A New Era Of Liberty?
1 October 2010
Are we set to witness a new era of liberty?
READ the blog by Professor Dennis Hayes on this forthcoming event published in the Independent newspaper: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/10/07/are-our-liberties-threatened-by-the-fear-of-real-freedom/
Q - With the Coalition's rejection of ID cards, its aim to end 28 day detention without trial for terror suspects and the call for people to name illiberal laws that should be removed, does this mean we are on the verge of a new era of liberty?
A - ...the one thing that is certain is that the East Midlands Salon is back for more lively debate!
And the ID question above will formally kick-off the new season of debate for the East Midlands Salon on October 12 - with all great thinkers, spirited orators and opinion-formers from across the region invited to attend. It will take place at the Hallmark Hotel, Midland Road, at 6.30pm.
The salon was co-founded last year by University of Derby Education academic Professor Dennis Hayes who drew inspiration from the fashionable salons in 17th and 18th Century France where crowds gathered to listen to great thinkers such as Rousseau and Diderot. Salons championed philosophy around the time of The Enlightenment and before the French Revolution.
In modern times, salons are back in fashion with a number of active movements in the UK. Dennis founded the regional salon with Dr Vanessa Pupavac from the University of Nottingham and a third organiser, Ciaran Guilfoyle, last year.
Now, he has lined up a formidable panel for the first salon event of 2010-11 with the 'New era of liberty?' debate here in the region later this month.
Dennis, director of Academics for Academic Freedom, who was also named this week by the Higher Education Academy as a National Teaching Fellow, will be joined on the guest panel by:
- Guy Aitchison - contributing editor, openDemocracy's UK blog, OurKingdom; and campaigner, Take Back Parliament
- Guy Herbert - general secretary, NO2ID - the campaign opposing the government's planned ID card and national identity register
- James Panton - politics tutor, St John's College, University of Oxford; co-founder, Manifesto Club
- Brian Winston - Lincoln Professor, University of Lincoln; author, A Right to Offend: free expression in the twenty-first century.
For the current academic year, Professor Hayes has also joined up with the Battle of Ideas festival to produce this exciting 'Battle Satellite'. Don't miss the debate of the autumn!
For further details and to book tickets go to: www.battleofideas.org.uk/index.php/2010/session_detail/4366/
The East Midlands Salon is sponsored by the University of Derby, for further details or press interviews, please contact: Professor Dennis Hayes on 07791 200341 or email: d.hayes@derby.ac.uk.
