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I grew up in a society where our values – the principles which influence and shape our relationships – were determined in general by education. For my generation, the learning which took place at home, school, or in church and college, for example, was formative in developing who we have become as human beings. In this environment, we learned that personal bonds and friendships offered us boundaries in which we could give and take.

Furthermore, we were aware that who we were also partly determined who other people were too, whether in nearby communities or distant countries. We...

Picture the scene…

As a management team you’ve had months to plan the departure of one of your radio station’s biggest stars.

Not only that she has served you for 15 years.

Not only that, you are the BBC.

Smooth, slick, organised, disciplined, measured, understanding conciliatory.

All the things you’d expect. Except that didn’t happen!

Instead there was, in the words of one insider, “pandemonium”.

I have been told that the BBC Radio Devon executive team simply were not prepared for the volume of calls and emails they received after...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” I’ve been reflecting on this famous though underrated quote from anthropologist Margaret Mead in regard to recent events, including the General Election. One of the weaknesses in our embryonic democracy is that we seek to elect people to represent us but often let them get on with it until we are called to express our choices at the next round of voting. Most of us do not seem to engage with politicians for much of the time and effectively do not take our own...

After observing the unedifying General Election campaign nationally and being involved in several local Hustings, I have to honestly say I am feeling very uninspired and pretty low about the overall state of English politics. In my view, we face an unprecedented global ecological challenge and a menacing destabilisation of democracy. Together these two call for an intense campaign to de-carbonise as soon as possible on the one hand, and a profound and radical overhaul of our political and economic systems and structures on the other. This means we need to set out detailed programmes to...