On 26 November 2024, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Lady Ferguson) delivered the New Culture Forum’s 2024 Smith Lecture to a sold-out audience in central London. The title of her lecture was “The West: Sleepwalking to Disaster”. Today, Britain and The West seem crippled by self-loathing. Our heroes and achievements are denigrated, our history rewritten.
Race and identity politics are fracturing social cohesion.Mass immigration from the Islamic world has led to a rise in illiberal cultural practices and attitudes towards women, girls and others.Our right to free speech can no longer be taken for granted. How did we get here? And, crucially, how do we get out?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of the bravest and most prominent voices in the defence of The West. In this thought-provoking speech, she explores the multiple threats to our way of life and how to combat them.
THE SMITH LECTURE The Smith Lecture is the NCF’s flagship annual event and is delivered by a nationally or internationally significant figure from the arts, media, politics or academia noted for their involvement in the “culture wars”. Smith Lecturers 2017: Douglas Murray, journalist & author 2018: Nigel Farage MP 2019: Dr. David Starkey, historian & broadcaster 2021: Neil Oliver, author & broadcaster 2022: Rod Liddle, journalist & author 2024: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, campaigner, author & former politician ————— SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube (click the Subscribe Button underneath the video and then Click on the Bell icon next to it to make sure you Receive All Notifications)
Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
canisgallicus 