On Tuesday February 7th, Dr Thomas Davies, of the Department of International Politics at London City University, spoke to an enthused collection of VIth Form scholars and non-scholars alike about ‘Social Networking and the Arab Spring’. Continuing Mr Jackson’s theme of ‘communication’, through the apt use of video and internet he explained the relevance and impact that websites such as Youtube and Facebook have in helping to orchestrate rather than cause such public events.
Easily the most popular lecture in the Purvis Society calendar thus far, likely due to the proximity of such events, it was evident that many pupils left the lecture theatre with a greater awareness of the prominence and importance that such websites have in allowing people to participate in the pursuit of freedom. As well as this, he also touched on the liberty that the internet provides to these generally oppressed people, and how it presents the opportunity for people to voice their opinion uncensored, allowing news networks across the globe to truly understand the political goings-on in these countries.
Having spoken for nearly an hour, it became unclear towards the end whether he was actually going to leave considering the vast amount of questions proffered from interested Cranleighans. On the whole, an interesting and politically pertinent evening.
Alex Clarke (LVI, Cubitt)
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