Cloning Speaker's Corner

A charity in Britain wants to replicate the success of London's heavily used Speaker's Corner in other parts of the country to encourage public interaction and discussion. Some say it's an idea that could never be.

1 minute read

June 12, 2008, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"Since it was set up in 1872, Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park has been one of the world's best-known forums for public debate – and public displays of intellectual eccentricity."

"Its big day is Sunday,and the likes of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and George Orwell have come to listen. Intended as a space for free and open discussion, anyone can turn up and speak on any topic – so long as they don't swear excessively or incite hatred or violence. Police officers stroll through the corner every hour or so, to keep an eye – and an ear – on proceedings."

"Now, a new charity – the Speakers' Corner Trust, whose founding patron is Vaclav Havel, the playwright and human rights activist who was the first president of the post-Communist Czech Republic – wants to breathe life back into civil society in Britain by setting up many more corner-style spaces where citizens can engage in face-to-face debate."

"'Our aim is to get people exchanging ideas,' says Peter Bradley, codirector of the trust."

FULL STORY: Can you replicate London's Speakers' Corner?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 in The Christian Science Monitor

Land Use Social / Demographics United Kingdom London Public Spaces Speaker's Corner View More

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