Oxford Martin School Roundtable - "Rich and poor: a cause for social unrest?" at the Oxford Literary Festival

Past Event

Date
 27 March 2015, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Location
 Lecture Theatre, Oxford Martin School
34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, OX1 3BD

I Stock Celso Diniz Sao Paulocityscape
© Istock/CelsoDiniz

This roundtable is part of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival 2015, the Oxford Martin School is the Festival Ideas Partner

John Kampfner and Katrine Marçal discuss the growing gap between rich and poor and its implications for society, chaired by Professor Ian Goldin.

Is it morally justified to allow the creation of a 'super rich' that leave the rest behind? Is the growing gap between rich and poor actually holding back wider economic growth and financial wellbeing? Could it be a cause of social unrest? And what can we do to address the gap between rich and poor?

This panel event is one of a series of roundtable talks and audience question time hosted by the Oxford Martin School.

Please note this is a ticketed event and the tickets for this event are £12 and available from the Festival website: http://www.wegottickets.com/oxfordliteraryfestival/event/308288

About the speakers

Ian Goldin is the Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford. From 1996 to 2001 he was Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and served as an advisor to President Nelson Mandela. He succeeded in transforming the Bank to become the leading agent of development in the 14 countries of Southern Africa. During this period, Goldin served on several Government committees and Boards, and was Finance Director for South Africa's Olympic Bid.

John Kampfner is a former editor of New Statesman and a well-known commentator on politics and economics. In his recent book The Rich he tells how economic elites from ancient Egypt to today have gained their money and spent it and questions whether the development of today's super rich is anything different.

Katrine Marçal is a journalist and economics commentator who offers a feminist perspective on economics. She is author of Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner? A Story about Women and Economics which satirises Smith's concept of 'economic man' and argues for more women to engage in economics to create a more successful - and equal - economic model for all.