth tax? The Wealth Tax Commission five years on
Contributor(s): Professor Arun Advani, Emma Chamberlain, Dr Andy Summers | In 2020, the Wealth Tax Commission brought together world-leading academics, policymakers and tax practitioners to ‘think big’ about tax policy. Published in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the public finance crisis it triggered, the Commission examined the viability of both annual and one-off wealth taxes. Comprising over thirty papers and half a million words, it remains the most comprehensive body of evidence on wealth taxation globally. Five years on, the question of how governments can meet increasing public service demand, while confronting escalating geopolitical and environmental challenges, is more urgent than ever. At this event, the Commission’s authors reunite to reflect on its influence on research, policy making and public debate, and share what they learned from the process and the viability of a wealth tax in the UK today.
1 hour 28 mins
1 December Finished
Fiscal threats in a changing global financial system
Contributor(s): Pablo Hernández de Cos | Sovereign debt levels have increased considerably since the Great Financial Crisis, reaching historical post-World War II highs in many advanced economies. This has been accompanied by a growing presence of non-bank financial institutions in sovereign bond markets. This combination generates new financial stability challenges, which have both domestic and international aspects. This lecture will discuss how policymakers should address these challenges by employing a carefully selected mix of tools that spans fiscal, monetary and prudential policy.
1 hour 3 mins
27 November Finished
America first and the future of Eurasian geopolitics
Contributor(s): Dr C Raja Mohan | America’s longstanding role as the guarantor of security in Europe and Asia is now under question at home. In this lecture, one of India’s leading strategic thinkers and commentators examines the roots of Donald Trump’s America First agenda and assesses its implications for the future of stability on the Eurasian landmass and its surrounding waters.
1 hour 25 mins
26 November Finished
John Rawls and unequivocal justice
Contributor(s): Professor Christopher Freiman | urious about how free markets and social justice intersect? Join us for an engaging lecture by Christopher Freiman, author of the book Unequivocal Justice. Freiman offers a rethinking of the political theory of John Rawls and challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding liberal egalitarianism and free-market regimes. Freiman’s work highlights the importance of non-ideal theory, focusing on the real-world applications of political principles rather than abstract ideals. He argues that traditional Rawlsian liberalism does not consistently apply its idealising assumptions across its theory. By examining political liberty, economic sufficiency, fair opportunity, and social equality under realistic conditions, Freiman provides a fresh perspective on achieving justice in an imperfect world. This lecture is essential for anyone interested in the practical implications of political theory and the pursuit of social justice.
1 hour 29 mins
25 November Finished