A talk on torture and civilisation by Helen Bamber, followed by a drinks reception, seemed too good to miss. I didn’t go along just for the free wine, although that’s always a bonus, but because Helen Bamber is one of those people who has been around for some time and whose insight and experience are worth…
Baroness Cox described herself as a nurse and social scientist by intention, and a baroness by astonishment. Beyond the fact that she’s a peer who speaks out for oppressed, persecuted and voiceless people around the world, I didn’t know all that much about her when I went to hear her speak this morning at ChristChurch…
“It was not the West who faced the tanks, it was the Chinese students.” Just before it vanished off i-player, I managed to squeeze in a great documentary about the history of Amnesty International which was full of comments like that one. Set my mind off on all sorts of ponderings, as you can…
“I’m not very political”, I said laughingly in response to something someone said the other evening. “You work with asylum seekers,” he replied, “of course you’re political.” It was a line that slightly jarred and one that I’ve been reflecting on since. I have certainly become more political since I started working with asylum seekers.…
It’s a book I avoided reading last year on the grounds that everyone else was reading it. Ten years ago I’d have lapped it up and loved its short chapters’ claims to neatly tie up complex issues of suffering, hell, and the exclusivity of Christianity. Now I’m not so sure. But it’s a book that…
emilyintheworld 