Politics
Insight with Shereen El Feki: Sex and the Citadel
Shereen El Feki has spent the past five years travelling across the Arab region asking people about sex. Blending interviews, statistics, opinion polls, journalism and personal reminiscence, in her new book Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World, she explores this intimate and often highly sensitive facet of life in a changing Arab world. She will be joining us in conversation with columnist and broadcaster, Jenni Russell.
Mumbai – A Microcosmic Megacity?
Pavements teem, cars crawl and deals are done in Mumbai, a city whose challenges reflect those of the country as it sails towards next year’s general election. As the proud inhabitants of India’s commercial capital jostle and toil, Mark Mistry looks at how infrastructure needs, as well as legislative and political problems in a city […]
Obama 2: The reluctant bully
By Nigel Wilson With the speechwriters putting the final touches to Barack Obama’s second inauguration address, a panel of experts assembled at the Frontline Club on Wednesday 16 January to assess the challenges and expectations facing the president.
Chavez’s legacy
Provoking adoration and revulsion in equal measure, Hugo Chavez is a leader like no other. In his new book, Comandante, acclaimed journalist Rory Carroll sheds light on the inside story of Chavez’s life and his political court in Caracas. He will join the New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson and others to ask, after more than 13 years in power, what Chavez’s legacy will be.
A pattern of bloodshed
By Nishat Ahmed Syria’s continually deteriorating situation set the tone for January’s First Wednesday – the first panel debate of the year. The group, chaired by Paddy O’Connell of BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, included Melissa Fleming, spokesperson of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); Ausama Monajed, the executive director the the London-based Strategic Research […]
FULLY BOOKED Screening: Girlfriend in a Coma + Q&A
Followed by a Q&A with director Annalisa Piras and Bill Emmott, former editor-in-chief of the Economist and author of Good Italy, Bad Italy: Why Italy Must Conquer Its Demons to Face the Future.
Exploring the past 20 years of Italy’s history Girlfriend in a Coma argues that the current economic predicament is part of a wider political, social and moral failure.
What does the Marikana massacre mean for South Africa?
The Marikana miners’ strike in South Africa which resulted in the shooting dead of 34 workers by police is becoming a pivotal moment in South Africa’s post-apartheid history. We will be joined by a panel of experts to discuss the root causes in society and politics in South Africa that lead to the Marikana massacre.
And all that Jazz
By Merryn Johnson “I’m very happy to face serious opposition: If I would say what I say and talk about Jewish political power without facing serious, relentless opposition, it would mean that I am talking nonsense… and apparently I’m not.” — Gilad Atzmon Gilad Atzmon certainly does face serious opposition, but he also revels in it. […]
Bahrain’s unreported oppression continues – with a little help from the West
Written by guest blogger Richard Nield At an event hosted by the Frontline Club, an expert panel of speakers shed light on the ongoing oppression of political opposition in Bahrain, one of the most under-reported aspects of the Arab Spring, and the government’s systematic use of Western public relations companies to manage the regime’s global reputation.
First Wednesday: The press, politicians and power – What will we learn from Leveson?
The relationship between the press and politicians is what is now under scrutiny at the Leveson Inquiry and the long awaited testimony from Rupert and James Murdoch has unearthed a relationship that paints an uncomfortable picture for the government.
Following these latest revelations, hosted by BBC Radio 4’s Paddy O’Connell, we will be examining what we have heard and what the ramifications will be for politicians and the press.
Afghan Army Girls: Q&A with first-time director Lalage Snow
The screening of Afghan Army girls ended with a roaring sound of applause at the Frontline Club yesterday evening.
What next for Putin’s Russia?
By Alan Selby Against a backdrop of growing discontent, and widespread allegations of fraud, Russia’s recent elections heralded Vladimir Putin’s re-election to the presidency. The man who many still saw as Russia’s de facto leader will now resume his tenure, four years after ostensibly ceding power to Dmitry Medvedev. In light of these developments a […]
Iran: dangerous or just misunderstood?
By Thomas Lowe International disagreement on the aims of the Iranian government was well represented on the discussion’s panel. Does Iran seek regional hegemony? Are its motivations aggressive or defensive? And the pointed question at the heart of the debate – what will Israel do next? Martin Fletcher, associate editor of The Times took the […]
The promise and peril of the Arab revolution
“’It came out of nowhere because of Facebook and Google’ is not true. It was a long time coming.”
Screening: An Arab Spring in Saudi?
By Charlene Rodrigues This time last year, when we witnessed uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, Shaimaa Khalil’s curiosity took her to the streets of Saudi Arabia to investigate what was happening in one of the world’s richest oil-producing countries. The resulting documentary, An Arab spring in Saudi?, is a study of the authoritarianism of the Saudi […]
Frei at The Frontline Club
By Alan Selby A packed house at The Frontline Club heard Matt Frei regale them with tales from his long and illustrious career. The former BBC Washington correspondent, recently poached by Channel 4 News, was on fine form as he spoke to former BBC executive Vin Ray about more than 20 years with the BBC: […]
Screening: Darkhead
By Charlene Rodrigues Torn by a lack of cultural identity, a Schwarzkopf or “Darkhead” is the word European born immigrants use to define themselves in Austria. Arman T. Riahi’s documentary of the same name is a portrait of immigrant life in Austria, and follows Nazar, an Austro-Iranian 25-year-old rapper, as he and his […]
Fawzia Koofi – from a baby left to die to running for president of Afghanistan
by Ivana Davidovic "If it was fiction, you would not believe it.” That is how Nadene Ghouri, a journalist and a writer, described Fawzia Koofi‘s remarkable life story told in her new memoir The Favored Daughter: One Woman’s Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future. The day Koofi was born, was the day she was […]
Insight with Fawzia Koofi: Running for president of Afghanistan
Fawzia Koofi has lived a life defined by struggle, the 19th of 23 children born, as a baby she was left in the sun to die because she was a girl. Now a Member of Parliament, she continues her struggle to improve women’s and children’s rights and plans to run for President of Afghanistan in 2014, despite death threats and assassination attempts.
Join us at the Frontline Club with Fawzia Koofi and the co-author of the book that tells her story The Favored Daughter: One Woman’s Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future, Nadene Ghouri, award-winning journalist and BBC correspondent.
Rebuilding Libya
View in iTunes Watch the event here. By Alan Selby Much has happened since this time last year. The 15th of February 2011 saw the first Libyans take to the streets of Benghazi against a brutal dictatorship which ruled over them for 42 years. The events that followed sent shockwaves around the world, led to a […]
BBC Screening:The Ayatollah’s Seal
by Rosie Scammell In the wake of intimidation of BBC Persian journalists by the Iranian authorities, last night saw the screening of ‘The Ayatollah’s Seal’ – the first documentary to be made about the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Refused access to Iran by the Ministry of Culture (there were more important topics for the […]
Part 2: Frontline Club discusses Italian press after Berlusconi
By Charlene Rodrigues Interestingly, condemnation of Berlusconi’s media involvement was not wholesale. Paolo Mancini, professor at the University of Perugia said: “Everyone here will expect me to say one thing but I don’t think Berlusconi is controlling the media. It’s overstated.” “Berlusconi tried to limit freedom of journalists but he did not succeed because there […]
Part 1: Frontline Club discusses Italian press after Berlusconi
Watch the event here. By Will Turvill The Frontline Club last night hosted a lively and informative discussion on what the future might hold for Italian media in the post-Berlusconi era. The event was hosted by BBC Radio 4 presenter Steve Hewlett who was joined on the panel by four Italians and an Anglo-Italian lecturer […]
Italy after Berlusconi: What now for media freedom?
On 12 November the longest-serving post-war Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi resigned after losing his majority and public support.
While no longer Prime Minister, he continues to control one half of the countries terrestrial TV market and his company Media Set is a big player in the print and advertising sectors. Will Berlusconi continue to wield influence and manipulate the government through his party and media ownership?
FULLY BOOKED Insight with Gene Sharp: From Dictatorship to Democracy
The past year has seen people take to the streets across the Middle East and North Africa to demand an end to tyranny and oppression, with their actions leading to unprecedented regime change across the region.
Less known is that the tactics used by many of these protestors come from the writings of an 83-year-old political scientist, Dr Gene Sharp. The 198 “non-violent weapons” listed in his book From Dictatorship to Democracy have now been circulated amongst dissidents around the world.
We are thrilled to announce that Dr Gene Sharp will be joining us at the Frontline Club in conversation with Ruaridh Arrow, journalist, filmmaker and director of the award winning documentary How to Start a Revolution to discuss his work and the uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.
#FCBBCA Part 2: Women of the Revolution
by Ivana Davidovic Maryam Al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights comes from a family of activists, many of whom have been on the receiving end of the police brutality in the Kingdom. So much so that she joked that “Bahrain should adopt family cells in prisons, so family members could spend some time […]
Kashmir: South Asia’s Palestine?
View in iTunes Watch the even here. By Marise Jeyarajah The club hosted an animated discussion last night on the controversial issues surrounding the future of Kashmir. Chaired by author and broadcaster Victoria Schofield. Kashmiri born Mirza Waheed, BBC Urdu journalist and author of The Collaborator, opened the event by giving his account of the ‘turning point’ events […]
ToryBoy visits the Frontline Club
By William Turvill The Frontline Club, on Monday 21 November, screened the critically acclaimed ToryBoy The Movie, followed by a question-and-answer session with the film’s creators, John Walsh and John Cowen. Dubbed the “documentary of the year” by The Guardian, this film follows the campaign trail of Walsh, a “disillusioned Labour Boy gone stray”, […]
Kissinger: Screening at the Frontline Club in October
Julia Barron of October Films writes an assessment of the documentary film Kissinger, which will be screened at the Frontline Club in October.
With access to Dr Henry Kissinger over the past two years, this award-winning documentary gives unique insight into the personality and motivation of one of America’s most powerful and controversial international statesman.
Frontline Club phone hacking survey
Frontline Club asked its members in July to share their thoughts on the ongoing phone hacking scandal. The results, detailed below, make for interesting reading. They show that, of those who have responded to the survey so far, there is broad agreement on a range of issues – from opposition to statutory regulation, to the […]