Events
#FCBBCA: Should Israel fear the Arab spring?
Download this episode View in iTunes By Eva Dumontet Should Israel fear the Arab spring? When asked the same question, the majority of the audience agreed that Israel should be concerned about the changes that were taking place across the region. Yitzhak Lior stressed the “physical and psychological vulnerability” of Israel, while Miri Weingarten argued that […]
#FCBBCA Israel and the Arab Spring: will democracy bring peace?
By Thomas Lowe The focus of this lively and at times tempestuous debate was whether democracy would be the endpoint of the Arab Spring and how this would impact Israeli relations in the region. “Who could speak against democracy”? asked former Israeli Ambassador, Yitzhak Lior, it’s “easy” to deal with dictatorships” but despite the dangers “we will […]
#FCBBCA: Israel and the Arab spring
EXTERNAL EVENT HELD AT THE ROYAL INSITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN
IN ASSOCIATION WITH BBC ARABIC
With leaders toppled in Tunisia and Egypt, continuing uprisings in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, the Arab world has seen tumultuous change in recent months. Where does all this upheaval leave Israel? We will be focusing on the response of Israel to the revolutions sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa.
With a panel of Israeli experts and journalists we will explore how Israel and its people view the demands for democracy which are ousting friends in the region such as President Hosni Mubarak.
Abdulnasser Gharem: Saudi Arabia – art and war
As both a conceptual artist and lieutenant colonel in the Saudi army, Abdulnasser Gharem is somewhat of an unusual figure. Described as the “rock star of Saudi contemporary art”, he recently made history when his installation Message/Messenger sold for a record price at auction in Dubai.
Abdulnasser Gharem will be joining us at the Frontline Club to discuss the inspiration behind his work, which is now in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture & Information. He will also reflect on how he reconciles being a soldier and an artist, shedding light on Saudi’s secretive society and culture.
First Wednesday: Where has war left the people of Afghanistan?
How do the Afghan people view the last ten years since the US-led invasion and how have their lives have been changed?
Is it just another chapter in nearly half a century of conflict and instability? Is civil war avoidable? Is there any hope for the future and what might that future look like?
Another opportunity to join in a lively public meeting, hosted by Paddy O’Connell of BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, bringing together experts and commentators and mixing their views with contributions from our audience.
Insight with Robert King: The Angola 3 and their fight for justice
Robert King the only free member of the Angola 3 will be joining us at the Frontline Club in conversation with founder and director of Reprieve, Clive Stafford Smith to tell his story and discuss his life’s focus; to campaign against abuses in the criminal justice system and for the freedom of Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox who are now serving their 40th year in solitary confinement.
REACTIVE: The battle for press freedom in Iran
Almost two weeks after their arrest, little has been heard about the fate of the six Iranian filmmakers who are currently being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison with no access to their lawyers.
Accused of collaborating secretly with BBC Persian and illegally supplying content portraying Iran in a negative light, they have been condemned as “a group of terrorists, Bahais, communists and devil worshippers” by Iran’s Minister of Intelligence.
Join us at the Frontline Club for this reactive briefing to discuss the detainment of the filmmakers, the battle for press freedom in Iran and the regime’s relationship with foreign media.
Reflections: Martin Bell at the Frontline Club
Veteran war correspondent and winner of the Royal Television Society’s Reporter of the Year Award, Martin Bell has reported from over 80 countries and 11 wars in his time as a BBC journalist. Making his name in journalism for his work during the Vietnam war, and later on as an Independent MP for Tatton in 1997 during a landslide win against the Conservatives.
He will be joining former BBC executive Vin Ray to take a look back at his career as a journalist, MP and UNICEF Ambassador.
Bang Bang Bang: a special preview reading at the Frontline Club
A seasoned human rights defenders and her idealistic young colleague embark on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. For Mathilde it’s an induction into a life less ordinary. For Sadhbh it’s back to madness and chaos away from her lover and London – exactly as she likes it.
A special preview reading of Bang Bang Bang, which is coming to the Royal Court Theatre in October.
David Carr in conversation with Richard Gizbert: The media machine
Drawing on their experiences working with two very different global media players, David Carr of the New York Times and Richard Gizbert of Al Jazeera English will be discussing the future of the news industry.
From the future of newspapers like the New York Times and whether they can adapt quickly enough to survive to the emergence of new business models offering alternative sources of funding. They will be addressing some of the big questions that are exercising many minds within the media.
A remarkable opportunity to debate the future of the news industry with two of its key players.
Understanding extremism: What are the real dangers?
When reports began coming in of the bombing in Oslo on 22 July the general consensus among experts appeared to be that the attack had all the hallmarks of Islamic extremism.
It was only when news came through of a gunman on Utøya that it began to become clear that something quite different was taking place in Norway.
As we mark the ten year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, we will be examining the extent of our understanding of extremism.
FIRST WEDNESDAY SPECIAL: Changing world – conflict, culture and terrorism in the 21st century
#fcbbca
EXTERNAL EVENT HELD AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN.
To mark ten years since the terrorists attacks on the United States, the Frontline Club is holding a special event to look at the extent to which 9/11 has defined our world today and will continue to shape our future.
Can Tunisians and Egyptians reclaim their revolutions?
With the world watching the latest uprisings in Syria and the continued intervention in Libya, the media has largely turned its attention away from the catalyst of the Arab spring, Tunisia and the next country to oust its president, Egypt. But what does the future hold for these fledgeling democracies?
Join us at the Frontline club with a panel of experts to discuss what the future holds for Tunisia and Egypt.
FULLY BOOKED Counterinsurgency and the “War on Terror”: Doomed to fail?
As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks we will be bringing together a panel of experts to discuss the “War on Terror” that was launched by the United States government in their wake.
What has been achieved in Afghanistan and Iraq and, ten years on, what could be learnt from the Arab Spring about change in the region? 5 months into a new campaign in Libya, is it time that we reassess our involvement in the Arab world?
Insight with Kamin Mohammadi: Rediscovering Iran
When nine-year-old Kamin Mohammadi fled to London with her family in June 1979 escaping Iran after the revolution that brought down the Shah little was she to know that she would not step foot in the country again for 17 years.
She will be joining us at the Frontline Club in conversation with Pooneh Ghoddoosi from BBC Persian TV to talk about her journey back to her homeland to find the family she left behind, and to rediscover her Iranian identity after 17 years away from the country that she loved.
As an Iranian exile living in Britain, Mohammadi struggled to fit in. She will be joining us at the Frontline Club to talk about her journey back to her homeland to find the family she left behind, and to rediscover her Iranian identity after almost 18 years away from the country that she loved.
FULLY BOOKED First Wednesday: Where now for the people of Syria?
Since mid – March when the Arab Spring reached Syria there have been continuous crack downs on protestors by Syrian forces. There are claims more than 1,700 civilians have been killed. The authorities in Syria claim 500 soldiers and police have been killed by armed gangs, which they also blame for most of the civilian deaths.
Join us with Paddy O’Connell of BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House to discuss the situation in Syria and what the future holds for the Syrian people.
Reflections: Paul Mason
Paul Mason will be at the Frontline Club in conversation with Matthew Eltringham, editor of the BBC College of Journalism website and events to discuss a career which has seen him cover the corporate scandals at Enron and Worldcom and stories as diverse as Hurricane Katrina, gang violence on Merseyside, the social impact of mobile phones in Africa and the rise of Aymara nationalism in Bolivia. His groundbreaking reports on the rise of China as an economic power won him the Wincott Award in 2003.
FULLY BOOKED Phone hacking – ethics and tabloid journalism
LATER START TIME OF 8.15PM
The closure of the News of the World following further revelations that schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone was allegedly hacked by private investigators has failed to draw a line under the growing crisis.
The print media has long defended its freedom from outside regulation. Is there a future for statutory regulation of the press or is it time for the Press Complaints Commission to be scrapped as actor and recent privacy crusader Hugh Grant has claimed?
Join us at the Frontline Club with an expert panel to discuss this ever-deepening scandal, as we consider what ‘hackgate’ might mean for the future of British journalism.
Looking ahead to screenings and talks at Frontline Club in August
August kicks off our summer Change Season, with talks and screenings focusing on the people and events that are changing the world. The season begins with Goodbye Mubarak, a portrait of people in Egypt prior to protests that erupted on 25 January and resulted in the ousting of Hosni Mubarak. Our season of screenings goes […]
Focus on Sudan: What does independence mean for North and South?
Salva Kir is to lead South Sudan into independence on the 9 July after a landslide referendum earlier this year where 99% of the South voted to secede from the North. But with relations still tense over disputed border regions of Abyei and the surrounding area, what does the future hold for North and South alike?
First Wednesday: Kill/Capture missions in Afghanistan
Following the targeted killing of Osama Bin Laden we will be devoting July’s First Wednesday to the expansion of man hunt missions used in Afghanistan to take out thousands of Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
With a panel of experts we will be examining the effects of the kill/capture missions on the ground? How are they are conducted and how is the intelligence obtained? What effect are they having and could they play a definitive role in ending the war?
Kidnapped: Life as a Somali pirate hostage
Watch the event here. By Helena Williams When Colin Freeman, a Daily Telegraph correspondent, was kidnapped by Somali pirates along with his photographer Jose Cendron, he did not know when he would be free again – if ever. But during last night’s Frontline Club event, Freeman – who is now the chief foreign correspondent for […]
Insight with Colin Freeman: Life as a Somali pirate hostage
View in iTunes In late 2008, Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman and Jose Cendon, a Spanish photographer travelled to Somalia to investigate the recent spate of piracy attacks that were terrorising shipping in the Gulf of Aden. Their aim was to track down some of the pirates and secure an exclusive interview. They were […]
My life as a Somali pirate hostage
In late 2008, Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman travelled to Somalia to investigate a spate of piracy attacks that were terrorising shipping in the Gulf of Aden. Along with a Spanish photographer, Jose Cendon, his aim was to track down some of the pirates and secure an exclusive interview. But the pair were double crossed […]
Part II: WikiLeaks pushed Arab unrest, Assange says
By Gianluca Mezzofiore WikiLeaks had a prominent role in the Arab Spring, acting as a catalyst and pushing global information to a point where the US and other Western countries could not prop up Arab dictatorships anymore, according to WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange. Speaking at a Frontline Club event in East London, alongside renowned Slovenian […]
Part I: Žižek, Assange and the “new McCarthyism”
By Viola Caon A "new McCarthyism" has emerged in response to WikiLeaks and is evidenced in the calls for assassination by US politicians, the site’s editor-in-chief said today. Julian Assange, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek and Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! shared a stage at a packed Frontline Club event at the Troxy in London’s […]
Frontline Club Exclusive: Julian Assange in conversation with Slavoj Žižek moderated by Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman
Discussing the impact of WikiLeaks on the world and what it means for the future, for this very special event WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange will be in conversation with bestselling Slovenian philosopher, Slavoj Žižek.
The event will be chaired by Amy Goodman, the award-winning investigative journalist and host of Democracy Now!, a daily, independent news hour which airs on the internet and more than 900 public television and radio stations worldwide.
Reflections: Bill Neely – Northern Ireland’s Troubles to uprising in Libya
In the latest of our Reflections series, Bill Neely ITV News” international editor, will be joining us in conversation with former BBC executive Vin Ray.
Looking back at a career that includes covering major stories around the world since 2002 and posts in Europe, Washington Bill Neely will discuss the stories that he has covered and the work and people that have inspired him.
WikiLeaks’ Assange too controversial for London university
Frontline Club’s upcoming event featuring WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange and renowned Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek was deemed too controversial for the University of London’s Institute of Education (IOE). The event, which will take place on 2 July at the Troxy in East London, had originally been tentatively scheduled to take place at Logan Hall, a […]
THIRD PARTY: Screening – The Baha’is of Iran
Organised by BBC Persian
Followed by a Q&A.
In 2010, BBC Persian’s Kasra Naji and Rozita Riazati setout to focus attention on the plight of Baha’is in Iran; their goal was to help Iranians understand the Faith and to shed light on the extent of persecution suffered by its members in Iran. On 30 June 2010, the day the BBC Persian documentary Baha’is in Iran was first broadcast, 50 houses owned by Baha’is were demolished in a village northeast of Tehran – driving home the stark reality of the persecution suffered by Iranian Baha’is.