WORLDbytes - The School of Citizen TV

A Taste of the Battle of Ideas

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:59:44 +0000

WORLDbytes volunteers report from the last Battle of Ideas festival giving us a flavour of the range of debates and insights of attendees. Judging by the programme for 2010, already available on line, the event at the end of October this year promises even more exciting stuff. For Citizen TV makers and viewers it’s a must. Tickets for this year’s event are available now; just visit the Battle of ideas website. To join the WORLDbytes crew in filming many of the debates, to access subsidised tickets for volunteers and free preparatory film training in the run up, please email us.

Recommended links:

Battle of Ideas: website

The Big Society in Action

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:53:38 +0000

The UK coalition government’s solution to apathy, an overbearing state and idle, disrespectful youth is national community service. A pilot scheme for young volunteers in Hackney is now underway and proving popular among those taking part.

Recommended links:

Article by David Clements: A Big Society with small ambitions
Big Society Network: website
BBC article: David Cameron launches Tories ‘big society’ plan

Tales from the Missionary Hut: The Oxy Johnny

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:33:08 +0000

How do you maintain oxygen supplies for patients in hospitals in the developing world, where facilities are well below the standards we enjoy in the West? The Oxy Johnny breathe eezee mask is the latest innovation to take the developing world by storm. Built on the scuba principle, this simple DIY contraption uses just a condom and some bits and pieces to fulfil a life saving function. In some cases, the Oxy Johnny has made the difference between life and death. Here’s how to make one of your own.

Recommended links:

Article by Nottingham University: Life-changing inventions for the developing world

The Fight over Flight: what’s the problem with air travel?

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:43:30 +0000

The now scrapped plans for a third runway at Heathrow sparked fierce debate about air travel. Anti-flying groups opposing the plans, mostly cited environmental concerns. While many are concerned about the impact airport expansion will have, others worry that restricting our freedom of movement is a backward step. Regular air travel has only recently become affordable for most people, and critics argue there is a heavy dose of snobbery in the dismissal of cheap flights. So is there more to the fight over flight than concerns about carbon emissions? Is the freedom of flight now a necessity to be defended, or a luxury we should sacrifice for the good of the planet? This Battle of Ideas debate filmed by WORLDbytes volunteers is revealing.

Recommended links:

Battle of Ideas Debate website
Dr Mayer Hillman website
Timandra Harkness website

Alternative Medicine is Quackery

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:02:52 +0000

Filmed in India during the Debating Matters India finals, this gripping debate never fails to engage. Practitioners of modern medicine demystify and challenge alternative medicine in defence of scientific rigour, testing and the reproducibility of treatments. Advocates of alternative medicine claim a holistic approach which is person specific that can not be validated using established methods. The debate gets heated as professor Simon Wessely points out that he is a practitioner of modern medicine by day but like many parents resorts to homeopathy when he goes home. When one of his children comes home with a bruised knee from the playground he kisses it better, but he says, “this is not medicine.”

Recommended links:

Institute of Ideas Debating Matters Competition: website
Department of AYUSH India website

Debating Matters India

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:26:44 +0000

Debating Matters India is jointly organised by the British Council India and the Institute of Ideas and has successfully completed its second year in India with plans already underway for year three. WORLDbytes volunteers were delighted to be asked to edit this short glimpse of this year’s event. Filmed by Syncline Films PVT Ltd, Debating Matters India 2009-10 is kindly supported by Shell Companies India and The Wellcome Trust. Speaking about the event as a whole, Sir Mark Walport said: “I’ve seen a series of terrific, first class debates here, demonstrating that these are hard working and thoughtful young people”. WORLDbytes Director Ceri Dingle said “Watching many of the filmed debates from DM India has been an inspiration, encouraging young people across the globe to engage with ideas and issues of substance, is exactly the material our Citizen TV channel seeks to provide a platform for. We look forward to editing further Debating Matters debates from the UK & India and showcasing these on WORLDbytes.

Recommended links:

Institute of Ideas Debating Matters Competition: website

Welcome to WORLDbytes

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:57:14 +0000

Volunteer presenter Ruje Yasmin introduces WORLDbytes explaining its ethos as a Citizen TV channel and welcomes the world to the channel’s new website.

Fact Finder: Unemployment in London

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:37:19 +0000

Did rising unemployment and poverty coincide with the start of the recession? Tom MacInnes, Research Director at the New Policy Institute, unpacks the facts and suggests that job losses, unemployment and poverty started to rise years before the present recession although the recession inevitably made things worse. The economic failure, he argues, is as much, if not more, to do with the loss of manufacturing and industries then the financial sector’s flop. The truth is also laid bare about the chronic problem of youth unemployment; one which is yet to be resolved.

Recommended links:

City Parochial Foundations London’s Poverty Profile: website
New Policy Institute: website

Don’t Shout at the Telly: Unemployment

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:25:59 +0000

On this month’s Don’t Shout, volunteers put unemployment back on the agenda. Despite UK unemployment rising above 2.5 million why have there been no mass protests or marches for jobs? Should we accept unemployment as a fact of life or demand more jobs for all? Are benefits making us lazy? In this contentious on the sofa discussion, unemployed volunteers discuss their concerns with Angus Kennedy who argues that the focus on youth is itself a problem and dependency on the state can make us sick.

Recommended links:

Article by David Conn: The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week
BBC article: NEETS ‘should not get benefits’, say MPs
Article by James Panton: What’s so great about the welfare state?

Skint not Idle: Carol & Ruje’s Story

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:16:40 +0000

In this short report, two friends explain their situation. Carol has been living on benefits for five years and talks about the difficulties of surviving on so little money. Recent university graduate Ruje Yasmin sums ups the prospects facing many university leavers today: qualified, in debt and jobless. As Carol and Ruje’s stories show, perhaps the problem of unemployment is less about an unqualified workforce, living on benefits or low pay and rather a case of a lack of jobs.

Recommended links:

Article by David Conn: The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week
Article by Patrick Hayes: This is a waste of youthful potential

Job Camp

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:12:55 +0000

As unemployment figures soar, the UK government comes up with a cunning plan to show lazy, useless, benefit scroungers a trick or two. Job Camp is the latest government scheme aimed at the unemployed. A roaring success, this first workshop sees participants heading off to Africa to shine shoes and others offered work in the Icelandic winter wonderland sucking up volcanic ash to clear the air.

Recommended links:

Article by David Hencke: Tories plan boot camps for jobless youths

Shooting Views: An interview with Norman Lewis

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:04:26 +0000

Many now see unemployment as a problem of an idle generation who are content to live on benefits. In this interview, Saleha Ali quizzes Norman Lewis, author of the London Manifesto for Innovation, on the causes of unemployment and prospects for fuller employment in the future. Norman argues the case for big thinking and innovation and suggests we would do well to emulate China’s positive attitude to growth.

Recommended links:

Manifesto: Big Potatoes, The London Manifesto for Innovation
Norman Lewis’ Blog: Future-Diagnosis

Welfare dependency: who benefits?

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:51:29 +0000

The welfare state was once celebrated as a keystone of post-war Britain, but while the NHS and state education are still widely valued, state benefits are now accused of fostering a dependency culture which traps people. With cuts in public spending looming as the recession bites, and yet more people likely to need state support, should the focus be on cash for those who need it, or more intensive intervention to get people working? At this Battle of Ideas festival panel debate, speakers include: social policy writer Dave Clements; journalist Rowenna Davis; director of think tank Reform, Andrew Haldenby; and Policy and Membership director at DrugScope, Dr Marcus Roberts.

Recommended links:

Article by Michael Portillo: Idle young should be entitled to nothing
Article by Jenni Russell: Some talk about welfare to work.
Article by Dave Clements: Welfare State – the new dependency

Tales from the Missionary Hut: Floating Gardens

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:39:13 +0000

How do you find food when your village is flooded? According to the NGO Hands on Help for the Poor, you can simply grow it on the flood water. These floating farms can also be created on ponds and canals. Want to grow one of your own? Here’s how.

Recommended links:

Article by Practical Action: Floating Gardens in Bangladesh

Question Dine: A row is on the menu

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:09:03 +0000

In the final episode of WORLDbytes’ Royal Society of Arts award winning series, prospective MPs including Diane Abbott are given the third degree in a cafe in East London. Volunteer Naomi Lamb remains unconvinced and says she is not going to vote. The Conservative Mayoral candidate for Hackney, Andrew Boff puts the boot in and tells Naomi to at least vote against him. Diane Abbott argues that blacks in South Africa and suffragettes died for the right to vote and says that those who do not vote are letting the middle ground win. Spiked’s Brendan O’Neill argues this amounts to blackmail and contempt for the public. The suffragettes and black activists fought for the right to vote to bring about social change he points out, not to elect this lot. What do you think?

Recommended links:

Brendan O’Neill, Editor of Sp!ked online
Labour PPC: Diane Abbott’s website
Liberal Democrats PPC: Keith Angus’ website

Tales from the Missionary Hut: A school in a box

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:08:10 +0000

The School-in-a-Box is the ultimate feel good gift to pack on your safari to give to a poor nomadic child in the developing world. The kit is a neatly packed box of school supplies and materials for a teacher and students. It includes pencils, scissors, scrap paper, protractors, coloured stickers and a biro. Using the School-in-a-Box teachers can establish makeshift classrooms anywhere. Find out how to make one of your own.

Recommended links:

Article by Nathalie Rothschild: This invention really does suck
Article by Rob Harris: Let’s ditch this ‘nostalgia for mud’

Made by Migrants: Brunel

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:07:27 +0000

Rows over immigration which blame migrants for everything from lack of services to housing shortages fail to consider the role that migrants have played in fighting for more for everyone and creating great cities. Lesser – known migrant, but brilliant engineer Marc Isambard Brunel invented the Tunnelling Shield which paved the way for the underground system and the channel tunnel. This is the first of a series investigating the role of migration in the development of civilization.

Recommended links:

Brunel Museum
Letter from Sir Marc Isambard Brunel
Engineering Timelines: The Thames Tunnel
London’s oldest underwater tunnel Slideshow
Book by Harold Bagust: The Greater Genius?

Election monitoring: Stop, step away from the ballot box

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:06:32 +0000

Overseas election monitors and international observers receive training in spotting voter fraud and corruption to safeguard democracy. Tools and techniques include colour charts, tweezers, chains and padlocks as well as assertiveness training.

The Suffragettes: Where is Sylvia?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:05:47 +0000

Sylvia Pankhurst fought for the right to vote with a capital “V”. She believed in social transformation and supported the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Statues of her mother Emmeline Pankhurst and a plaque commemorating her sister Christabel Pankhurst feature outside the Houses of Parliament but where is Sylvia? This taster of a film in the making suggests Sylvia is a woman worth remembering. There are numerous opportunities to get involved in the development of this film. If you are interested, do drop us a line.

Recommended links:

Website dedicated to the life and works of Sylvia Pankhurst
The Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee
Book Sylvia Pankhurst: A Life in Radical Politics by Mary Davis
Article by Patrick West, Open Democracy: The Stone Bomb
Articles from the Workers Dreadnought socialist newspaper largely run by Sylvia Pankhurst

On the streets: Is voting a duty?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:04:59 +0000

On the streets of East London, volunteers take the public seriously, investigate preferences and whether voting is considered a duty. The responses are salutary.

Recommended links:

Article by Alexandra Topping, guardian.co.uk: The voters’ verdict so far: ‘All the parties are identical’
Comment piece by Balaji Ravichandran, Guardian Comment is Free: Blank votes would reform democracy
Article by Nathalie Rothschild: We don’t owe politicians our vote

Institute of Ideas: Election Pledges

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:03:46 +0000

In the studio, Saleha Ali interviews Dave Bowden from the Institute of Ideas on their 21 pledges for progress 2010 campaign. The IoI proposes 21 pledges to put to your MP from open borders to an end to booze bans. The charity WORLDwrite is backing their campaign to re-enfranchise the electorate by putting big issues back on the agenda not sound bites or voting for the sake of it.

Recommended links:

Institute of Ideas: 21 Pledges for Progress 2010

Battle for Politics: Vote for what?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:03:01 +0000

This storming debate filmed at the Institute of Ideas’ Battle for Politics Pre-election summit asks us to reconsider what voting means. Professor Frank Furedi explains that politics historically meant refusing to bow to fate and taking control of our own destiny. Today, he argues, if everything is considered politics, from sexual behaviour to eating habits to personal health, then politics has been degraded and rendered meaningless. Panel speakers also include Wes Streeting, President of the National Union of Students, Pam Giddy, Director Power 2010 and David Seymour, leader writer for the Daily Mail and co-author of Why vote – a guide for those who can’t be bothered.

Recommended links:

Article by Brendan O’Neill: A manifest lack of inspiring ideas
Filmed debate on WORLDbytes: Battle for Politics – they know what we’re thinking
Frank Furedi’s latest book: Wasted: Why Education Isn’t Educating
Article by Stuart Wilks-Heeg and David Ellis, Open Democracy: The state of an ambivalent nation
Article by Pam Giddy: If we are to trust our politicians they must give power to the people

Battle for Politics: Evidence based policy

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:01:58 +0000

In this ‘in conversation’ debate at the Institute of Ideas’ Battle for Politics Pre-election summit Tony Gilland, Science and Society Director, Institute of Ideas, asks panel speakers if politicians are evading responsibility by hiding behind science? Too often the phrase ‘the science shows…’ is used to close down any possibility of debate and facts are used to trump morality and politics. Is this indicative of a new respect for science, or rather a lack of political principle? Panel speakers include: Dr Evan Harris, science spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, Jeremy Webb, Editor-in-chief New Scientist, Nick Dusic, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and Robin Walsh Editorial assistant for a medical publishing company.

Recommended links:

Article by Brendan O’Neill: The ‘revolt of the experts’ is revolting
Article by David Nutt: Government should get real on drugs
Article by Frank Furedi: Turning peer review into modern-day holy scripture

Question Dine: Election candidates served raw

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:00:48 +0000

Would you vote for this lot? In this second episode of WORLDbytes’ Royal Society of Arts award winning series, election campaigners and parliamentary candidates from lesser-known political parties get a grilling at a local café in London’s East End. On the menu are unemployment, education, housing, free speech and voter apathy. The Green candidate advocates building on the green belt, the Respect rep says free speech should be qualified and the English Democrat chap says they’re not for profit. The arguments dished up suggest there is no right or left anymore. Watch it and let us know your thoughts.

Recommended links:

The English Democrats PPC: Andrew Osborne’s official website
Respect representative: Abul Hussain’s Respect website
Claire Fox, Director: Institute of Ideas
Green Party PPC: Matt Sellwood’s blog

Elections: The view on the streets

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Who will you vote for? In the run-up to the UK elections, as the government panics over voter apathy, WORLDbytes volunteers check out public opinion on the streets of London. This snap shot provides some interesting insights. Most people do intend to vote but the lack of enthusiasm is obvious. Some feel the elections will change little. Others say politicians are out of touch and MPs no longer represent our hopes and aspirations for the future. So, does voting now mean putting a tick in a box as a duty? One contributor suggests we need young people to stand for election and get rid of the old brigade.

At last we have Eco-Weapons

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:59:10 +0000

Finally, the Ministry of Defence are taking environmental concerns seriously. Their new critically acclaimed range of green ammunition will continue to reduce the threat of insurgents, terrorism and war but will ensure that a broader impact on the environment is minimised. From reduced-lead bullets to recyclable explosives, developments put forward are part of a major investment in ecologically-sound equipment and logistics.

Recommended links:

Article by Jon Ungoed-Thomas, Times Online: Watch out, Sarge! It’s environmentally friendly fire
BBC article: BAE goes big on ‘green’ weapons
Eco Child’s Play blog article by Derek Markham: Military’s Green Ammunition: Eco-Friendly War?
BBC article: US army announces ‘green’ bullets

Hidden London: The Real Battle of Cable Street

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:58:21 +0000

The magnificent mural in Cable Street in East London, depicts the 1936 battle of Cable Street, when East end residents stopped Oswald Mosley and his fascist followers marching through their streets. In this powerful dissection of what happened, the real battle we learn was three way, between the police, the fascists and local people. Interwoven with eye witness testimony from Bill Fishman, Alan Hudson provides a riveting account of the events, the context and many hidden truths. The official labour movement tried to stop the anti-fascist protests and organised an alternative rally in Trafalgar Square. Lessons for today come thick and fast and we are left to contemplate the mural’s contemporary meaning. It may only strike a cord locally Alan explains if we support today’s migrant population and oppose all immigration controls.

Recommended links:

Podcast of Alan Hudson’s lecture: East End Figures
WORLDwrite’s London Behind the Scenes alternative tour: Brick Lane
Article by Kenan Malik: Race, pluralism and the meaning of difference

Tales from the Missionary Hut: The Eco Fridge

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:56:54 +0000

How can you keep your food fresh and your drinking water cool in a hot third world country? The pot-fridge is the latest in a range of savvy inventions for the poor in the developing world. An idea revived by NGOs working in Africa, this nifty invention is now being used by farmers and their families in warm climates to preserve their food and keep the insects away. This desert cooler does not require electricity or any power source, apparently making it ideal for poor rural villages and sustainable living fans. According to the NGOs, a pot-fridge will keep your tomatoes fresh for almost three weeks and all it takes is some sand, water and two pots. Is it time to give up on ‘white goods’ and get earthy? The programme shows us how to make one.

Recommended links:

Practical Action article: How a zeer pot fridge makes food last longer
Green living tips article: Cooling food without electricity
Article by Musa Elkheir: Refrigeration, the African way
WORLDwrite’s Keeping Africa Small documentary website: Unwanted gifts

Don’t shout at the telly: Vote for what?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:56:07 +0000

In this episode of WORLDbytes’ on the sofa discussion, young volunteers get stuck into election and voting issues. With a UK general election looming, co-author of the To The Point Manifesto, Joe Kaplinsky, explains what he thinks are the most important issues of the day. Joe argues for: open borders; more infrastructure; house building; wealth creation and an end to booze bans. Not everyone is convinced. One volunteer remarks that more growth will fail to deal with social inequalities and another argues that open borders would be a disaster for cities such as London.

Recommended links:

To The Point manifesto

Battle of Ideas: Reform or Revolution?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:55:05 +0000

Following parliament’s series of scandals from MPs’ expenses, to lobbygate and Gordon Brown’s reported bullying antics, respect for parliament is perhaps at an all-time low. So where do we go from here? Are our traditional democratic institutions worth defending, or should we do away with them and what is the alternative? In this filmed debate, the panel of top speakers include editor of Progress Magazine Jessica Asato, author and former MP Martin Bell, politics lecturer James Panton and Republic’s campaign manager Graham Smith.

Recommended links:

Article by Suzy Dean: A book to set democratic alarm bells ringing
Book by Martin Bell: A Very British Revolution
Article by Brendan O’Neill: The tories and the tyranny of anti-politics
Article by Jeremy Seabrook, Guardian Comment is free: Reinventing politics
BBC article: Pirate party launches UK poll bid
Website: Republic

Battle for Politics: They know what we’re thinking

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:54:10 +0000

All mainstream parties support initiatives to connect with our concerns and win our votes. While flattering us as active political subjects though, they increasingly view us as objects: cross-party enthusiasm for behavioural science means our brains and psychology are studied with anthropological zeal. Is there a danger of viewing the ‘public’ as lab rats in need of nudging to entice us to make the right choices? Contributors to this fascinating debate, at the Institute of ideas Pre-election summit, suggest we may be technically enfranchised but politically disenfranchised and some nasty ideas from a pre-democratic age are re-emerging. Speakers include Spiked editor Brendan O’Neill, Professor Gerry Stoker, the founder of Involve Richard Wilson and Director of the RSA’s Social Brain project Matt Grist.

Recommended links:

Article by Martyn Perks: ‘Nudging’: the very antithesis of choice
Article by Matt Grist, New Humanist Magazine: Neuroscience can help tame the elephant
BBC article: Can politicians shape our behaviour?
Book by Gerry Stoker: Why Politics Matters: Making Democracy Work

Reproduction strand: Frankenstein’s daughters

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:53:07 +0000

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and screening allow couples to avoid having children with life-threatening conditions, but also imply the possibility of ‘screening out’ certain disabilities, raising the prospect of a generation of ‘designer babies’. Can biomedical breakthroughs shape what is to be human? Where does science fact meet science fiction and how can we distinguish between the two? This glimpse of a debate at the Battle of Ideas festival, supported by the Wellcome Trust and bpas delves deeper.

Recommended links:

Article by Mark Henderson: A step forward for genetic embryo-screening
Article by Michael Annisimov: The Great Designer Baby Controversy of ’09
Article by Sandy Starr: Should we stamp out designer deafness?
Article by Jonathan Weber: Mapping morality: the ethics of technology

Energy: A new nuclear age?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:52:12 +0000

Nuclear energy is championed by some as the best way to meet rising power needs while protecting the environment, but others are anxious about the risks. Could nuclear power create a more resilient energy system and bring energy to the developing world, or is it a disaster waiting to happen? The panel of speakers at this Battle of Ideas debate includes: journalist Paul Brown; physics professor Sandra Chapman; science author and researcher Joe Kaplinsky and life sciences research fellow Dr Alexandra Penn.

Recommended links:

Article by Joe Kaplinsky, Times Online: The world needs more energy
Article by James Kanter, The New York Times: In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble
Article by Rob Johnston, Spiked-Online: Ten myths about nuclear power
Article by Louise Gray, Telegraph: Environmentalists change minds over nuclear

Question Dine

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:51:12 +0000

As the elections loom, should we vote? Who should we vote for? What about those of us too young to vote? Do principles matter or should we make the best of what is on offer? In Question Dine, a new WORLDbytes series, parliamentary candidates and campaigners get closer to the electorate in their own dining room, or local cafe. Over supper or a cuppa, volunteers grill prospective MPs, not literally, but the discussion is certainly heated.

Recommended links:

Tory PPC: Darren Caplan’s blog
Labour PPC: Alex Hilton’s blog
Lib Dem PPC: Rhodri Jamieson-Ball’s blog

Freedom to film

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:50:26 +0000

WORLDbytes’ crews of young volunteers learning to shoot alternative news programmes are regularly stopped from filming on the streets of London. Yet it is not against the law to film in public spaces, to investigate what the public think and let people have their say on issues of the day. Sick of being stopped, volunteers made a stand against the arbitrary interference suffered by photographers and film makers and achieved a one day victory for citizen journalism. In future they’ll certainly question instructions to ‘move on’ and need your support.

Recommended links:

Article by Nathalie Rothschild: Hands off my camera!
Photography e-petition: It is not illegal to photograph in public spaces
Metropolitan police: On freedom to photograph & film

Policing the Public Gaze

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:49:37 +0000

Arbitrary authoritarianism imposed by ‘jobsworths’ who seek to stop photographers providing us with a record of everyday life and critical moments in history are the subject of this compelling interview. Pauline Hadaway is Director of the unique photography gallery Belfast Exposed and authored the report Policing the Public Gaze published by the Manifesto Club. Joe Earle asks Pauline to explain more.

Recommended links:

Report by Pauline Hadaway: Policing the public gaze: the assault on citizen photography
Article by Nathalie Rothschild: Hands off my camera!
Photo essay by Nathalie Rothschild: Warning! These photos may be useful to terrorists
Photography e-petition: It is not illegal to photograph in public spaces
Metropolitan police: On freedom to photograph & film

Tales from the Missionary Hut: Pedal Power Nutter

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:48:30 +0000

In this month’s Tales from the Missionary Hut, our globally concerned inventors lend the poor in the developing world a hand with the help of much vaunted pedal power. Based on a design by Nottingham students, an intriguing machine extracts nut oil with bicycle wheels. Is it nutty or will it get those lazy leg muscles moving and help our peers hit oil? Apparently, it has already taken off.

Recommended links:

Article by Nottingham University: Life-changing inventions for the developing world

Man-made Mumbai

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:47:49 +0000

WORLDbytes first overseas report is from Mumbai in India – the largest city in the world. A WORLDbytes film crew travelled there to produce some unique reportage with Sadhvi Sharma, a WORLDwrite volunteer and Mumbai resident. In this first programme Sadhvi shows us around this expanding metropolis and points to the amazing development that has transformed the cityscape and the lives of those who live there.

Recommended links:

Article by Austin Williams: Moving India
Article by V. Gangadhar: Shopping the suburbia way
Article by Sadhvi Sharma: Hands off India’s carbon emissions!
Article by Alka Sehgal: India’s economic progress left in Tatas

Don’t shout at the telly: Progress & Sustainable Development

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:47:05 +0000

On this Don’t Shout at the Telly young volunteers grapple with sustainable development. Is it the best way forward or the enemy of progress? Should we replace material development with living simpler, more ‘sustainable’ lives? Austin Williams, director of the Future Cities Project and author of The Enemies of Progress leads this on the sofa discussion and argues that sustainable development is parochial, patronising and a waste of human potential. But what do you think?

Recommended links:

Book by Austin Williams: The Enemies of Progress
Website: Future Cities Project
Article by Brendan O’Neill: Has China had a green ‘Damascene conversion’?
Article by Ronald Bailey: Billions Served: Norman Borlaug
Article by Austin Williams: The Pessimists: Putting the brakes on Indian and China

Chav Bashing

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:46:28 +0000

‘Chav’ seems to be one of the few socially acceptable slurs today. Regarded with disdain as yobbish, BNP-electing McDonalds Mums and binge-drinking ‘ladettes’, holiday firms now offer ‘chav-free holidays’ and a London gymnasium is able to put on lessons in ‘chav’ fighting. In this debate at the Battle of Ideas, panellists ask what really lies beneath this widespread perception that a significant section of society has values and norms of behaviour that are highly problematic. Do the discussions about ‘chavs’ or the ‘white working class’ describe real problems or are they symptomatic of less tangible cultural anxieties and our disillusionment with material culture?

Recommended links:

Article by Tim Black: How to beat up chavs
Article by Neil Davenport: You say underclass, we say white trash
Article by Nick Britten: Britain has produced unteachable ‘uber-chavs’

Recommended links:

· Article by Tim Black: How to beat up chavs

· Article by Neil Davenport: You say underclass, we say white trash

· Article by Nick Britten: Britain has produced unteachable ‘under-chavs’

Report by Runnymede Perspectives: Who cares about the white working class?