Monday 3 March 2025, 11am-12noon (GMT)

‘Truly, better be a dog in days of peace than a human in times of war!’ is a well-known proverb. But less well-known is the observation ‘that the worst of men are fondest of change and commotion, hoping that they may thereby benefit themselves’. Both seem apposite today.

2025 is hardly a happy new year. War, in all its horror, continues in Ukraine, the Levant, Sudan, Myanmar and the DRC. Most of these conflicts we ignore – and our interest in Ukraine has waned. Yet apathy and complacency are the friends of tyranny. The majority of people may wish for peace, health and happiness, yet an increasingly vocal minority espouse violence, intolerance and hatred. And technology is helping the few to shout the loudest.

We might wonder how it has come to this. In the face of such global insecurity and rapid technological change, what can we as individuals, organisations and societies do to prepare for the worst? Our panel discussed the geopolitical trends, what we can expect of a world in flux, the challenges this presents us and what steps we could take to improve our resilience.

Guest chaired by

Lesley Charteris (info), Cyber Human Factors Manager, Canopius Group

Facilitated by

Tarquin Folliss OBE (info), Vice Chairman, The SASIG

Panellists

Professor Paul Cornish (info), Professor of Strategic Studies, University of Exeter
Malcolm Warr OBE (info), Chair, CNI Scotland
Karoliina Ainge (info), Associate Director, Cybersecurity and Technology, Independent Diplomat