<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Speakers Corner Trust</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org</link>
	<description>Just another WordPress weblog</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:04:48 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>SCT Publishes Debate on Drug Legalisation</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4327/sct-publishes-debate-on-drug-legalisation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4327/sct-publishes-debate-on-drug-legalisation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:53:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4327</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the latest in SCT's online Forum for Debate series published on 30 July, two of the UK’s leading experts on the misuse of drugs debate the implications of the legalisation of the drugs trade.

In "Legalising the Drugs Trade: Reducing Crime or Increasing Addiction?" Danny Kushlik, Head of Policy and Communications at Transform Drug Policy Foundation argues that far from reducing drug misuse, prohibition “has created, at $320 billion a year, the second largest criminal market, displaced health policy with enforcement, caused the ‘balloon effect’ which moves the trade in drugs around the world but never eliminates it and created an environment where drug users are discriminated against and stigmatised”. He calls instead for “a system of strict control and regulation for the most toxic and dependence inducing drugs and a lighter tough regulation for the less powerful drugs” and concludes that “bringing illegal drugs into regulatory regimes will definitely reduce overall harm, and could in fact, reduce the availability of drugs.  Pharmacists are vastly better controlled than the user/dealer with the reinforced door, pit bull and hand gun.”

But Professor Neil McKeganey, Director of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at Glasgow University, argues that “drugs don’t become harmful because they are illegal; they are illegal because they are harmful”. While he acknowledges that current drugs laws inevitably contribute to a lucrative criminal trade, he warns that “legalisation is no more the answer to that problem than removing household locks is the answer to domestic burglary” and that legalising drugs could lead to a tenfold increase in the level of heroin addiction without reducing the acute problems associated with it: “in the UK some 400,000 children are being brought up in homes with addict parents. Legalisation of illegal drugs would not help those children; it would simply mean that their addicted parents now had a legal supplier to turn to.”

The full debate can be accessed at (http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/forum/forum-for-debate/).
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4327/sct-publishes-debate-on-drug-legalisation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Speakers&#8217; Corner to Mark Leicester&#8217;s Local Democracy Week</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4302/speakers-corner-to-mark-leicesters-local-democracy-week/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4302/speakers-corner-to-mark-leicesters-local-democracy-week/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:01:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4302</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SCT is working with Leicester City Council and other local partners, including public services, the education sector, voluntary organisations, community groups and the business community, to organise a range of events during the course of Local Democracy Week in October. The aim of the programme will be to involve as wide as possible a cross section of Leicester’s communities in debating a range of issues of importance to them, provide platforms for sectors of Leicester’s community which are seldom heard and create opportunities for constructive engagement between the public and local decision takers.

Consultation with key stakeholders is under way and a programme of events will be developed over the coming weeks.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4302/speakers-corner-to-mark-leicesters-local-democracy-week/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SCT&#8217;s Newsletter Published</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4282/scts-newsletter-published/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4282/scts-newsletter-published/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:41:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4282</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SCT has published the latest edition of its bulletin News from Speakers' Corner Trust  which reports progress over the last six months on a range of SCT’s projects - including those in Bristol, Herefordshire, Lichfield, Lincoln, Nottingham, Walthamstow and Nigeria – and on programmes such as our new online Forum for Debate which has already featured debates about NHS charging, the size of the state and electoral reform and will shortly explore the arguments for and against the legalisation of the drugs trade.

You can find all SCT's newsletters on the Library page.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4282/scts-newsletter-published/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Legalising the Drugs Trade: Reducing Crime or Increasing Addiction?</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4237/legalising-the-drugs-trade-reducing-crime-or-increasing-addiction/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4237/legalising-the-drugs-trade-reducing-crime-or-increasing-addiction/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:38:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[forum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4237</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For many legalising the trade in drugs would be unthinkable. But among those who have first-hand experience of combating drug misuse, there is a growing number who believe that legalisation not only offers the best means of taking organised crime out of the supply chain but would also save billions of pounds in policing costs. Other experts disagree, arguing that more accessible drugs [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4237/legalising-the-drugs-trade-reducing-crime-or-increasing-addiction/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stoneydown Speakers&#8217; Corner Design Chosen</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4148/stoneydown-speakers-corner-design-chosen/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4148/stoneydown-speakers-corner-design-chosen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 16:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Stoneydown Speakers’ Corner Committee has chosen a design to be installed in Stoneydown Park by Waltham Forest Council later this summer as the first permanent Speakers’ Corner in London since the original in Hyde Park almost 150 years ago.

The winning design is one of four submitted by teams of students from the prestigious Central St Martins College of Art &#038; Design, part of the University of the Arts London, in a competition which began with an open day in the park in March and a consultation which took in pupils at two local primary schools as well as local residents and park users.

The competition culminated in a public viewing at Stoneydown Primary School on Tuesday (25 May) at which visitors were invited to express their preferences. Their views were taken into account when the Committee made its choice on Thursday (27 May).

The winning design, entitled Stepping Stones and designed by Hayley Clack, Stephanie Romig and Yoo Kyeong, is multifunctional, creating not only a Speakers’ Corner but also seating and tables, some of which feature board games such as chess. The design acknowledges the work of William Morris who lived much of his life nearby on Forest Road.

Read more about the design competition on the Walthamstow page. You can also see copies of all the presentations on the Designing Speakers' Corners page.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4148/stoneydown-speakers-corner-design-chosen/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SCT Publishes &#8216;Public Space &amp; Public Sphere&#8217; Essay</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4143/sct-publishes-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4143/sct-publishes-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 16:22:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4143</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A team of urban and spatial designers and academics at Central Saint Martins College of Art &#038; Design has called for the reclaiming of city centre sites as spaces for “citizenship, debate and discussion” and asks whether there is a need for a new duty on local authorities to create spaces which serve the public sphere.

In a discussion paper 'Open to Debate: The Speakers’ Corner Experience – Public Space &#038; Public Sphere in the 21st Century' published today on Speakers’ Corner Trust’s website the designers argue for “a user-centred design approach whereby communities co-create their own version of Speakers’ Corner to suit their needs, interests and environment”.

The essay is on the Forum page.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4143/sct-publishes-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Open to Debate:  The Speakers’ Corner Experience – Public Space &amp; Public Sphere in the 21st Century</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4114/open-to-debate-the-speakers%e2%80%99-corner-experience-%e2%80%93-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4114/open-to-debate-the-speakers%e2%80%99-corner-experience-%e2%80%93-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2010 14:23:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Occasional Essays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4114</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Tricia Austin, Allan Parsons, Mariana Pestana, Elli Resvanis, Shibboleth Shecter and Camilla Zucchi
MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environments, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London
Public Space &#38; Public Sphere is also available as a pdf.
Background
Between October 2008 and April 2009, Central St Martins College developed its conceptual thinking [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4114/open-to-debate-the-speakers%e2%80%99-corner-experience-%e2%80%93-public-space-public-sphere-in-the-21st-century/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judgement Day for Stoneydown&#8217;s Speakers&#8217; Corner Designs</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4082/judgement-day-for-stoneydowns-speakers-corner-designs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4082/judgement-day-for-stoneydowns-speakers-corner-designs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 10:59:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=4082</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a programme of research and consultation and two months creative work, four teams of students from Central St Martins College of Art &#038; Design are putting their designs for a permanent Speakers' Corner in Stoneydown Park in Walthamstow on display. The public viewing takes place at Stoneydown Primary School from 3.30 -7.30 pm on Tuesday 25 May. Visitors will be asked to register their views and the Stoneydown Speakers' Corner Committee will meet two days later to make its choice. The winning design should be installed in the park by the Council later in the summer.

To see the designs, please visit the Walthamstow page.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/4082/judgement-day-for-stoneydowns-speakers-corner-designs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;People&#8217;s Hustings&#8217; To Breathe New Life into Election Campaigns</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3933/peoples-hustings-to-breathe-new-life-into-election-campaigns/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3933/peoples-hustings-to-breathe-new-life-into-election-campaigns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:25:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=3933</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SCT is promoting a series of open air hustings in cities around the country in an attempt to breathe new life into the almost extinct tradition of face-to-face engagement between politicians and public at election time.

People’s Hustings are being organised in Nottingham and Lichfield where Speakers’ Corner projects have already been launched and Bristol and Lincoln where they are being developed. In each case Parliamentary candidates will have the opportunity to revive the traditional hustings by addressing local people from a platform in the city centre.

But this proposal goes an important step further by enabling the public rather than the politicians to set the agenda. At each event, a range of voluntary groups will be offered the opportunity to set out their priorities for the next government and members of the public will be given a chance to voice their opinions before the candidates are asked to respond to what they have heard.

All the Hustings  proved a great success. For more details, please see the reports and photographs on the Lichfield, Lincoln and Bristol pages.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3933/peoples-hustings-to-breathe-new-life-into-election-campaigns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SCT&#8217;s &#8216;Fair Votes or Firm Government&#8217; Debate</title>
		<link>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3927/scts-fair-votes-or-firm-government-debate/</link>
		<comments>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3927/scts-fair-votes-or-firm-government-debate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:16:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>peter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/?p=3927</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the latest in SCT's Forum for Debate series Fair Votes or Firm Government: Do We Have to Choose? Electoral Reform Society chief executive Ken Ritchie calls for a referendum to “let the electorate decide whether it wants our present, broken system or one that offers both fair votes and a firm government with a proper democratic mandate" and argues that “parties working together for the common good is surely not a bad thing and it is what polls suggest people would like to see. A coalition can give most people most of what they want – better than our present situation in which the majority has to put up with the policies of a minority”.

 But Lord (Philip) Norton, Professor of Government at the University of Hull, counters that “changing the electoral system will not address the public’s disaffection with politicians… A new electoral system is not so much a solution as a dangerous distraction… A coalition produced by post-election bargaining enjoys no electoral legitimacy, because no one has voted for it". He adds that "coalitions or pacts are produced by crude horse-trading, not some considered reflection of the common good” and that whatever its flaws, “our first-past-the-post system is well worth fighting for”.

The debate in full is on the Forum for Debate page.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/3927/scts-fair-votes-or-firm-government-debate/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
