Can unarmed people still change the world?

Talk August 17, 2010 7:00 PM

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Can everyday people change the world? With conflicts raging across the world and European governments imposing stringent austerity measures, people are wondering more and more how they can play a role in shaping their future.

Steve Crawshaw, author of a new book to be published in September entitled Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World, will be discussing the potential for individuals to take on injustice and oppression in the world today.

Looking at current examples including Iran and Burma we will be discussing what people are able to achieve in the face of the powerful who have armies and police on their side. Are we powerless to change anything or are there acts of defiance, some of which are so small they are missed by the mainstream media, that can make a big difference?

Charied by Humphrey Hawksley, leading BBC foreign correspondent, author and commentator on world affairs.


Steve Crawshaw, international advocacy director Amnesty International;

Saeed Kamali Dehghan, Iranian journalist who writes frequently for the Guardian;

Tin Htar Swe, head of the BBC Burmese Service;

Alice Ukoko, founder and CEO of Women Of Africa working for gender transformation for Africa’s reform.