Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Liberty in the Modern World

Just over a week ago I attended a unique and inspiring event in London which discussed and debated the concept of 'modern liberty' in the United Kingdom today. The UK has long been perceived as a beacon and advocate of freedom and liberty of the individual within a democratic society. There's now a growing and increasingly urgent concern over the slow erosion of these long held, almost taken-for-granted rights.

The Convention of Modern Liberty brought together some of the finest minds and orators in this country - lawyers, politicians, journalists, authors, lobbyists; together with over a thousand members of the general public in London, plus linking up with similar, smaller events across major UK cities.

I left the event feeling almost 'drunk' on the richness of the debates and speeches I observed. It certainly raised my own awareness and has acted as a personal 'wake up call' over how our society has been effectively sleepwalking towards an authoritarian police-esque state. We're not there yet, by all means, but I do believe if we do nothing then we are heading towards a dangerous and more oppressive future.

Here's a couple of short videos which no doubt encapsulate the flavour of the day, and what it's trying to achieve, much better than I can.



1 comment:

Joyce Hopewell said...

Very important/inspiring consciousness-raising day - and with so many attending it shows how many people are concerned.

Nice to see/hear Satish too!