Join us for the first event in our new Sussex Development Lecture series on politics, power and hope, with guest lecturer Dr Danny Sriskandarajah speaking about the themes from his new book Power to the People: Use your voice, change the world.
Danny Sriskandarajah learned the value of citizenship at a young age as the child of Tamil migrants who moved from Sri Lanka to Australia. Arriving in the UK as the first Rhodes scholar from an Asian immigrant background, he has gone on to run a series of civil society organisations, and has become a leading voice in the third sector.
Power to the People is his radical manifesto for change designed to inspire citizen action around the world. The book presents a blueprint for how we, as individuals, can make a difference through greater community engagement, and how we can deliver a society that works for the many and not the few. He speaks to voter apathy and a growing sense that elections no longer matter, with politicians and institutions too focused on short-term issues to grapple with complex global problems such as climate change, rising inequality, and digital disruption.
The book is also filled with inspiring real-life examples of citizen power in action, ranging from a volunteer-run repair café in Danny’s local suburb to Avaaz’s successful campaigns to tackle endemic corruption in Brazil.
From public ownership of social media spaces to democratising share ownership, and from re-energising co-operatives to creating a people’s chamber at the United Nations, this campaigning book has a clear mission to make us reclaim our power as citizens of the world.
About the speaker
Dr Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah is Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation and author of Power to the People: Use your voice, change the world (Headline Press, 2024). Danny’s previous roles include CEO of Oxfam GB, Secretary General of CIVICUS, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Interim Director of the Commonwealth Foundation and various posts at the Institute for Public Policy Research. He is a Trustee of the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation and has previously been a Trustee of the Baring Foundation, Comic Relief, Disasters Emergency Committee and Praxis Community Projects. He has been a member of two United Nations High Level Panels, on digital co-operation and humanitarian finance. Danny holds a Masters and Doctorate from Oxford University, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Sydney.
Chair
Peter Taylor, Acting Director of IDS
How to attend
All are welcome. You can register to watch in-person or register to watch online on Zoom.
Accessibility
The event will take place in the Convening Space which is on the 1st floor of the IDS building. If you need to use the lift then press floor 1A. If you have any accessibility needs for this event please email: [email protected]
Privacy
This lecture will also be streamed on the platform Zoom. View Zoom’s privacy settings.
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