The Ditchley Summer Project is three weeks of diverse discussions, talks, workshops, performances and music with an extraordinary cast of speakers and panellists designed to help members of the Ditchley community 'think new things and make new connections' in order to have impact on a world we need to remake.
The pandemic has further accelerated the pace of change and upheaval. Along with the challenges, political windows have opened and a series of issues, some urgent and often interlinked, are clamouring to climb through them. This is a time when real progress could be made, for example on race, equality of opportunity, learning for life, stakeholder capitalism and climate. On the other hand, rather than the Great Reset bringing communities together and renewing the promise of democratic societies for all, we could see the Great Disappointment, as all boats sink equally and we are left with our societies yet more divided and a democratic world more challenged, despite its great achievements and continuing power. We can’t know what is going to happen but we do know that contested moments are coming that will shape our future.
The Ditchley Summer Project aims to connect hundreds of outstanding individuals who have participated in Ditchley over the last two decades and to give a framework to think through what has happened and what lies ahead. Together, this constitutes a dynamic Transatlantic and to some extent global community that stretches from eminent sages and current decision-makers to early-career professionals, postgraduates and exceptional students. There is great diversity, not least of political view, but also real commonality in accepting “the painful necessity of thought” as a prelude to action. Whilst we might not agree on everything, or even much, we can definitely help each other by building shared purpose and common ground.
In addition to the programme, there are opportunities to connect with other members of the global Ditchley community for conversation and collaboration.
James Arroyo OBE
Director, The Ditchley Foundation
If you are interested in attending please contact events@ditchley.com.
All discussions within the wider Ditchley programme are conducted under The Ditchley Rule, like the Chatham House Rule only doubly underlined. The Ditchley Summer Project operates under the same principle. We hope that attendees will draw on ideas to emerge from the discussions in their personal and day to day lives, whilst not attributing comments to individual speakers.