Four Thought

Laiba Husain discusses life before, and after, marriage.

A Fulbright Scholar from Michigan, Laiba studies at Birmingham University and has recently got married. She discusses how educated women in her family were expected to stay at home after marriage rather than pursuing careers and higher education. But how much is this due to patriarchal culture and religious misconceptions? Laiba argues that marriage and religion do not impede her ambitions; instead, she feels empowered. And she calls on Muslim women to embrace individual choice rather than being bound by cultural expectations.

Producer: Peter Snowdon.

David Baker asks what happens to the families of people shot by the police.

Over the years, he has spent time with many such families - bereaved, grieving, often angry - in the UK and overseas. In this powerful talk David reflects on his time with three families in the United States, and asks whether their experience - not just the loss of a relative but what happened afterwards - was exceptional, or sadly not.

Producer: Peter Snowdon.

Felicity Boardman discusses genetic screening for 'serious conditions'.

But what, she asks, is a 'serious condition'? The answer to that question will vary, and might increase as genomic medicine expands. The answer, too, will have dramatic consequences for which people we will accept as future members of our society, and which we will not. As a medical ethicist, and an Assistant Professor at Warwick Medical School, Felicity believes that individuals and families living with inheritable and screened-for conditions should be key to answering the question.

Producer: Peter Snowdon.

Zia Chaudhry reflects on his role as a Muslim Dad to help his children to feel British, recalling his own father's focus on education as the path to success and integration. Schools could help, he believes, by including Muslim Spain in the history curriculum.

Julie White shares her passion for young children learning outdoors in the natural world as the best way for them to achieve wellbeing and develop resilience.

David Reid warns of the dangers of encoding unconscious bias into artificial intelligence.

Maggie O'Carroll calls for action to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs. She contrasts the "palpable positive culture towards entrepreneurship and for female entrepreneurs" of the US with a lack of organised support in the UK. Recalling her mother's success as a farmer in the West of Ireland, she feels sure there were other powerful women behind the scenes. "We need these invisible entrepreneurs to step out into the spotlight and become the role models and the inspiration for others to join them."

Theatre maker Raquel Meseguer, who lives with chronic pain, has a vision for public resting spaces. Challenging our etiquette and perceptions of people lying down, she imagines how our cultural spaces might embrace 'Cloudspotters', her euphemism for people with hidden conditions like her own.

http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/a-crash-course-in-cloudspotting

https://uncharteredcollective.com/a-crash-course-in-cloudspotting/

Photo credit: Paul Blakemore.

Young entrepreneur Bejay Mulenga tells the story of his youthful business success and shares his vision for helping other young people overcome the barriers to achieving their dreams.

Former army intelligence officer Andy Owen explains why he thinks philosophy can help soldiers cope in complex war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan.