Anti-racist perspectives on 'fundamental British values'

In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis within government policy (particularly within education and counter-terror legislation) on the promotion of 'fundamental British values', defined as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Critical race scholars and anti-racist activists have been raising important questions and challenges to the enforcement of this discourse. Can 'mutual respect' and 'tolerance' really be considered 'fundamentally British' in a country founded on colonialism and racism? To what extent can the 'rule of law' be said to enforce these values and to what extent does it contradict them? And in the context of the global rise of far-right nationalisms, what are the implications of defining any of these values in nationalistic terms? Centring anti-racist analyses, these are some of the questions we aim to discuss at this event.

Speakers:

Moazzam Begg, Outreach Director, Cage
Sarah Keenan, Lecturer, School of Law, Birkbeck College
Kojo Koram, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Essex
Dolapo Bolaji, VP Education and Democracy, University of Portsmouth Students Union

This event is open to staff and students at the University of Portsmouth