BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Living Freedom - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Living Freedom REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250307T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250307T203000 DTSTAMP:20260410T222419 CREATED:20250221T154402Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T155505Z UID:1250-1741374000-1741379400@livingfreedom.org.uk SUMMARY:Reclaiming the University from the Culture Wars DESCRIPTION:This in-person event in central London\, in association with Student Academics for Academic Freedom (SAFAF)\, is free but please register using the form below. \nUniversities have always been in the vanguard of the so-called ‘woke’ revolution. After the election of Donald Trump\, there has been an apparent cultural ‘vibe shift’\, with criticism of DEI in the UK increasing – but universities seem to be doubling down. For example\, newly proposed funding guidelines aim to cut research funding from institutions that fail to meet diversity guidelines. Meanwhile\, paternalism dominates student life. Some worry that the very notion of the risk-taking\, intellectually autonomous student is drowning under wellbeing guidelines and a mental-health apparatus seemingly resistant to reform. \nOn the other hand\, some students are beginning to take up the fight against the censorious campus climate. And some things appear to be changing. In some instances\, debates on topics such as sex and gender are no longer drowned out by banging pots and pans from student activists and can now take place with only minor disturbances. The Freedom of Speech in Higher Education Act\, previously put on pause\, will be implemented by the Labour government in revised form and Lord Hague\, the new chancellor of the University of Oxford\, says that universities must not be ‘comfort blankets of cancellation’. Are these signs of hope\, or more false promises? \nHow do students who wish to change campus culture navigate questions about intellectual independence and academic freedom? Has managerialism destroyed the university for good\, or can it be reformed? What are the biggest problems facing the modern university? How can we in the 21st-century best harness the spirit of true intellectual endeavour\, inside and outside the universities? \nSPEAKERS\nLara Brown\npolicy researcher specialising in culture and identity; former president\, Cambridge Union \nJaiden Long\nconvenor\, Student Academics for Academic Freedom \nSam Rubinstein\nwriter and historian \nCHAIR\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Living Freedom \nREGISTER \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Please answer the question below * \n \n \n \n \n =\n \n \n \n \n \n (This helps to prevent spam. Thanks!)Submit URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/reclaiming-the-university-from-the-culture-wars LOCATION:central London CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/reclaiming-the-university.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T193000 DTSTAMP:20260410T222419 CREATED:20250416T162817Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250422T122541Z UID:1322-1746640800-1746646200@livingfreedom.org.uk SUMMARY:Crumbling of the ivory towers: what is the purpose of a university? DESCRIPTION:This event is free\, but please register using the form below. \n‘When you’re in a hole\, stop digging.’ Sadly\, this ‘first law of holes’\, often attributed to former politician and once Balliol scholar\, Denis Healey\, seems to have bypassed many universities. Despite warnings in recent years about the perils of over-expansion\, marketisation and anti-intellectualism\, reports point to courses closing\, redundancies rising\, bureaucracy increasing\, students becoming dissatisfied\, staff demoralised and standards falling. Notably\, fewer 18-year-olds now elect to go to university and 40 per cent of universities and other higher-education institutions expect to run a loss in this financial year. What are the underlying problems? And what should universities be? What will it take to get out of the hole? \nSome blame the culture wars and the wider politicisation of education. In the US\, a Trump-driven ‘vibe shift’ has caused a reassessment of social-justice priorities and funding for DEI\, but UK universities seem to be doubling down. For example\, newly proposed guidelines aim to make adherence to diversity guidelines a condition of research funding\, raising questions as to how academics assert independence to determine research priorities. ‘Decolonising’ reading lists or eliminating gendered language – even from graduation ceremonies – are said by some to be prioritised over defending knowledge and excellence\, which are now said to be elitist. Do such shifts help explain\, for example\, the devaluation of the arts and humanities\, which are under siege and facing drastic cuts? \nElsewhere\, paternalism can often dominate student life. Some worry that the very notion of the risk-taking\, intellectually autonomous student is drowning under directives on wellbeing and mental health. The chancellor of Oxford University\, Lord Hague\, said universities must not be ‘comfort blankets of cancellation’. But the University of Sussex may be more representative of the new norm with its recent decision to challenge a fine for failing to uphold free speech and insisting on setting guidelines on lawful speech. \nHowever\, some students do seem keen to fight back against a censorious culture on campus – and in some instances\, even sex and gender debates now go ahead largely free of a ‘heckler’s veto’. Are these signs of hope\, or more false promises? \nHow do students and academics who wish to change campus culture navigate questions about critical inquiry\, intellectual independence and academic freedom? Has managerialism destroyed the university for good\, or can it be reformed – and if so\, how? How can – and should – we best harness the spirit of true intellectual endeavour\, inside and outside of universities? \nSPEAKERS\nFelice Basboll\nstudent\, Trinity College Dublin; project assistant\, Living Freedom \nDr Edward Howell\nLecturer in International Relations\, University of Oxford\, \nJohn Maier\nPhD student\, University of Oxford; UnHerd columnist \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Please answer the question below * \n \n \n \n \n =\n \n \n \n \n \n (This helps to prevent spam. Thanks!)Submit URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/crumbling-of-the-ivory-towers-what-is-the-purpose-of-a-university LOCATION:Gillis Lecture Theatre\, Balliol College\, University of Oxford\, Broad Street\, Oxford\, OX1 3BJ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:University Salon ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ivory-towers-salon.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T203000 DTSTAMP:20260410T222419 CREATED:20251106T151455Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251124T134658Z UID:1430-1764009000-1764016200@livingfreedom.org.uk SUMMARY:Battle of the sexes: the new political divide? DESCRIPTION:This event is now fully subscribed. \nToday\, over half a century on from the radical emergence of equality movements in 1960s\, the growth of an ideological and social splintering between the sexes is frequently making headlines. \nA recent report by Onward notes that\, in line with international trends\, the divide between men and women in the UK is growing\, most evident amongst Gen Z. In the 2024 General Election\, young women moved leftwards while young men drifted significantly to the right\, with the former almost twice as likely to vote Green as young men\, who in turn were twice as likely to vote Reform as young women. With Gen Z opting for more radical parties\, political polarisation is deepening – and following gendered lines. \nPerhaps the problem is social media\, with young women tending to use TikTok and Instagram while young men tend towards X and podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience. Socially\, Gen Z men and women are also said to be drifting apart. Women now outperform men in education\, being more likely to attend university and get higher-paying jobs in their twenties. However\, young women are also reportedly more stressed\, more lonely and less satisfied with life\, while fears over the ‘manosphere’ and toxic masculinity go hand-in-hand with a hardening sense of cultural antagonism and alienation between the sexes. \nSome say lower levels of intimacy and sexual activity in Gen Z reflect a loss of emotional connection and long-term commitment. Others point to young men increasingly viewing themselves as ‘left behind’ and more resentful of feminism\, equal rights and woke policies that they perceive as discriminating against them. Are political divisions ruining young people’s love lives\, too? \nIs this divide as alarming or deep-rooted as it seems? Could Gen Z’s polarisation be a passing phase? Or is the growing divide around the sexes now an issue to take seriously – perhaps in ways that class or racial divides might once have been addressed in the past? And when previously ideology or shared social experiences were used to overcome these divisions\, what is the route forwards to find common ground between the sexes today? \nSPEAKERS\nPoppy Coburn\nacting deputy comment editor\, Daily Telegraph \nEmma Gilland\nproject assistant\, Ideas Matter; author\, The Corona Generation \nNicholas Stephenson\nresearcher and data analyst\, Onward \nJake Weston\nproject assistant\, Academy of Ideas \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/politics-today-a-battle-of-the-sexes CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/battle-of-the-sexes-living-freedom.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251211T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251211T210000 DTSTAMP:20260410T222419 CREATED:20251107T145444Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T154629Z UID:1447-1765479600-1765486800@livingfreedom.org.uk SUMMARY:Living Freedom Xmas Bash Balloon Debate 2025 DESCRIPTION:We would like to invite you to join us in Westminster for a drink\, some good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. Please register using the form below. \nWhat is the greatest representation of freedom in culture? \nA panel of valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, whether a work of art or literature\, a film\, opera\, play or song. \nEach contestant will have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \nSPEAKERS\nAda Akpala\, writer and commentator\ndefending nudity in art and beyond  \nFreddie Attenborough\, research manager\, Committee for Academic Freedom\ndefending the work of playwright and writer Joe Orton \nSonia Gallego\, reporter\, Al Jazeera English\ndefending Monty Python’s Penis Song (Not the Noel Coward Song) \nReem Ibrahim\, communications officer\, Institute of Economic Affairs\ndefending Hamilton: An American Musical \nJasper Robbins\, writer; alumnus\, Living Freedom; history and politics student\ndefending Top Gear (2002-2015) \nKevin Rooney\, religion\, philosophy and ethics teacher; editor\, irishborderpoll.com\ndefending Alan Bennett’s The History Boys \nJake Weston\, project assistant\, Academy of Ideas\ndefending gambling culture \nHOST\nAlastair Donald\, convenor\, Living Freedom \nThis invitation-only gathering will take place in Westminster. We’ll send out details after registration. \nREGISTER \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Age confirmationI confirm I am aged 18-30Submit URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/living-freedom-xmas-bash-balloon-debate-2025 LOCATION:central London ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Balloon-Debate-Xmas-Party.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T200000 DTSTAMP:20260410T222419 CREATED:20260326T112942Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T144212Z UID:1592-1776191400-1776196800@livingfreedom.org.uk SUMMARY:Is anti-extremism a threat to liberty on campus? In conversation with Michael Ben-Gad DESCRIPTION:This event is free but please use the registration form below to receive the full venue details. \nExtremism on campus is back in the headlines. In the long shadow of October 7\, one recent survey found half of students had heard slogans glorifying Hamas\, Hezbollah or other proscribed groups\, while 65 per cent reported teaching disrupted by protests. Some students describe threats and abuse\, and referrals to the Prevent counter-extremism programme have gone up by 50 per cent in two years. After the recent revelation that one in five students refuse to live with a Jewish peer\, one parliamentarian argued that anti-Semitism in universities has been ‘normalised’. \nThe Henry Jackson Society has identified dozens of universities hosting events mourning the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\, and campuses are ‘now used as platforms to spread extremist narratives’. Meanwhile\, the government plans tighter oversight – including clamping down on ‘divisive content’ and plans to ‘strengthen monitoring’ of non-violent extremism. A Campus Cohesion Charter will help manage external speakers and events\, and will risk-check free speech for signs of crossing into unlawful activity or support for terrorism. \nYet such moves pose real moral dilemmas for those who believe in free speech. After all\, setting clearer expectations around conduct\, respect and shared values across university life can easily spill over into wider restrictions on speech. How should we define extremism and should we be open to new constraints? Where do the boundaries lie between resisting intolerance and tolerating all views and ideas? Is ‘extremism’ being weaponised to undermine our freedoms? \nTo help us navigate our way through the issues\, we’ll be joined by Michael Ben-Gad – a lecturer at City St George’s\, University of London – who himself faced protests by students\, calling him a Nazi\, threatening violence and demanding his dismissal. Join us to work out how we defend liberty in an age increasingly inclined to police ideas. \nDoors open at 6.15pm\, discussion starts at 6.30pm. \nSPEAKER\nProfessor Michael Ben-Gad\nCity St George’s\, University of London\n \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom \nREADINGS\nThe targeting of Israeli Professor Michael Ben-Gad: Britain’s academic freedom crisis\nProfessor Ian Pace\, Jewish Chronicle\, 21 November 2025 \nStudents given stronger protections against extremism on campus\nDepartment for Education and Bridget Phillipson MP\, 8 March 2026 \nWhat the government’s Social Cohesion Action Plan means for universities and students\nJim Dickinson\, WONKHE\, 9 March 2026 \nREGISTRATION FORM \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/is-anti-extremism-a-threat-to-liberty-on-campus-in-conversation-with-michael-ben-gad LOCATION:central London CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Is-anti-extremism-a-threat-to-liberty-on-campus-In-conversation-with-Michael-Ben-Gad-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR