Debating Forum One
This course gives us all the opportunity to debate in some depth, questions of global as well as national concern. The idea is, to give all those of us who wish to examine the pros and cons of an issue the opportunity to research a little into the subject and share this with the rest of the group.
The course is envisaged to run for about a year, discussing about 20 different subjects. There will then be opportunities to add a few more, if desired.
The course is set to start Monday, 22nd of November at 10 am, and will take place on every 2nd and 4th Monday morning of a month on ZOOM.
PROGRAMME
1) Universities: what are they ? What should they be ?Should they admit practical courses or only academic ones?Who and what decides what is ‘academic’? When does a subject qualify to be academic?
2) The Problem with Housing: home ownership versus need? Where and when to build ? What to build and for whom ?
3) Can cars be replaced by public transport ?
4) What should we ( in the UK) do to cope with immediate and present climate change disasters, such as floods,heat waves,fires,sea level rises etc. ?
5) Is vegetarianism/veganism the solution ?
6) BREXIT…..the aftermath so far.
7) Is Christianity is in decline and Islam on the rise…why,how ? Is this a good or a deplorable thing in UK ?
8) How prevalent is the influence of the class system in the UK today ? Where is it most felt and why ? Has is shifted ? Does it matter ?
9) Pets : how important are they to us ? Should all animals be ‘eligible for pet-ism’ ( be eligible to be turned into pets)? What do we do to our pets ?
10) How British is present day British food/cuisine ? Has our way of food preparation and ingredients changed in the past 30 years and if so why ?
11) Have sporting competitions become the modern day equivalent to war between nations ? ( football, Olympics…et??)
12) Do richer nations like ourselves have a responsibility to help poorer ones ? Why and how ? ( what of immigration?)
13) Should modern tourism be encouraged or curtailed ? How does it change the host countries ?
14) Never have we been so well informed and by the greatest variety of sources. Is this an advantage or actually a disadvantage? ( look at fake news. How does editorship deprive us of specific news items ?)
15) Do grandparents have a vital role to fulfil to the future generation. What is it ?How does this role in Britain compare to that in other parts of the world ?
16) With health care better than ever, why does modern living kill us ?
17) What is integration? And what is SUCCESSFUL integration, and where in the world has it been accomplished ?
18) How likely is it that both richer and poorer nations will meet the required targets to become carbon neutral in time to curtail the worst predications concerning global warming ?
19) The escapism we seek: holidays, reflected glamour by adulation of stars and celebrities etc. Why ?
20) Our fascination with the fantastical : why are horror stories and films so popular, why science fantasy and science fiction, as well as fairy tales ?
21) Is honesty always the best policy or/and is ignorance bliss – personally and politically ?
22) Suggestions from participants
23) Suggestions from participants
24) Suggestions from participants