Rsa Events

As the world faces the critical issues of Covid-19, climate emergency and political disquiet, what are the novel democratic approaches we can deploy to tackle these acute and existential challenges? How can a more ‘active democracy’ break political deadlock, build civic trust and drive transformative collaboration between government, civil society and communities? One month on from Climate Assembly UK’s reported recommendations and with the US election looming, RSA chief executive Matthew Taylor is joined in conversation with OECD policy analyst Claudia Chwalisz, chief executive of Reboot Panthea Lee and professor of politics Graham Smith to explore practical strategies for long-term change. This event marks the London launch of the OECD report on innovative citizen participation and new democratic institutions: Catching the Deliberative Wave. Read the report here. This podcast contains references to a presentation given here.#RSAdemocracy This conversation was broadcast online on the 8th October 2020. Join u

How can the ones who have been winning at this broken game become the ones to change the rules for good?The excesses of capitalism left unchecked are catching up with us, in the form of huge inequality, environmental disaster, and institutional collapse. Can business, which has until now been part of the problem, become part of the solution?What we urgently need, argues economics professor Rebecca Henderson, are businesses with a purpose beyond profit, that can create sustainable shared value for people and the planet. Ethical and economic arguments, she tells us, align more often than we might think, so businesses acting as agents of the change we desperately need is not only plausible, but absolutely necessary. Henderson makes a compelling case for the power and duty of socially and environmentally responsible business to transform capitalism, and shares her vision for a system where good business means doing what is right.#RSAeconomyThis conversation was broadcast online on the 1st October 2020. Join us at

Are we still a liberal nation? Are we even pretending or aspiring to be one?Several extraordinary years in politics and public life have shaken Britain’s image of itself as a model of liberal democracy. The status of political parties, the media, and public officials have morphed and shifted as increasingly desperate attempts have been made to contain the impulses of reactionary nationalism within mainstream political institutions. Widening inequality and the expanding role of technology have changed the way we relate to one another, eroding the sense of consensus required for liberal politics to thrive. Momentous public votes and major events have been surrounded by lying and propaganda, once met with shock, but now wearily familiar.How was the ground laid for this liberal collapse? Professor of Political Economy William Davies reflects on this extraordinary moment as a product of a larger and longer historical context, examining the underlying preconditions for the turmoil through which we’re living, and wh

Statistics are vital in helping us tell stories and make sense of the world - and yet we doubt them more than ever.But numbers - in the right hands - have the power to change the world for the better. Good statistics are not smoke and mirrors; in fact, they help us see more clearly – if we keep our wits about us.Economist Tim Harford is an unrivalled guide to the world of numbers. Amidst a sea of disinformation and obfuscation, he shows how to seek out data with the power to inform and illuminate.In an unmissable RSA conversation with data bias campaigner Caroline Criado Perez, we’ll learn how to look closer at how statistics are sourced and presented, and how to evaluate the claims that surround us with greater confidence, curiosity - and a healthy dose of scepticism.#RSAnumbersThis conversation was broadcast online on the 17th September 2020. Join us at: www.thersa.org 

In recent months, the Black Lives Matter movement has heightened public consciousness of the extent to which racial injustice is embedded in all aspects of our society.As a new term begins, many teachers will be returning to the classroom with a renewed commitment to practising active anti-racism in their school community.But what does it take to make that commitment real? From behaviour to curriculum, what needs to be challenged, confronted, re-created? What tools and resources are available? And what is missing, overlooked, or denied?RSA education director Laura Partridge is joined by Zahra Bei and Rodeane Henry-Grant, Coalition of Anti-Racist Educators; Sarah Brownsword, lecturer in education, UEA; and Daniel Kebede, senior vice-president, NEU, to share perspectives on what we need now to turn the discourse of anti-racism into the practical, sustained, everyday actions that will be vital to securing a fair education for everyone.  #RSAeducation Further ReadingExplore RSA Fair Education projects:https://www

To read 'The Reflexive Age' in full, click here This conversation was broadcast online on the 30th July 2020. Discover more here. 

Impact investment pioneer Sir Ronald Cohen argues that social justice must dictate the economic response to the crisis now facing countries the world over. Capitalism is being challenged as never before - it can be radically reshaped. This conversation was broadcast online on the 23rd July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Women’s economic subordination is a global problem that affects us all. Gender equality, often treated as an afterthought or a luxury only wealthy countries can afford, is essential for stabilising and strengthening our economies, bettering our societies, and liberating women across the world. Economist Linda Scott examines the growing body of evidence that we all do better when women do better. This conversation was broadcast online on the 14th July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

As movements for change sweep across the globe, two of the UK’s most admired public thinkers, Mary Beard and David Olusoga, reflect on the enduring and evolving dialogue between past and present, and the duty we owe to the legacies we inherit. This conversation was broadcast online on the 21st July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

From climate crisis to the next pandemic, the existential threat of short-termism is now all too clear. Drawing on ideas and movements from around the world, public philosopher Roman Krznaric shows how a shift to long-term thinking can help us create more just, secure and sustainable societies - and set us on a path to becoming the good ancestors that future generations deserve. This conversation was broadcast online on the 16th July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

What are the alliances, practices, tools and behaviours that will best support a united health and care system in the move towards long term change? Can we create a model of public service that is agile and resilient, able to cope with crisis and meet the needs and expectations of today’s citizens? This conversation was broadcast online on the 9th July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the extent to which schools have been plugging gaps in the care of vulnerable children. Can we develop a new vision and shared responsibility for young people’s education, health and wellbeing - one that places schools at the heart of a much wider community network of support? This conversation was broadcast online on the 30th June 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Nigel Topping is the UK’s High-Level Climate Action Champion for the pivotal COP26 climate talks. The Covid-19 crisis may have postponed the summit by a year, but we can now seize the opportunity to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy, he argues - if we get the recovery measures right. This conversation was broadcast online on the 3rd July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Injustice and inequality are holding us back from becoming the best society we can be, and we need to make change together, on every level. CEO of New America Anne-Marie Slaughter explores how we can enact values that make us proud. This conversation was broadcast online on the 2nd July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Can we design recovery measures to address deep-seated issues of economic inequality and insecurity? Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Anneliese Dodds MP and the FT’s Martin Sandbu share policy ideas to improve job quality and increase prosperity for people and places in every part of the UK. This conversation was broadcast online on the 1st July 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham is working to shape the future of the city region, designing services and implementing policies with a central goal of improving people’s health. Leading a transition from crisis to recovery, he describes how devolved and integrated approaches are critical in supporting agility and resilience in health, care and local services. This conversation was broadcast online on the 25th June 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Ted Howard is  co-founder and president of  the  Democracy Collaborative,  and pioneer of the community wealth-building movement.  In conversation with the RSA’s Anthony Painter, he shares his vision for a post-pandemic social and economic reconstruction rooted in community transformation. This conversation was broadcast online on the 18th June 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

The global pandemic crisis has intensified the need for new thinking to address labour market trends such as automation, employment precarity and economic insecurity. Alan Lockey is joined in conversation by future work experts Carl Frey and Laetitia Vitaud to discuss how we make sure the post-pandemic future is one where good work is enjoyed by all. This conversation was broadcast online on the 11th June 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Adair Turner, Chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission, explores the policy choices facing governments as we move from crisis response measures to longer-term economic recovery planning. What steps can we take now to build a better economy – one that enhances the health of people and ecosystems? This conversation was broadcast online on the 21st May 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future

Governments and states start to look and behave differently in times of crisis. Political theorist John Keane reflects on what our current challenges may reveal about the nature of an anti-democratic trend he observes taking hold across the world, and what it will take to uphold and strengthen the ideals and practices of power-sharing democracy. This conversation was broadcast online on the 4th June 2020. Discover more at: www.thersa.org/events/bridges-to-the-future