RSA Events

How should we reimagine and redesign our economic models to better reflect and serve human needs and wants, and the flourishing of all life on our one planet?It is often said that the world faces challenges that are complex and systemic. But in fact, the world is a complex, interconnected “system of systems”. These complexities and interconnectivities amplify the global challenges facing us, whether economic, social or environmental. They also mean that a deep understanding of the behaviour of these systems is critical to solving these problems for the long-term.Leading evolutionary theorist David Sloan Wilson and influential economist Dennis Snower have long advocated for an improved understanding of economics as a complex system.Across a recent series of major articles, they argue for a paradigm shift away from the orthodox, neoclassical model of economics, which focuses on individual challenges to be tackled through decisions by individual decision-makers and views ‘externalities’ as a phenomenon to be ‘corrected’ through government intervention, in favour of a new multilevel paradigm, based on insights from evolutionary science. This is a model that takes proper account of the complexity of our social natures and relations, and the centrality of collective challenges in our lives – challenges that can only be effectively tackled through a carefully orchestrated, context-specific combination of social, political and institutional mechanisms.Though such a paradigm shift has long proved elusive, Snower and Sloan Wilson argue that is an achievable goal, and one that’s more necessary now than ever before, at a time of economic and ecological crisis, when new narratives and new modes of cooperation will be critical to building successful multilateral alliances for innovation and change. Join them at the RSA to explore how to put the multi-level paradigm to work, to ensure that economics becomes a truly purposeful discipline, reimagined and redesigned to support the pursuit of wellbeing in thriving societies on a thriving planet, now and in the future.#RSAeconomicsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join  

From 2009 to 2014, Baroness Catherine Ashton was the EU’s first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She faced the challenge of representing the views and values of 28 nations during one of the most turbulent periods in living memory. From Russia’s invasion of Crimea to the Iran nuclear negotiations, she faced the challenge of solving immediate problems while constantly asking ‘and then what’ and keeping long-term solution building at the heart of these conversations. Here with the British diplomat Sir Robert Cooper, Catherine takes us inside the world of modern diplomacy, sharing the realities of long negotiations, hard-won triumphs, and conversations with far-reaching impact. While reflecting on the broader work and operations of the EU and Britain’s historic role in that, Catherine will also offer crucial insight into the political situation across Europe today.#RSAdiplomacy Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Awe is a complex and mysterious emotion. Summoned by the extraordinary, it can be inspired by the divine, the beauty of nature or the force of human achievement. Awe stimulates curiosity and allows us to see the deep patterns in life. It can boost our mood, social connections and improve our life satisfaction.  Yet in our modern world, we have become awe deprived. Our culture has become more materialistic and less connected to others. We spend more time on our phones and less time outdoors. In an inspiring conversation at the RSA, Dacher Keltner, the foremost expert on the science of emotions will explore ways that we can all find more wonder in our lives. To show how awe can transform our minds, bodies, and social connections for the better, Dacher will draw on cutting-edge research and deeply moving personal stories from people all over the world. #RSAWonderBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

We all know that innovation, invention, and change are essential to economic and social development. But innovation can also fuel inequality, decimate livelihoods, harm mental health and destroy the planet. How can we uplift the benefits of innovation while reducing its potential harms?How can we uplift the benefits of innovation while reducing its potential harms?The answer: Inclusive Innovation. Join the authors of a ground-breaking new study to learn just what Inclusive Innovation is and how incredible changemakers around the globe are making it the centre of their practice.An essential event for any entrepreneurs, business leaders and workers looking to innovate and do business in a more ethical, regenerative, and inclusive way.To learn more visit http://inclusiveinnovation.io#RSAinnovationBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

This December, BBC World Service launches a major new audio dramatisation of Susan Cooper’s classic family novel The Dark Is Rising.Commissioned by Simon Pitts for BBC World Service, co-produced by Complicité and Catherine Bailey Productions, and adapted by writer Robert Macfarlane and actor/director Simon McBurney, the story - set in the depths of winter - follows young Will Stanton on an epic quest to drive back the rising forces of darkness.In an extra special midwinter event at the RSA, Simon and Robert will discuss their collaboration in conversation with RSA head of education, John McMahon.Together, they’ll reflect on the work’s powerful and sharply resonant themes of elemental crisis, fate, free will, trial and resistance. What lessons does it hold for our age of conflict and climate emergency? And what is the purpose of storytelling when the dark times draw near?The Dark is Rising will be available as an immersive podcast best experienced on headphones. Available in 12 daily episodes on BBC World Service from 20th December, there’s a special early podcast preview on 19th December on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms. The series will also be broadcast on Radio 4 from 26th December. Find out more: www.bbcworldservice.com/darkisrising#thedarkisrisingBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

In its 100 years on air, the BBC has witnessed huge cultural change, reported on major political moments, and evolved alongside a digital revolution. Its broadcasting has acted as a mirror to British culture, politics and society and it has become a true national treasure.BBC programming has also shaped domestic routines and united people in their homes and across great distances – especially at Christmas. From the royal address to iconic Christmas specials, BBC broadcasting has become a central part of the British Christmas experience.At the RSA, broadcast historian, David Hendy, looks back on a hundred years of the BBC’s cultural impact, moral mission, and social significance. With Christmas celebrations on the horizon, we will also explore how BBC TV and radio have become such fixtures of the festive season and what this can reveal about the power of broadcasting to bring people together.#RSABBC100Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

We see colour everywhere we look. From the bright green of a soda can, the deep red of Valentine’s roses, to the green and black of power tools. But have you ever stopped to think why we associate certain colours with certain feelings, objects and flavours? We know that girls’ toys are often pink and boys’ are often blue, but why these colours? What is the social impact of these colour choices and who is making these choices for us?  At the RSA, internationally renowned graphic designer Riccardo Falcinelli dives deep into the story of colour and how it has shaped the modern gaze, from the industrial revolution to the internet age.#RSAcolourBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join 

On 26 March 2020, a new law appeared that confined us to our homes. Passed under a state of emergency that was meant to be short but lasted 763 days, this law was one of over 100 lockdown laws that were never debated in parliament. Though certainly justified by the rapid spread of Covid-19, these laws increasingly confused the public and restricted our freedoms more than ever before.New laws like the Public Order Bill are bringing in limitations to free speech and our right to protest. Just like laws made during the state of emergency, this Bill has been criticised as a threat to our freedoms, human rights and democracy.Here at the RSA, one of the UK’s leading human rights barristers, Adam Wagner, will reflect on these laws and their impact on our human rights. Adam will explore how these laws are passed in parliament, understood by the public, enforced by the police, and why we should never take our rights for granted.#RSAfreedomsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

From Roe v Wade and Black Lives Matter to gun control and immigration, US politics in 2022 looks as partisan as ever, with debates framed in moralistic terms and parties focusing on mobilising the faithful rather than wooing the sceptical. People increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. In this age of continued polarisation, democracy looks close to breaking point.But while it’s easy to fall into despair, there are grounds for hope, if we look close enough. Across America, there are those working round the clock to heal wounds, bridge divisions, change minds and create new political possibilities. Best-selling author Anand Giridharadas takes us to the frontline of this new battle, introducing us to the activists, politicians, educators and citizens striving to build more inclusive movements, and answer the urgent question: how can democracy be saved, and who is going to save it?#RSApersuadersBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Raj Chetty, professor of public economics at Harvard University will share the findings from research analysis of Meta data on the relationship between the social connections of individuals and economic mobility in the US. Research led by Harvard’s Opportunity Insights used large-scale privacy-protected social network datasets to study social capital in neighbourhoods, schools and colleges.Professor Chetty is joined by Lucy Makinson, head of policy at the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to explore the findings in more detail.What are the key implications in this US data for other countries and regions? How can these findings be further developed, and policy recommendations suggested to help improve social connectivity and economic mobility? What interventions could be made to enable these actions – and do they extend to the services themselves?The UK leg of this work is being taken forward by a coalition of partners including the RSA, BIT and Neighbourly Lab.#RSAconnectBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join