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From:Intelligence Squared <[email protected]> To:<[email protected]> Subject: David Lammy goes head-to-head with Lionel Shriver in our identity politics debate Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2019 13:43:35 +0000 View in browser Vr Vr Vr Vr Vr Vr Identity Politics Is Tearing Society Apart EFTA01033029 Identity Politics Is Tearing Society Apart ADD TO CALENDAR WEDNESDAY 22 MAY, 7PM EMMANUEL CENTRE Featuring Trevor Phillips, Lionel Shriver, David Lammy, Laurie Penny, and Kamal Ahmed BUY TICKETS Forget the old battles between the left and the right. Welcome to the era of 'identity politics,' where loyalties are owed not to class or political party, but to groups defined by gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. To some people, this is a dangerous trend. True, many minorities have suffered discrimination and exclusion and they deserve to enjoy the rights that the EFTA01033030 straight, white majority take for granted. But critics claim that the fight for equality has spilled over into hostility towards the majority, with identity group activists telling white people to check their privilege or labelling them white supremacists. Such sentiments have stoked anger among white people who feel very far from privileged or in control, fuelling the rise of populism and bringing alt-right figures such as Steve Bannon to the fore. The identity politics movement tells people that their experience as a member of a particular group is what ultimately defines them and gives their lives meaning. This message is destroying society's broad sense of the common good, increasing antagonism and fragmentation in our society. That's the critique made by opponents of identity politics. But many people who champion the rights of minorities reject this characterisation. They claim that, far from sowing division, they are raising their voices in order to combat the inequality which exists in our world today. Take the #MeToo movement, which has revealed the extent to which women face sexual violence and harassment. Statistics show that black people face shocking discrimination in the criminal justice system. And transgender people are so stigmatised that 84% contemplate suicide during their lifetime. With leaders like Donald Trump fanning racism and sexism, we cannot simply tell ourselves that identity doesn't matter. Oppressed groups need to build solidarity among themselves, assert their rights, and fight for their inclusion in a just and diverse society. And let's face it, identity politics is nothing new. Workers and gay people have won their respective rights by coming together as a group. The latest wave of identity politics is no different: it simply asks that all minorities enjoy the respect and dignity which is too often reserved for the straight, white, majority. Is identity politics tearing society apart or is it a call for social justice for everyone? Join us on May 22nd hear the arguments and decide for yourself. EFTA01033031 Trevor Phillips Founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He has been a vocal critic of multiculturalism, claiming it legitimises separateness between communities. He is the co-founder of the diversity analytics consultancy Webber Phillips, and Chairman of Green Park Interim and Executive Search. He is the Chairman of Index on Censorship, a director of the Barbican Arts Centre, and a Vice-President of the Royal Television Society. EFTA01033032 Gr Lionel Shriver Author of twelve novels, including the bestsellers The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 and the Orange-Prize winner We Need to Talk About Kevin (also a 2011 feature film). She won the 2014 BBC National Short Story Award, and her novella and story collection Property was published in spring 2018. She is a prolific journalist whose writing has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, amongst other publications. EFTA01033033 ;ti David Lammy Labour MP for Tottenham and one of Parliament's most prominent campaigners for social justice. He led the campaign for the Windrush generation to be granted British citizenship, has fought for justice for the Grenfell Tower families, and has run a high-profile campaign calling on Oxbridge to improve access for students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Laurie Penny Author and commentator, who has been described as 'one of the most accomplished and acerbic of the new, young journalists emerging from the protest movements of the 2010s'. She is a contributing editor to The New Statesman and has also written for The Guardian, Time magazine, Buzzfeed, The New York Times and Vice. She has written five books including Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults and Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution. EFTA01033034 ;; Chair Kamal Ahmed BBC editorial director, former economics editor, and author of The Life and Times of a Very British Man, a book about race and identity in Britain. EFTA01033035 al This week's podcast EFTA01033036 On The Brink Of A No-Deal Brexit: The Town Hall Debate Britain is now facing one of the biggest constitutional crises in its history, As Brexit looms, Intelligence Squared staged a special town hall meeting with some of the country's most prominent political leaders. We were joined on stage by former Conservative MP and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell; Conservative MP Kenneth Clarke; Director of UK in a Changing Europe Anand Menon; MP for North Antrim for the DUP Ian Paisley Jr; and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips. The debate was chaired by the Guardian's Jonathan Freedland. LISTEN NOW EFTA01033037 G; Share 2, Tweet ;.,' Forward Become a member Intelligence Squared is proudly supported by its media partner: EFTA01033038 This email was sent to jeevacSgmai tom why did get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Intelligence Squared (UK) Ltd • Newcombe House • 45 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LO United Kingdom EFTA01033039