Society

There has never been a time at which Enlightenment values predominated in any culture. They have always faced pushback from forces that are embedded in human nature – tribalism, deference to authority, magical thinking, vulnerability to cognitive illusions and biases.

Cognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature

To be a billionaire in America today is less a matter of merit than it is a matter of being at the right place at the right time, and being a beneficiary of a set of rules designed to benefit billionaires.

Labor Secretary & Economist; Leading Voice on Inequality

America has a class system, and it's becoming more rigid all the time. As inequality widens the ladder becomes so long that you have little hope of getting too far up it in your lifetime.

Labor Secretary & Economist; Leading Voice on Inequality

Inside each of us are monsters and angels- there are no divisions between good and bad people- and I've seen how those times of insecurity can make us do terrible things to each other.

Founder of Acumen Fund & social entrepreneur focused on global poverty alleviation

You know what else is immoral? 700 million people who have no electricity. We need to have actual conversations about how to solve problems – and hold the uneasy tension of who pays for it, and how.

Founder of Acumen Fund & social entrepreneur focused on global poverty alleviation

We cannot focus only on the material aspects of poverty- we must address the poverty of spirit that's present in every one of our broken institutions: health systems, economic systems, criminal justice systems, and food systems.

Founder of Acumen Fund & social entrepreneur focused on global poverty alleviation

One of the undoubted triumphs of racism is how difficult it is to have an honest conversation about it.

Apartheid did not develop because of 'race'. Instead, race was used to justify the domination/exploitation of Apartheid. Once you understand the order, the mechanism, you understand the purpose.

I think it's an act of great arrogance and folly to imagine that in a highly racialized society that I would escape and not have racialized thoughts.

It's extraordinary to see the gains that have been won in the past half-century. The period from then till now is the blink of an eye in the vast passage of human history and the historic persecution of LGBT+ people.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

People are not born homophobic – or racist or misogynist. That's learned behaviour. This is why the current bid for LGBT-inclusive education in schools is so important.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

Backlash is sadly an intrinsic part of social progress. When oppressed people make their claim for justice, they trigger a response – a fightback by those who want to maintain the status-quo.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

I want a world where people can be true to themselves and to live their lives according to who they truly are.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

LGBT+ identity came into existence as a defence mechanism against those who were attacking us. We were being targeted because of our sexual behavior and our love. We had to defend ourselves – that is why we claimed, and asserted our LGBT+ identity.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

The way an orchestra is normally structured is cast in the image of what people in the 18th century thought society should look like. It's very top-down, a hierarchical power structure… I wanted to subvert that by creating a new orchestral structure that reflected how society could be.

Renowned composer known for film scores and electronic classical music

I feel as if our world is moving away from the ideals we subscribed to, and I wanted to reflect that through music. I wanted to create something hopeful and uplifting from this dark material of our times as a metaphor for the questions we are facing as a society.

Renowned composer known for film scores and electronic classical music