Susie Alegre

The right to freedom of thought is fundamental to our humanity. Without it, there can be no innovation in the arts or in science and there can be no democracy. Technology touches every aspect of our lives and societies, from politics to love and everything in between. Increasingly it seeks to get inside our minds, drawing inferences about how we think and feel and trying to influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. But we need to think carefully about what those developments might mean for our right to freedom of thought.

The UK has left the European Union, but what this will mean for human rights in the UK is still to be determined. This talk will explore how Brexit will affect our rights as citizens and the wider implications of Brexit for the UK's ability to work with Europe on crucial issues like security and the UK's standing in the world.

Climate Change is an existential issue for small island states. Many small island states are at risk of sinking under water in the next century. This is not just an environmental issue, it is a human rights issue. This presentation explores the human cost of climate change in small islands and what islanders are doing to fight back with human rights law.