Gary Younge is one of the headliners at a four-day hybrid festival staged at the OU to give voice to research into real-life global challenges and social justice to aid change.<\/p>\n
The former Guardian columnist, who is also a Professor of sociology at the University of Manchester, has made several radio and TV documentaries on subjects ranging from gay marriage to Brexit.<\/p>\n
On 21 June he is to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement at a research festival<\/a> staged by the Centre for Global Challenges and Social Justice<\/a>, which is celebrating its first year of existence, and which begins on Wednesday 14 June.<\/p>\n Gary, who was shortlisted for The Orwell prize For Journalism in January 2023, will tell of how an absence of long-standing institutions to nurture the Black Lives Matter movement has prevented it from gathering lasting momentum.<\/p>\n Another keynote speaker includes Youngsook Choi, who is an artist and researcher with a PhD in human geography.<\/p>\n She introduces the concept of grief in terms of a lack of understanding in how nature and surrounding communities suffer at the hands of environmental degradation and, in some cases, environmental breakdown that forces people to leave their homes.<\/p>\n The Centre was set up to undertake valuable research into urgent real-life problems at home and abroad.<\/p>\n Some of the projects researchers are working on include the social effects of: the covid pandemic on certain vulnerable sectors of society; Chinese investment in Europe and climate change.<\/p>\n Researchers collaborate widely with policy makers, communities and artists, for example contributing to the Milton Keynes International Festival.<\/p>\n The centre sits within the OU\u2019s School for Social Sciences and Global Studies and this festival brings together academics and others interested in social justice.<\/p>\nkeynote speakers<\/h2>\n
Real-life problems globally<\/h2>\n