Magna Carta 2015: Democracy for Our Digital Future
Saturday 6th June 2015
Cambridge Union Society
9A Bridge Street, Cambridge
CB2 1UB
View map
Directions
We invite you to join us for a free conference on democratic reform in the digital age.
Register right now to avoid disappointment
Agenda
| 9:45 – 10:30 | Participants register; tea and coffee served |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Opening address from Frances Foley on the national Magna Carta series of events sponsored by the Lottery Heritage Fund; Stuart Weir (Cambridge Commons) on the constitutional & political background. Frances Foley (Unlock Democracy) in chair. |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Stuart White (University of Oxford) to present paper on the need for a constitutional convention, considering various alternative models and public participation, plus time for questions and discussion. Frances Foley in chair. |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Break – refreshments |
| 12:15 – 1:15 | Panel session on writing a future constitution for a digital age; with John Naughton (Observer and Open University), Carly Nyst (lawyer at Privacy International), Bill Thompson (internet guru now at BBC). Discussion ranging over surveillance, digital ‘barons’ like Google, our commons and open access to it, and more plus participation. Anthony Barnett in chair. |
| 1:15 – 2:00 | Lunch break |
| 2:00 – 3:00 | Open Space session |
| 3:00 – 4.00 | Session on the public realm led by David Marquand (public philosopher and author of Mammon’s Kingdom) and political writer and Observer columnist) Will Hutton, expert backing from Tamasin Cave of Spinwatch. Plus discussion. Anne Campbell, former Cambridge MP, in chair. |
| 4:00 – 4.15 | Break |
| 4:15 – 5:15 | Next steps and politics of change with the Guardian’s John Harris and Siân Berry from the Green Party. Adam Ramsay in chair. |
| 5:15 – 6:00 | Reception |
The Cambridge Union is at 9A Bridge Street, next to the Round Church in the centre. The venue is not directly on the street, but at the end of a passageway. It is a short walk from the city centre, north up Sidney Street, or south from Magdalene Street.
Lunch
The Union café/bar will be open. Further up Bridge Street are coffee/snack bars, cheap restaurants (Cote, Café Rouge, a burger place etc) and two pubs.