"I’m David Feldman. I’m the Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. I’m also a Professor of History at Birkbeck, part of the University of London."
Has working with the Bonnart Trust influenced the way you think about your postgraduate students?
"I think working with the Trust has influenced the way I think about my students in at least 2 ways. First of all, there’s the way in which applying to the Trust requires candidates to think about - not only their subject - but the relationship of their subject to the world outside of the academy. And that’s unusual to have as a presence from the very inception of the research project. So that’s one point of difference. The other point of difference is the Trust itself as a funder. Of course, a number of research students do have funders - the Research Councils for example - but the relationship with the Research Council is not a personal relationship, it’s not an interaction in the same way as it is with the Trust, and the way in which one feels the responsibility to the Trust as well as to the student, that things ought to go as well as possible.
How do you think Trusts like Bonnart will have to evolve in the next few years?
"The Trust has already changed in a sense that it’s taken ideas about toleration - which is not a language that we use so much now - to talk about inclusivity, for example, and social justice. The ways in which these ideas are interpreted now are not the same as they were interpreted 10 or 15 years ago, or certainly 20 years ago. So I think the ways in which the Trust will change in the future will – to some extent - depend on the ways in which we continue to reinterpret ideas about inclusivity and diversity and pluralism in modern society."
"Hi there! My name is Shereen Hunte, and I'm a Masters student on the Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity Masters at Birkbeck College, University of London."
What is your research about?
"Now, my research. My research centres both the black community and the Jewish community in Britain. Throughout history, throughout British history, both of these communities have been largely defined by their racialized identities, or their status, but also by their histories of oppression and migration. Despite this, little research has been done in Britain to centre these communities, and to understand the potential for allyship and collaboration. That is where my research lies. Throughout my Masters, I have been studying on the role of whiteness, to both of these communities, I have looked into the relationship between the Shoah and history of colonialism as well. For my dissertation, I will be focusing in – on the potential for allyship for the Black community and the Jewish community in Britain going forwards. I truly believe that if we continue to learn and understand this potential, then we will be able to truly disrupt the foundations of racial and religious intolerance in this country today."
At the Bonnart Trust 17th Anniversary Reception and Lecture, held on Thursday, 21st November 2019 at the Free Word Centre, two more Bonnart reports were launched: “Social Interaction in Mixed-Tenure Neighbourhoods”, by Dr. Tatiana Moreira de Souza, and “Social Exclusion and Conformity as Drivers and Buffers of Violent Radicalisation” by Nafees Hamid with a conversation with the authors and a panel.
The Trust hosted their annual Reception at the Free Word Centre on 21st November. On this occasion, Dr. Bharath Ganesh (University of Oxford) discussed his PhD research – The Politics of the cipher: hip-hop, antiphony and multiculturalism with Dr. Richard Bramwell (Loughborough University). The discussion centred around the Cipher and the negotiation of identity through rap.
Bharath Ganesh is a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute focusing on the role of new media in contemporary cultures of hate and intolerance. His work draws on cultural geography, media studies and politics. He completed his PhD in Geography at University College London in 2017.
Richard Bramwell was awarded a PhD in Sociology by the London School of Economics and Political Science. His interests are focused primarily around black British vernacular and popular culture. His book, “UK Hip-Hop, Grime and the City” examines the aesthetic, cultural and commercial practises of black and white working class youths in London.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary this year, The Bonnart Trust held an evening lecture and reception at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on 29th November
The lecture was given by Philippe Sands QC, on the theme of ‘East West Street: Personal Stories about Genocide and Crimes against Humanity.’
Philippe Sands QC is Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for International Courts and Tribunals in the Faculty of Laws at UCL, one of our academic partners. He is also in great demand as a writer, commentator and practicing barrister, with extensive experience litigating cases before international tribunals including the International Court of Justice and European Court of Justice. His latest book East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity, published in May 2016, was awarded the 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize.
You can hear an audio recording of the lecture here.
