Niki Seth-Smith - openDemocracy (Page 5)

A country mansion and a wireless connection: Raymond Williams and the future of transformative education

As formal education in Britain faces commodification, networks of informal participative learning are flourishing. openDemocracy is building ties with these through our relationship to the Raymond Williams Foundation, whose residential last week explored the theme of the Long Revolution.

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 16 May 2012

London Citizens take on the Mayoral candidates

How do you soften a politician's heart and get them to keep to their word? It sounds an impossible task, but last night the power organization London Citizens

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 26 Apr 2012

Taking 'perhaps' seriously: the resurgence of the British co-operative spirit

For a century, the 'political left' has dominated the 'social left'. But in post-crash Britain, the balance is beginning to change. So argued Richard Sennett in the annual Compass lecture this week, prompting a lively discussion on the craft of co-operation.

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 28 Mar 2012

Regeneration: the launch of a new collection on intergenerational justice

A new collection of essays on intergenerational justice was launched in London with an open debate. Is the generational prism useful, and what are the distinctive challenges for the young?

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 24 Feb 2012

A small victory for transparency: the House of Lords report on investigative journalism

The Lords' report on the future of investigative journalism takes note of Clare Sambrook's disturbing evidence on government mendacity.

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 16 Feb 2012

The Museum of Neoliberalism: full or empty?

A new occupation has sprung up in a disused museum in London. The occupiers have turned one floor into a museum of neoliberalism. But will it be a space for transportation to a future better world, or an embodiment of the end of history?

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 29 Nov 2011

Rebellious Media Conference: leading the way in the information age

Radical media are far behind the mainstream in terms of readership and revenue. But when it comes to understanding media's future, the 'alternative' press are ahead of the curve.

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 10 Oct 2011

Happy Planet

The failure of market fundamentalism and the rapid rise of depression across the Western world spurred on advances and interest in happiness economics. The findings debunked the notion of a

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 27 Sep 2011

As the trial of 9 UK Uncut activists begins, Britain's right to protest is also in the docks

Today the trial of nine UK Uncut activists begins. They had superglued themselves to Topshop last year in protest against tax avoidance by the super-rich. Their trial comes at a pivotal time, as England undergoes a post-riots crackdown on the right to protest

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 14 Sep 2011

Festival of Britain 2011: microcosm of a troubled Union

As Scotland faces the prospect of a vote on independence, the Festival of Britain 2011 is underway in central London. Designed to celebrate the anniversary of the 1951 exhibition and capture the spirit of modern Britain, the festival instead reveals a Union in crisis and denial

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 2 Jun 2011

Arrests show the cynical reality of the NHS 'listening exercise'

Two activists have been arrested for protesting outside a think-tank lobbying for NHS privatisation. It's clear who really has the government's ear in the so-called 'listening exercise' on the Health and Social Care Bill

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 25 May 2011

The student 'Fight Back' is still going strong

Since the release of Fight Back! A Reader on the Winter of Protest in February, much has occurred in the British student movement to give the collection new relevancy.Yesterday, the Free Hetherington occupation at Glasgow University celebrated a hundred days of occupation. OurKingdom has taken the

By Niki Seth-Smith

/ 12 May 2011