Chair: Vishnu Nair Speaker: Subhash Jogia In October 2021, Facebook announced it was hiring 10,000 people to develop and run the metaverse, changing their name to Meta in the process. Technologists are predicting in 10-15 years we will all be interacting or living in the metaverse, and companies are clearly investing heavily in it. But what is it and will it really revolutionise our lives? Would life in the metaverse hold the same value as our real life, and if adopted by society, what impact will that have on communities and nations for future generations? Or is it just another gimmick - an extension of social media with the aim of consuming our time? Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our book clubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3twAApl3UpBJOYBzryabZv Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-vm-podcast/id1548216705 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

Chair: Rajashekar Asireddy Speaker: Professor Elizabeth David-Barrett How do we ensure that politicians use their power for the right purposes? Since the ‘cash for questions’ scandal in the UK in the 1990s, a system to maintain standards in public life was established. Yet, this has been recently put under particular strain, with several politicians having seemed to breach these standards, bringing their integrity into question. Is the existing standards system fit for purpose? Is there a cultural problem in British national politics? And what is the sustainable alternative? Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our book clubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

Chair: Gaurang Bhatt Speaker: Adam Wagner Safety and Liberty are both key principles of a prosperous and liberal democracy, these ideas are often at odds with each other. Governments are perpetually having to strike a balance between the two. What institutions are in place to maintain this balance in the UK and how do they do so? To what extent should we allow either value to encroach on the other? How much Liberty can we give up for the safety of ourselves and others around us? Conversely, should Liberty be upheld no matter what the implications are for our safety? Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our book clubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

The rise of Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and cryptocurrency is making large strides towards integration within the financial ecosystem. Can DeFi challenge the traditional banking industry and surpass it in the future or is it the latest fad based on a fantasy currency? As modern methods of payment and virtual currencies proliferate, and issuers of digital currencies get more established, do they need to be regulated and if not, what impact could it have on society? Can a decentralised system even be regulated? How does DeFi, in its current format, align to the classical ideas of Dharma - does it benefit the greatest number, minimise harm, or create a society that meets human needs? Join us for our first Fireside of the year, to better understand the nuances of DeFi.   ---- Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our bookclubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

Could the West ever embrace Dharma? Or are Western values too distinct, too deep rooted for Dharma to show us a way out of the fly bottle? Hear Amish Tripathi and Rajiv Malhotra discuss how political philosophy could learn from the narratives of long standing civilisations. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/could-the-west-ever-embrace-dharma-tickets-136093157297 Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our bookclubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

Every individual needs shelter in order to flourish. Yet in the UK, an estimated 250,000 homeless people were living in temporary accommodation in England at the end of June 2020, the highest figures for 14 years (Shelter). Self-contained accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic was found for over 33,000 rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping by the end of November 2020 (National Audit Office). There is no easy solution to homelessness, which requires policy responses from charities and the state and the contribution of individuals. Homeless charities have adopted as their goal the eradication of homelessness. But what causes homelessness? Is the work that charities do in the UK a sustainable solution to homelessness? Do they make our society more socially responsible for tackling it? And how successfully do they help the homeless to flourish, maintain good wellbeing and become responsible members of society? Join us in conversation with Jon Sparkes to explore the role of charities in sustainably solving the problem of homelessness in British society. Chair: Pravar Petkar, PhD Law at The University of Edinburgh Speaker: Jon Sparkes, CE Crisis Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our bookclubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK Twitter: https://twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

The recent farmer’s protests in India have garnered widespread media, and social media attention. A seemingly run of the mill reform bill in the Agricultural sector in the world’s largest democracy has ignited passions on both sides of the debate. Cutting through the smoke screens and cloaks of political power plays, Vichaar Manthan is asking the key questions. What are these farming reforms about? Who do they effect, how do they affect them, and where? Will these reforms usher in an era of modernisation and mechanisation of India’s farming industry at the cost of the small farmer? Are there external, vested interest groups at the heart of the agitation who are utilising small farmers to their own ends, or is this really a valid uprising against unjust laws? Join us as we explore the intricacies of these farm laws and get to the heart of the matter. Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our book clubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/

How will we feed the world in 30 years’ time? The amount of agricultural land per capita across the globe has reduced by 56% since 1961 (Our World in Data), making it increasingly difficult to sustain a growing global population. With a lack of new agricultural land available and the effects of climate change, both food security and the nutritional content of the food we produce are threatened. To ensure that we can feed the global population in 2050, we must turn to other solutions, such as lab-grown food. But can lab-grown food be produced quickly and in the quantities required? Are production processes environmentally friendly? Does cultured meat psychologically impact us and produce wholesome states of mind? And is it healthy, nutritious and economically viable? Join us in conversation with Dr Marianne Ellis to unpack all of these questions and explore the sustainability of producing lab-grown food. Invest in ideas that matter: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/supportvm Join our book clubs: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub Listen to the podcast: https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/podcast Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/VichaarManthanUK/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vichaar_manthan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vichaarmanthan/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vichaar-manthan/ Medium: https://vichaarmanthan.medium.com/