Reading University in exemplary handling of free speech challenge
Reading has handled challenges to and complaints about the holding of a seminar with exemplary fairness, firmness and sense.
The QAA and “decolonising” the curriculum: free speech risks
The QAA has controversially issued revised Benchmark Statements for university courses which incorporate a “decolonisation” agenda into subjects as unlikely as computer science.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Freedom of Speech lecture
Chimamanda has given the first of this year’s Reith Lectures where she discusses freedom of speech, cancel culture and social censorship.
Update on Cambridge intervention
We’ve had a busy month, with more work on the free speech failures at Cambridge.
Our first intervention: Cambridge
Ill-judged statements about a talk have involved what appear to be breaches of equalities and free speech legislation. We have written to remonstrate and urge remedies and greater care in future.
Campaign news
Revised statement reflecting new OfS guidance (07.05.24) Our related campaign Best Free Speech Practice has just published a revised statement about the new requirements to protect free speech and what they mean in practice, which includes extensive reference to the OFS is draught guidance as to the requirements in practice. This is as far as […]
We’ve launched!
Alumni have seen and are joining at pace. Good start!
How you can help us grow
We are in the process of building a set of tools to help get the AFFS out there but for the time being, here’s one. It’s a QR Code that, when scanned, takes the scanner to our Join page. So if you know someone who might be interested in joining and you’re viewing this on […]
About and contact
Here is information about us. Alumni for Free Speech (AFFS) is owned and overseen by DAFSC Ltd (registered in England, no. 14189200), a not-for-profit company dedicated to campaigning for free speech at UK universities and more widely. Registered office: 27 Old Gloucester St, London W1N 3AX. DAFSC has a group of free-speech-loving shareholders. AFFS’ aims and […]
Quotes: good, bad and ugly
Here are some of history’s best freedom of speech quotes – and some of the worst: the good – and the bad and ugly! THE GOOD “How brave a thing is freedom of speech, which has made the Athenians so far exceed every other state of Hellas in greatness.” – Herodotus (5th Century BC) “This […]
