The second speaker in last week’s conference was Shalom Lapping (Kings College London). Shalom started off making a point that in this country, multiculturalism does not usually refer to Scots, Irish or the Welsh unlike in Canada, instead it’s used to refer to immigration and religion. There are two main attacks on multiculturalism. On the Right, it is seen as a failure of (Muslim) immigrants to integrate themselves into the host society which results in a breakdown of social cohesion. This results in separatism and ends in jihad. e.g. Melanie Phillips (Daily Hate). While on the left “communalism” politics breaks down social cohesion e.g. faith based schools. While some on the extreme left support it as some sort of “weapon in the anti-imperialistic struggle” to overcome western values.

The first speaker at the conference was Norman Geras (University of Manchester). As mentioned in my previous post I was late and missed the beginning. His subject was not arguing over the pro’s and con’s of any particular military intervention (such as Iraq war), rather he was concerned with defects in international law which in his view, do not prevent genocide taking place. Current International law should not only be about punishing human rights violators (however imperfectly - the various current war crime tribunals), rather its should be about preventing or stopping the abuse taking place in the first place.

On Wednesday (afternoon and evening) I went to the first “Euston Manifesto” conference held at the SOAS, University of London. It was sold out. I arrived a bit late and the lecture theatre was packed with people, many were sittings on the isles or standing at the sides. There was a notably good mix of people (age, sex and race). I really enjoyed the conference even though some of it made my head hurt.

I accept that many will be unclear about what the Euston Manifesto stands for – this is the preamble from the website

The New Culture Forum

MICHAEL GOVE MP (yes, I know he's a Tory)

Are We Seeing the Emergence of a New Anti-Islamist Intelligentsia?

Monday, 22nd January, 7 for 7.30pm                                            

The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, Westminster, London SW1A 2LW (next to Westminster Tube)