Experts discuss global instability at York Festival of Ideas
During the week in which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to make Britain ‘battle-ready’, world-leading experts are gathering at York Festival of Ideas (Sunday 8 June) to discuss ‘a world in crisis.’
Presented in partnership with the Morrell Centre for Legal and Political Philosophy, a special Festival Focus series, A World in Crisis?, will feature speakers including Rear Admiral Chris Parry; broadcaster and writer Bridget Kendall; Pulitzer Prize-winning Guardian journalist Julian Borger; and Jessica Cecil, the founder of the Trusted News Initiative, the world’s only alliance of major international tech companies and news organisations to counter the most harmful disinformation in real time.
Other high-profile speakers include Creon Butler, who leads the Global Economy and Finance Programme at Chatham House; Alexander Hurst, a Paris-based writer, editor and columnist at The Guardian; and Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group.
The Festival Focus series will highlight major issues including disinformation and polarisation and their impacts on democracy; the impacts of Trump’s second presidency on global security, trade and global finance; and conclude with an interrogation posing the question of whether the right conditions exist to ensure the security of Europe. As always, the Festival is delivering these events for free (with the option of attending one or more panel sessions) in order to attract diverse audiences with different experiences, opinions and insights. The events will take place at the Ron Cooke Hub, University of York from 11am.
Matt Matravers, Director of the Morrell Centre for Legal and Political Philosophy, said: “With rising global instability and war raging in Ukraine, these panel discussions offer a timely opportunity to hear from expert policy makers, journalists and the military, and to empower our audience to ask questions and take part in the conversation.
“At a time when democracy, national security and sovereignty all appear under threat, and with a handful of powerful men seemingly dictating world politics, we’ll be asking what the future holds.”
Taking place from 31 May to 13 June, York Festival of Ideas - which is led by the University of York - will present over 200 mostly free in-person and online events. Last year’s events, presented in partnership with over 100 local and national organisations, were enjoyed by an audience of nearly 60,000.
The three Festival Focus sessions taking place under the banner of A World in Crisis? on Sunday 8 June are Disinformation and Polarisation, A New World Order? and Is Europe Safe?
More information and booking details are available on the York Festival of Ideas website.