SU London set to commemorate ‘most neglected radical event in British history’October 26, 2007Daeya Malboeufdmking04@syr.edu
On Wednesday, Oct. 31, Syracuse University London (SUL) students, faculty and staff will commemorate the Putney Debates of 1647. Recently named “the most neglected radical event in British history” by The Guardian newspaper, the debates inspired many of the most basic rights and civil liberties of modern democracies.
“The Putney Debates were to the 17th century what Magna Carta was to the 13th, and they rival in importance the Petition of Right (1628) and the Bill of Rights (1689),” says Bruce Norton Ph.D.’70, an alumnus of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. “They foreshadowed debates about democratic rights and justice that were heard in Britain and the United States for the next 300 years and more, and indeed are still heard today.”
As part of the official Putney Debates commemoration, SUL will hold a debate, “Everyman and his Government: The American Premise,” chaired by Norton at St. Mary’s Church, Putney, where the debates originally took place. The event will bring together academics from British universities — Oxford, University College London, Warwick and Sheffield — to discuss the parallels between the Putney Debates and American political discourse of that era, how such discussions laid the foundation for contemporary democratic ideals, and whether those ideals have ever truly lived up to their promise.
Marking a new level of collaboration with British institutions, SUL was asked to participate in the commemoration activities because of the center’s growing reputation for provocative debates exploring American and U.K. perspectives, such as “Journalism about the Middle East: Propaganda or Free Speech?” co-sponsored last March by SUL and the Tully Center for Free Speech.
SUL Associate Director Meredith Hyde says: “I’m thrilled to have SU London be part of such an imaginative extension of what many students are doing in London, examining history as a crucial means of understanding the present.”
The debate is part of the 2007 Syracuse Symposoium on “Justice” and the Newhouse School’s Year of the First Amendment, and is a featured event on both the British Association of American Studies and the U.S. Embassy’s fall calendars.
Beth Egan, associate professor of advertising in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the CNY Central story “Syracuse University to rename the Carrier Dome – what name would fans choose?” Egan, who specializes in strategic communications and advertising, discussed why…
We want to know how you experience Syracuse University. Take a photo and share it with us. We select photos from a variety of sources. Submit photos of your University experience using #SyracuseU on social media, fill out a submission…
Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, was interviewed for the Diet Soap Media Podcast episode “Can the Working Class End PMC Environmentalism?” Huber, who studies climate politics, discussed his new book that unpacks the failures…
Jenny Breen, associate professor of law in the College of Law, authored the Common Dreams opinion piece “The ‘Raw Judicial Power’ of Samuel Alito Is an Attack on Dignity, Autonomy, and Progress.” Breen, who teaches Constitutional law, discussed the leak…
An art installation created by Sam Van Aken, associate professor of studio arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was featured in the Thrillist story “Governors Island’s New Orchard Is a Treasure Trove of Rare Fruits.” Van Aken, who…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
