Empowered Belonging

About Empowered Belonging

Welcome to Empowered Belonging, a newsletter about how we can build societies which empower individuals to live fulfilling lives. For millennia, people have yearned for fulfillment. Not for wealth or acclaim, nor power or fame. Instead, they have yearned for far simpler things. I believe that fundamentally, people yearn simply to belong to a community of people that empowers them to go their own way in life. This is all, and it means something very important. Our desires are not insatiable; fulfilment is possible. How do we get there?

Publisher

Empowered Belonging

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Apr 2020

Latest episode

29 Sept 2020

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2020

   Racism in British society and Higher Education with Dr Nicole Rollock (Oxford PPE Society, released 29 Sept 2020)

   "For the listeners out there, this is a call to action. If you are going to a university and there are things that you see around you that are not happening in the way that you think they should be happening, ask those questions. Ask those questions. Because if we don't ask those questions, the status quo will remain, and that's for sure." The murder of George Floyd on May 25th 2020 prompted a global reckoning as individuals and organisations looked inwards and outwards to understand their impact in sustaining racism in their societies. The Oxford PPE Society has a role to play in exposing racism in all its forms, to all it can reach. We are proud to be working alongside Onyx Magazine, a creative publication that features poetry, short stories, artwork, and fresh think pieces. Kaeshelle Rianne, History and Politics Editor at Onyx, is our guest host, and she is in discussion with Dr Nicola Rollock, an academic, consultant, and public speaker who specialises in racial justice in education and the workplace. In the episode, we begin by discussing the impact of racism in higher education, and go on to discuss how she is boosting the representation of black women in the sector and how accessible it is to them. We also discuss the summer's outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and its impact on society more broadly, as well as the black people who are inside the issue themselves. Dr Rollock is Specialist Adviser to the Home Affairs Select Committee's 'Macpherson 21 Years On' inquiry is the lead author of 'The Colour of Class: the educational strategies of the Black middle classes', which won second prize in the 2016 Society for Educational Studies’ Annual Book Awards. Her first sole authored book The Racial Code will be published by Allen Lane in 2021. In 2019, Dr Rollock was selected by Times Higher Education journalists as one of 11 scholars globally to have influenced the debate in higher education. She is currently curator of 'Phenomenal Women: portraits of UK Black female professors' which will go on show on the Southbank Centre's Queen's Walk from October 10th.

2. 

   19 Jun 2020

   The Future of Journalism with Diane Francis and Lois Heslop (Oxford PPE Society, released 19 June 2020)

   "In my 50 years observing leaders, he is the best communicator. He has the messaging power of a tabloid editor, he is so good at this. I force myself to watch his rallies: he's riveting — unfortunately! Because behind it, is a sociopath; he's the accidental president." Diane Francis is a journalist, political commentator, and Editor-at-Large at The National Post, one of Canada's largest broadsheet newspapers. She writes about technology, finance, and current affairs, and in the podcast we discuss whether print media can survive, how digital journalism can thrive, journalism in politics and tackling fake news, plus her take on dealing with coronavirus. Diane writes for periodicals around the world and speaks at conferences about business, tech, geopolitics, and white collar crime. Her column at The National Post appears twice a week, and Diane is also a regular contributor at the Huffington Post. In 1991, she became Editor of Canada’s Financial Post, the first female editor of a national daily newspaper in Canada, a position she held until the paper was sold in 1998. She is the author of ten books, including 'Merger of the Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country' and 'Immigration: The Economic Case'. Diane is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, a Distinguished Professor at Ryerson University, and also sits on the boards of the Hudson Institute's Kleptocracy Initiative and the Canada-US Law Institute. She was also previously a Visiting Professor at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center. This episode will be guest hosted by The Oxford Blue, Oxford's first new newspaper for 30 years. Established earlier this year, The Blue has made the UK national papers on a number of occasions, and won 'Best Newcomer' at the Student Press Awards for 2020. Lois Heslop currently writes at The Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/lois-heslop.

3. 

   12 Jun 2020

   Modern Britain and the Labour Party, with Frank Field and Connie Bostock (Oxford PPE Society, released 12 June 2020)

   "The Labour Party could have gone to town and given me legal costs which would bankrupt me, so I accepted being thrown out the party." Frank Field served as the Labour MP for Birkenhead for 40 years, first entering Parliament when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, and leaving it in 2019 following his resignation of the party whip a year earlier. In this short 23-minute episode we discuss some of the challenges facing Britain in 2020. In particular, we discuss the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter. Recorded in-between the removal of statues commemorating slave traders, we also touch on how we should discuss this crucial, delicate issue. Further, Frank opens the lid on his experiences in the Labour Party, including the circumstances in which he left, as well as how Keir Starmer can change its fortunes. Frank spent much of his time in Parliament working on welfare. He served for only a year under Tony Blair as the Minister of Welfare Reform, from 1997-98. Blair had said Frank's mission was to "think the unthinkable", and later wrote that "the problem was not so much that his thoughts were unthinkable as unfathomable." Frank went on to be one of the Labour Government's most vocal critics. In August 2018, he resigned the Labour whip, citing anti-semitism in the party, and a "culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation". Frank lost a confidence vote in his constituency party a month before his resignation, after siding with the government in Brexit votes.

4. 

   5 Jun 2020

   International diplomacy with Peter Ricketts and Musiab Bhat (Oxford PPE Society, released 5 June 2020)

   "I assume the Chinese plan is to get this law on the statute books and then to use it as a deterrent to try to force a reduction in the levels of protests, hoping that they won't have to use its full force, but that it will act as a deterrent." This week the Oxford PPE Society podcast is hosting Sir Peter Ricketts, one of Britain’s most esteemed diplomats. In a glittering career in the civil service, he has been intensely involved in Britain’s security interests and its international relations with key allies. Our episode with Peter focuses on Britain’s changing role in the world, and current challenges to the prevailing order in the likes of China, Russia, and technology. Peter was the UK’s permanent representative to NATO in a turbulent and defining period for international security. He served from 2003-06, during which the US and the UK, amongst other countries, were involved in wars in the Middle East in Afghanistan and Iraq. Subsequently, he served as the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of H.M. Diplomatic Service. He was also the UK’s first National Security Adviser (2010-12), where he established the National Security Council and oversaw the 2010 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review. Peter also served as the Ambassador to France from 2012-16.

5. 

   29 May 2020

   Empowered Belonging: Inequality, Class, and Social Mobility with Dr Faiza Shaheen (Oxford PPE Society, released 29 May 2020)

   "One of the ways in which right wing ideas have been able to have such a strong grip is by lowering our expectations, and I really did feel that on the doorstep." This week we are joined by Faiza Shaheen, the Director of the Centre for Labour and Social Studies. She has been the Director since 2016, prior to which she worked as a senior researcher at the New Economics Foundation and as head of inequality and sustainable development at Save the Children UK. In 2019, she ran as a candidate in the general election for Chingford and Woodford Green. She earnt one of the largest Labour vote swings in the country, but fell short of replacing the incumbent Iain Duncan Smith. Faiza is an expert on inequality and mobility in the United Kingdom and we discuss just this in our 42-minute podcast episode. We talk about how it relates to class, and discuss proposed measures to tackle inequality and stagnating mobility in the economy. We also touch on the changing picture of class, her run for Parliament in 2019, and the appeal of metrics of national success beyond GDP.

6. 

   22 May 2020

   Ethics, Evolution, and Neurophilosophy with Dr Pat Churchland and Alex O'Connor (CosmicSkeptic) (Oxford PPE Society, released 22 May 2020)

   Pat is one of the founders of neurophilosophy, which examines the relationship between neuroscience and philosophy. According to her, "to understand the mind, we must understand the brain," and she applies findings from neuroscience to common philosophical questions about knowledge, free will, consciousness, and ethics. This video discusses the origins of our moral intuition and how the moral teachings of evolution can be justified. We also discuss implications for wider topics including free will. It is an intriguing and entertaining that raises questions as it answers others. Take part in the comments section by telling us what you think. Pat's website, possibly the best of any professional philosopher, contains all her articles and books. Have a look if you are interested in reading more: https://patriciachurchland.com/publications (https://patriciachurchland.com/publications). Alex O'Connor's YouTube channel can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7kIy8fZavEni8Gzl8NLjOQ.

7. 

   15 May 2020

   Empowered Belonging: The Labour Party today with Jess Phillips MP (Oxford PPE Society, released 15 May 2020)

   "I think that people have every right to protest, but freedom of speech is not there to defend the right to harm people with your words. People often mistake the idea of free speech as being 'you can say anything', but you can't." For our seventh episode, we were joined by Jess Phillips, the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, from her constituency office in Birmingham Yardley. She has been the MP for the constituency from 2015 and previously worked in Britain's second city for Women's Aid, where she managed refuges for victims of domestic abuse. She was a vocal critic of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party, telling him "the day that you are hurting us more than you are helping us, I won't knife you in the back, I'll knife you in the front." Jess has been a fierce advocate for elevating the role of women in society, criticising Corbyn's cabinet after reshuffles in 2015 and 2016, and called for an exclusion zone against protesters who objected to school lessons for LGBT inclusion in 2019. This 46-minute episode begins with a discussion about Labour's route back to power, and we also touch on important balancing acts between religious freedom and societal needs, and balancing the “tribes”, as she says, of working class voters who were tempted away from the party in 2019, with metropolitan progressives. Jess was appointed the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding last month, and we explore what the government needs to do on domestic violence, and where it went wrong in the coronavirus lockdown. Additionally, we discuss the compatibility of feminism with transgender rights when "one person's rights don't trump another's."

8. 

   8 May 2020

   The pitfalls and promises of democracy with Prof John Dunn and Caiban Butcher (Oxford PPE Society, 8 May 2020)

   "If you've learnt your economics from Hayek, and you're let loose in 10 Downing Street, you can do a hell of a lot of harm very fast indeed. It's generally true that economists could do with acquainting themselves with more features of the world." This week we are joined by the immensely quotable Professor John Dunn, who has written prolifically on political theory and practice for over 50 years. He is currently an emeritus professor at King's College, Cambridge, and he sat down with our guest host from the Oxford Political Review to talk democracy, realistic alternatives, and how different political systems respond variably to crises. In this 33-minute episode, we also find time to discuss what is really important for a democracy to thrive, and how Britain has lost those crucial ingredients in recent decades.

9. 

   1 May 2020

   Empowered Belonging: British Nationalism, Brexit, and Democracy with Bronwen Maddox (Oxford PPE Society, released 1 May 2020)

   "As the Prime Minister has said to a lot of the people working with him, what can I do for the people who voted for me. So what has happened is massively unhelpful." Bronwen Maddox is the Director of the Institute for Government and we were delighted to sit down with her for the fifth episode of our podcast series. The fate of Brexit, the integrity of our democracy, and the rise of nationalism are three key developments in Britain today. In this 31 minute episode, we explore the causes of nationalism across the United Kingdom, the significance of the new Labour opposition and reforms to our democracy like virtual Parliaments, what coronavirus means for Brexit, and much more. Bronwen has had a glittering career in the media, and now at the Institute, which works to promote better government by focusing on how it is led and how it makes decisions. Previously, she was the editor and chief executive of Prospect, the leading current affairs magazine, and also worked as an editor at The Times. As a result, she is well placed to offer a unique insight into how Britain is governed.

10. 

    24 Apr 2020

    Challenges to the Western World with Sir Peter Westmacott (Oxford PPE Society, released 24 April 2020)

    "In a way his election was a fluke because after all he only won by 76,000 votes in just three states, and lost the popular vote by 3 million." This week's episode with Sir Peter Westmacott is out now! Peter is a former British ambassador who has served in the United States, France, and Turkey. In this 40-minute listen, we explore the development of US politics and how the Republican Party became the "party of Trump", the 'Special Relationship' between the UK and the US, and on whether Joe Biden is the man to to make Donald Trump a one-term president. We also discuss his wider experiences in France and Turkey, touching on the Arab Spring, the evolution of President Erdoğan, and Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union. The episode is also available to download, so if you're not able to listen to it right now you can download it for later listening - we hope you enjoy!

11. 

    17 Apr 2020

    Battle for the Soul of Turkey with Hannah Lucinda Smith (Oxford PPE Society, released 17 April 2020)

    "Islamist politics has been tried and failed. To be honest, I think Erdoğan's era is over." In this week's podcast we are joined by Hannah Lucinda Smith, the author of 'Erdoğan Rising: The Battle for the Soul of Turkey'. Hannah is also The Times' political correspondent in Turkey, where she is also responsible for their coverage of the Balkans and the Middle East. This episode is full of intriguing anecdotes from Hannah's experiences of almost a decade in the region. One cannot help but feel the tension of the attempted coup of 2016, hearing about how commandos stormed his hotel room, with orders to capture him dead or alive, just 30 minutes after he had fled. In this episode we dive into the religious, political, and cultural traditions of Turkey's political culture and explore how Erdoğan's political coalition has evolved, and narrowed, over time. We also discuss Erdoğan's precarious and crumbling popularity, the political maneuvres he regularly uses to manufacture a bump in the polls, and what the future holds for Turkey, after Erdoğan has left the scene.

12. 

    10 Apr 2020

    Empowered Belonging: Labour and Government with Andrew Adonis (Oxford PPE Society, released 10 April 2020)

    "Labour also has to be very careful about two things with the electorate: are my taxes gonna go sky high and whether it's going to be strong enough on national security. To be absolutely blunt, Jeremy Corbyn didn't pass that test." Our latest episode with Lord Andrew Adonis is out now! In this 40-minute podcast, Andrew expressed his regrets over Brexit and university tuition fees and reiterated his case for HS2 and expanding Heathrow. We also discussed what Keir Starmer needs to do to become Prime Minster, and touched on the current state of government at Westminster, as well as the one man Andrew believes should be in Number 10 instead.

13. 

    3 Apr 2020

    Empowered Belonging: Uncertainty, UBI, and radical reform with Prof John Kay (Oxford PPE Society, released 3 April 2020)

    "If you have managed to reduce risk, then uncertainty is something you can welcome." Our first podcast is now live! We were delighted to host Professor John Kay for this 34 minute episode. Touching on a universal basic income, Groundhog Day, and green-washing, it is certainly a broad and entertaining discussion. In the episode, we discuss John's most recent books: Other People's Money and Radical Uncertainty. Other People’s Money plots the route to financial reform and argues why we should take it. It is a fascinating topic which has far reaching implications, which we explore later on. Radical Uncertainty was published in March 2020. Co-authored with former governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King, they explain how contemporary economists have got it wrong on risk and uncertainty. These words are distinct, and 'optimal' models to make decisions are not in fact optimal at all. Despite his embrace of radical financial reform and of uncertainty, John is not in favour of the radical fiscal idea gripping many political and economic thinkers: universal basic income. Instead, John considers its necessary limits, concluding that the end result looks similar to the welfare system we have already, and for good reason. Tune in to the Oxford PPE Society's very first podcast: no risk to fear, plenty of uncertainty to enjoy.

Contact Empowered Belonging

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.