Category: Up and coming events

Dr Ridyard will present an overview of current thinking on the state of human rights in our current uncertain times.

 

Further Information

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights introduces the fundamental rights that underpin contemporary human rights discourse. They cover liberty, equality, privacy, an adequate standard of living, among other things. It can be accessed here: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

 

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides a useful introduction to the ways in which environmental degradation and climate change affect rights to life, health, food, water, and housing. The literature they provide also raises questions about inequality, as those least responsible for climate change are frequently among those most vulnerable to its consequences. Here is the link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/climate-change

 

UNESCO: Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This explores the ethical and human rights implications of AI, including discrimination, surveillance, privacy, transparency and accountability. Here is the link: https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence/recommendation-ethics

 

A 2024 legal case that might be helpful to be aware of: Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v Switzerland. This European Court of Human Rights judgment concerned a group of older Swiss women challenging what they considered inadequate government action on climate change. The Court concluded that Switzerland had violated their positive duty under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This illustrates how established human rights protections can be applied to emerging environmental threats. Here is a link to a case summary: https://essexcourt.com/verein-klimaseniorinnen-schweiz-v-switzerland/

 

Also cf.  Kate Crawford’s book ‘Atlas of AI’. This connects artificial intelligence to natural resources, labour, power, and environmental costs. She also challenges the idea that AI is simply an intangible technological phenomenon, revealing its dependence on physical infrastructure, mineral extraction, and energy consumption.

 

Synopsis: In this presentation, Paul talks about the remarkable life and sings the extraordinary songs of the Yorkshireman Jake Thackray, one of the greatest and most original songwriters the UK has ever produced. He was a storytelling genius whose writing can be hilarious, irreverent, poignant, poetic and satirical – and sometimes all within the same song. His writing has been compared to Chaucer, and he was admired by, and influenced, The Beatles. He became a household name and minor TV star in the sixties and seventies through his countless performances on programmes such as Braden’s Week and That’s Life! However, he was never comfortable with life in the spotlight, and turned from performing to journalism. Expect some intimate insights into the life of this fascinating, complex man, and enjoy hearing his beautifully crafted, truly unique songs.

 

Biography: Paul Thompson, a retired Classics teacher who lives in Lymm, Cheshire, is the world’s leading authority on the life and music of Jake Thackray. He is co-author of an acclaimed biography, Beware of the Bull – The Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray, which was included in the Daily Telegraph’s pick of the best music books of 2022.  In 2025 he published a second book, Jake Thackray – The Unsung Writer, an anthology of Thackray’s entertaining prose. Over the last two decades he also masterminded the release of archive material on a series of CDs and DVDs, including, most recently, The Lost Archives 1966-1996. Paul performs Thackray’s songs all over the country, accompanied by Nadine, a guitar once owned and named by his musical hero.

 

Synopsis: ‘Two tier policing’ is a common refrain from both the right in contemporary politics. Reform UK believe that policing is biased against white indigenous communities out of fear of the consequences of dealing robustly with offenders from minority ethnic groups. In essence, that belief is the direct opposite of the belief in minority ethnic communities that policing is biased against them and that they are policed more aggressively due to their race. Where does the truth lie with both of these arguments, and can both be true at the same time? Are the police too frightened to deal with certain communities, and are they trained and indoctrinated in a style of policing that sees them fail to police ‘without fear of favour’? The cases of Henry Novak, Axel Rudakabana, Chris Kaba et al provide an insight into how policing under the microscope fails to meet the demands of society, not least in the era of social media and body work video. The aim of the talk will be to provide an insight into why policing in a diverse community is so difficult, and what can be done to reduce the scale of that failure.

 

Biography: Guy Hindle joined Cheshire Constabulary aged 19 and served for 30 years, retiring as an Assistant Chief Constable in 2016. His service involved investigating and managing a range of crime types, including murder, kidnap and serious organised crime. Since then, Guy has added a Masters in Psychology to his Masters in organisational strategy which has stood him in good stead as a senior lecturer in the Law School at the University of Chester. Guy is soon to stand down after the maximum nine years as Chair of St Rocco’s Hospice in Warrington, and is also a Board member of England Golf, the national sporting body for the game he still plays competitively. Guy has been married to Lin for 38 years and has two children and one granddaughter.

 

Synopsis: Augustus claimed to have restored the Republic, whilst holding more personal power than anyone in Roman history. In his talk, Neil will discuss his transformation from Octavian to Augustus, his achievements and the means he used to communicate them to his citizens.

 

 

 

 

Biography: Neil Brougham graduated in Mathematics from Leeds University and spent his working life as a pensions actuary, where he was responsible for advising the trustees of several of the UK’s largest pension schemes, including United Utilities, The Co-op and BP, retiring in 2024. Whilst still working, however, he embarked on a part-time degree in Classical Studies with the Open University, studying Ancient Greece and Rome, together with some Latin. He is due to complete his degree in 2027. He lives in Stockton Heath and enjoys wine, cycling and singing with the Altrincham Choral Society.