Our universities, once the great champions of free speech, academic freedom and diversity of viewpoint, are increasingly becoming their opponents. This is an evolving disaster for academics and students – and for our society as a whole.
To paraphrase Edmund Burke, the only thing necessary for censorship to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
We don’t need to let this happen. But the defence of free speech requires the organised, passionate response it deserves, and current alumni have a vital role to play.
This is why Alumni For Free Speech (AFFS) has been set up. AFFS will:
- be co-ordinators and spokespeople for alumni
- organise alumni to act to secure free speech and to tackle specific incidents
- encourage, support and coordinate campaigns established by alumni of particular institutions.
This is a non-partisan, non-party political campaign: this is the reasonable against the unreasonable, and free speech provides protections for everyone: left, right and centre.
So, if you are a UK graduate, you can now do something.