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Insight with Gulwali Passarlay: An Afghan Refugee Boy’s Journey of Escape to a New Life in Britain
Gulwali Passarlay was only 12 years old when he left his home and family in Afghanistan. He would be shot at, imprisoned and almost drown before he reached his new home in Britain. We welcome Gulwali Passarlay to the Frontline Club to share his story as documented in his memoir The Lightless Sky, and to offer his personal insight into the current refugee crisis.
In the Picture with Greg Constantine: Nowhere People
For an estimated ten million people around the world, the question “what am I without a nation?” is a constant reality. Photojournalist Greg Constantine has spent the past decade documenting the lives of the stateless around the world. He will be joining us to present Nowhere People, a body of work that reveals the human face of statelessness whilst providing tangible evidence of a problem that is far too easy to ignore.
Insight with Sandra Rodríguez Nieto: Life and Death in Juárez
We are pleased to welcome Sandra Rodríguez Nieto to the Frontline Club in conversation with Ed Vulliamy, writer for the Guardian and Observer. They will be discussing the poverty, deep levels of corruption, incapacitated government institutions and US meddling that have combined to create an explosion of violence in Juárez.
#FREEDAJSTAFF – Mohamed Fahmy and his lawyer Amal Clooney talk to the Frontline Club
On his first trip to London since being released from prison in Egypt we are delighted to welcome former Al Jazeera bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy to the Frontline Club. He will be joining us in conversation with his lawyer Amal Clooney to reflect on his ordeal, their fight for press freedom in Egypt and his hopes for the future. Chaired by BBC presenter and chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet.
Caesar Photos: Inside the Syrian Authorities’ Prisons + Panel Debate
In collaboration with the Syrian Association for Missing and Conscience Detainees and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces we are hosting The Caesar Exhibition at the Frontline Club for one day only. The images will be on display on Tuesday 6 October from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM – the exhibition is open to all and there is no need to book to attend.
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
The images will be on display – there is no need to book to attend.
3:00 PM – 4.45 PM
Stephen Rapp, Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, will give a speech and is available for questions.
7:00 – 8.30 PM
Panel discussion on ensuring accountability and justice
Theatre of War
Theatre of War is an innovative project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to members of the armed services, veterans, and their families to help them initiate conversations about the visible and invisible wounds of war. We are delighted to welcome the project to the Frontline Club for a special performance for journalists who cover conflict.
With a dramatic reading of Sophocles’ Ajax by actors Jason Isaacs, Lesley Sharp and Aidan Kelly. Followed by a panel discussion with journalists Matthew Green, Emma Beals and Safa Al Ahmad. Chaired by writer, director, translator and Theatre of War founder, Bryan Doerries.
Nawal El Saadawi in conversation with Wendell Steavenson
Four and a half years ago, Egypt dominated headlines globally with scenes of hope and change in Tahrir Square, yet now the country garners attention for a very different reason – the imprisonment of journalists. Much has changed in Egypt since Nawal El Saadawi last spoke at the Frontline Club four years ago, and we are pleased to welcome her again to reflect on the situation today in Egypt. She will be joined in conversation with journalist Wendell Steavenson, who was in Tahrir fours years ago and has covered the change that has taken place in subsequent years.
Cross-Border Journalism: Europe and Beyond
When money, politics, abuse of power and corruption reach across borders, transnational networks of journalists become key to an open, accountable and democratic society. Cross-border investigations such as Swiss Leaks and Tobacco Underground have caused public outcry, and in many instances have led to legislative changes and the prosecution of those under investigation.
In an event in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Centre (RCC) and Frontline Club Bucharest, a panel of experts will be discussing what it takes to expose stories that spill across borders.
Spies, Secrets and Lies: How Do Yesterday’s and Today’s Censors Compare?
If you want to learn how bananas helped a journalist smuggle banned magazines into eastern Europe, or how information was passed around via lipstick in Pinochet’s Chile, then join Index on Censorship for the launch of Spies, Secrets and Lies – our latest magazine featuring stories of censorship and ingenious efforts to evade it.
Foreign Reporting: Past, Present & Future
As part of marking 60 years this autumn of Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent, the Frontline Club will host an event on reporting foreign news. A panel, including Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, and Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4’s international editor, will discuss how reporting in Britain about international news and current affairs – particularly but not only by broadcast journalists – has developed over the last six decades and explore what the future holds in a world of social media and digital correspondents.
First Wednesday: The Dayton Agreement 20 Years On
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, put an end to the most violent conflict in Europe since World War II. But 20 years on have the divisions been bridged? Have the wounds healed? We will be joined by a panel of those who were involved in the negotiations along with those who covered the war to reflect on the events of 20 years ago, the process of peace and reconciliation that followed, and whether the country today is reconciled.
First Wednesday: After the Deal – Iran, the Region and the West
After years of negotiating world powers have reached a historic deal with Iran, limiting their nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions. For the first First Wednesday after the summer break we will be debating what the Iran deal means for the country, the region and relations with the West.
The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia’s Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries
On the eighth floor of an ordinary-looking building in an otherwise residential district of southwest Moscow, in a room occupied by the Federal Security Service (FSB), is a box the size of a VHS player marked SORM. The Russian government’s front line in the battle for the future of the Internet, SORM is the world’s most intrusive listening device – monitoring e-mails, Internet usage, Skype, and all social networks.
In a new book, The Red Web, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan peel back the history of advanced surveillance systems in Russia. They will be joining us to discuss what they found and to reveal how a free global exchange can be coerced into becoming a tool of repression and geopolitical warfare.
In the Picture with Diana Markosian: 1915 – My Armenia
A century ago, on the eve of World War I, there were two million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. By the early 1920s, when the massacres and deportations finally ended, one and a half million of them were dead, with many more forcibly removed from the country. In a new project, Armenian-American photographer Diana Markosian travelled to Armenia to meet survivors and to ask them about their last memories of their early home. She will be joining us in conversation with Fiona Rogers, global business development manager at Magnum Photos International & founder of Firecracker, to show her work and share the stories of the survivors she met who, 100 years on, still remember their home.
From Military Rule to Democracy: The Changing Face of Myanmar?
On 8 November, the people of Myanmar will go to the polls in an election that is being seen as a step towards full democracy, after nearly half a century of military rule. With a panel of experts we will explore what life is like in Myanmar, the political and ethical divisions and what change the election will bring.
The 51 Day War: Gaza One Year On
In the summer of 2014, the scenes from Gaza and the media portrayal of events again ignited a global debate about the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One year later, the media spotlight has moved on and the people have been left to rebuild their lives, with over 100,000 still displaced. We will be joined by a panel of journalists who were there to cover the conflict, as well as those who have been involved in the efforts to rebuild, to reflect on what happened a year ago and what life has been like since.
South Africa: Politics, Power and Platinum
On 16 August 2012, South African police opened fire on a large crowd of men who were on strike from the Marikana platinum mine. The police action resulted in 112 people being shot and 34 killed. Nearly three years on from the massacre and as the Marikana Commission are due to publish their inquiry into what happened, we will be holding a special event in two parts to explore politics, power and platinum in South Africa.
Protecting Your Sources: Is it Possible to Keep Sources Confidential in the Digital Age?
Acts of journalism should be shielded from targeted surveillance, data retention and handover of material connected to confidential sources. This is a key early finding from a recent study commissioned by UNESCO on the state of journalistic source protection in 121 countries. In an event in partnership with the Foreign Press Association, we will be joined by the author of the study, Australian journalist and journalism academic Julie Posetti, and other experts to discuss the implications of the findings and what needs to be done to ensure journalists can fully protect their sources.
The Cost of Corruption
Across much of the world people face a daily battle with corruption. We will be joined by Sarah Chayes and Tom Burgis, whose investigations have taken them deep into the workings of corrupt systems across Africa, Afghanistan and elsewhere. From the local power brokers to the international corporations, they will be discussing what they discovered about how corrupt systems operate, the implications locally and globally, and what can be done to more effectively tackle them.
In the Picture with Zalmaï: Afghanistan – Dread and Dreams
Internationally renowned Afghan-born photographer Zalmaï has spent years capturing the human cost of disintegration and dispossession caused by war around the world. In a new body of work, entitled Dread and Dreams, he turns his lens to his own country to capture life in Afghanistan against the backdrop of the 14-year US-led invasion. He will be joining us in conversation with editor-in-charge of Reuters Wider Image, Alexia Singh, to present this deeply personal and humanistic body of work of Afghan refugees, by an Afghan refugee.
Insight with Hyeonseo Lee: The Girl with Seven Names – A North Korean Defector’s Story
Hyeonseo Lee was just seventeen when she fled North Korea. She found herself in China, alone and with no identity. Her mother’s first words over the telephone to her lost daughter were “Don’t come back”. We are pleased to welcome her to the Frontline Club to share her insight into growing up in North Korea, the story of her escape and how she went on to rebuild her life and discover her identity.
Exploration in the Arctic: Past, Present and Future
Continuing the Exploration at the Frontline collaboration between the Frontline Club and the Scientific Exploration Society, BBC Science editor David Shukman will chair a panel of explorers, scientists, reporters and experts to better understand how Arctic exploration has changed over the years.
Insight with Samar Yazbek: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria
Weaving together stories of hardship and brutality with touches of humanity, Samar Yazbek‘s new book The Crossing documents several dangerous clandestine trips she took into the North of her country and is testimony to the appalling reality that is Syria today. She will be joining us in conversation with Syrian writer and broadcaster, Rana Kabbani, to share her observations and what she heard from the people about their hopes and fears for the future.
First Wednesday Preview Screening: The Road to Mosul, VICE News + Panel Discussion
This screening will be followed by a panel discussion with co-director Frederick Paxton and others.
With rare access to the Peshmerga on the front lines of the war against the IS, The Road to Mosul unveils the reality of the Kurds’ war against the group, providing a portrait of ordinary volunteers, poorly trained and equipped, locked in stalemate against a powerful enemy. The film also captures the impact of the war on the civilians caught in between.
In Conversation with Emma Sky: Iraq – The Unravelling
In what was only meant to be a three month trip, Emma Sky travelled to Iraq in 2003 having volunteered to help rebuild the country immediately after the invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein. She soon found herself as a political advisor to the US military and three months turned into a decade. She will be joining us in conversation with The Guardian‘s Middle East editor, Ian Black to share her unique insight into the US military, and the complexities, diversity and evolution of Iraqi society as documented in her new book The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq.
Insight with William Dalrymple: Return of a King
The London Press Club and the Frontline Club are proud to present a talk from award-winning writer and historian William Dalrymple.
Now based in Delhi, Dalrymple joins us for a special event to discuss his most recent, acclaimed book Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42, the definitive analysis of the First Anglo-Afghan War. He will discuss parallels with current events in both Afghanistan and the UK, before taking questions from the audience.
Syria: Beyond the Red Line
Red lines have been set and crossed, inquiries have been conducted and talks have been attempted, and yet the conflict in Syria continues to devastate the lives of its population. Over four years since the conflict in Syria began, we will be asking if there is any sign of light at the end of the tunnel.
Granta 131: The Map is Not the Territory – with Janine di Giovanni and Charles Glass
Granta 131 explores the gaps between representation and reality, and what happens when those distinctions blur. Looking at the human realities behind the topographies of war, Janine di Giovanni and Charles Glass will be in conversation with Granta magazine’s editor Sigrid Rausing about their contributions to the issue.
Insight with Åsne Seierstad: One of Us
On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 of his fellow Norwegians in an atrocity that shocked the world. As Breivik was put on trial, Norway attempted to understand what drove him to his heinous actions. Based on extensive testimonies and interviews, award-winning foreign correspondent Åsne Seierstad’s new book, One of Us, offers a definitive account of this tragic episode in Norway’s history. She will be joining us in conversation with John Lloyd, contributing editor to the Financial Times and director of Journalism at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, to share her research and talk about what she discovered about Breivik, his ideology and the world he grew up in.
The Frontline Club and Monocle 24 present: Crisis in the Mediterranean
War, economic crisis, political repression and environmental degradation are pushing increasing numbers of people to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. We will be bringing together a panel of experts to answer your questions about the unfolding crisis. We will be examining the root causes of the crisis and looking at the measures that need to be taken to avoid the 30,000 deaths the IOM predicts.