List of The last word Archive

Learning about learning

Blog

11 Nov 2011

Matthew Taylor

Given the growing possibility that the movie ‘Meltdown 2 – this time no one is safe’ is about to be played out across the UK, I feel an urge to write about the economic crisis. Maybe I will over the weekend. But today - before moving on to my main topic - I’ll make do with asking ‘what should us ordinary folks do?'. Yesterday morning my old friend Robert Peston -who increasingly sounds like Private Frazer from Dads Army on mood altering drugs (‘we’re doomed but, hey, it’s kind of amazing’) - used the word 'Armageddon' twice on the Today Programme. The other night I chatted with someone who had spoken recently to both a group of financial industry folk in Japan and hedge fund traders in the UK, all of whom apparently said they has bought and stashed gold bars. I don’t know where to get gold bars, even if I had the readies to buy them so what should I do: wait and hope, buy basic provisions, take my cash out of the bank? Any useful tips out there?

Tomorrow's Pension

Comment

10 Nov 2011

David Pitt-Watson FRSA, leader of the RSA's Tomorrow's Investor programme, recently gave evidence to parliament about some of the conclusions of our work. He argues that UK government policy is heading in the right direction but must ensure that it builds a pension system that meets 21st century needs.

The Darwin Economy

Video

10 Nov 2011

Robert Frank is Professor of Economics at Cornell University and a New York Times columnist

Civic Symbolism: What's in a Poppy?

Blog

10 Nov 2011

Benedict Dellot

There’s something quite satisfying about seeing others wear a poppy, even if you aren’t wearing one yourself. The scene of lots of people milling about with little red flowers on their lapel is both moving and visually striking. It impresses not simply because of the number of poppies on display, but more so because of what they represent. They are in effect – and without trying to look too deeply into this – collective expressions of care, solidarity and respect for those who have fought and sacrificed their lives for others.

The Third Industrial Revolution

Video

09 Nov 2011

Jeremy Rifkin is president of the Foundation on Economic Trends and a bestselling author

Enterprising types?

Blog

09 Nov 2011

Matthew Taylor

As the economic gloom sits over us, as indifferent to our misery as a rain cloud at a test match, we screw up our eyes in search of rays of light. Stories of plucky start-up businesses and bold entrepreneurship are among those rays.

The best way to save?

Comment

08 Nov 2011

Utter the words ‘employee share ownership’ and many people mistakenly think that this refers to the ‘John Lewis model’.  John Collison argues that the time is ripe for policymakers and commentators to do more to understand and encourage the relatively simple concept of employees holding or saving for shares in the company they work for.

From Chicago... to the RSA: two group facilitation methods to help you put an end to ‘aimless drift’

Blog

08 Nov 2011

Chicago gave rise to the radical community organising approach of Saul Alinsky (made famous by its Barack Obama connection - and a rather unexpected endorsement by David Cameron).

Nudging towards organ donation: Wales leads the way

Blog

08 Nov 2011

Today, the Welsh government has published proposals to change the way organ donation is organised from an opt-in to an opt-out system. The soft opt-out system they propose would allow people to register their preference not to donate, and would include some flexibility so that families can still refuse that their loved one’s organs be donated after they have died. The Welsh government said that a bill will be introduced in 2012, legislation in place by 2013 and the system up and running by 2015.