Next ThinkFest: Nguvu – the bedroom, the classroom and the ballot box

Johnston will appear at ThinkFest to present on Nguvu - the bedroom, the classroom and the ballot box

Lawyer Eugene Johnston takes a break during the Ayo Kimathi hearing last year. He will present at ThinkFest 2017 on Nguvu…

Think Media is delighted to announce that ThinkFest 2017 continues on Sunday October 8 with Nguvu – the bedroom, the classroom and the ballot box – a talk by lawyer Eugene Johnston.

Grounded in research and experiential learning, Johnston’s presentation will examine our responsibility as adults, offer a searing critique of the structure of our major social institutions and challenge the audience to imagine alternatives based on Afrocentric principles.

Johnston is a lawyer, specialising in constitutional law, human rights, and civil litigation involving the exercise of governmental power.

He said: “It is no coincidence that some of the more significant cases I’ve been involved in have concerned the impact of colonialism on the Bermudian public.

“That impact is something that we should all take some time to reflect upon – particularly Bermudians of African descent. My ThinkFest contribution will examine some of these impacts and reflect on what our social structures and institutions would have looked like had slavery not intervened in our development.”

Johnston’s J2 Chambers has taken on a number of high profile cases.

Recent clients include

• Bermudians Against the Draft, who were fighting conscription on the basis that the practice was reflective of the enslavement of African peoples;

• parents insisting on a right to be consulted in all major decisions which affect their children in the public education system;

• US speaker Ayo Kimathi who was deported on the basis that his views constituted hate speech.

Mr Johnston was also lead counsel in a case which sought to determine the constitutionality of the government’s handling of the Hamilton Waterfront development and, in another case, advocated for equal rehabilitation benefits for foreign prison inmates.

He is a husband and father of two daughters – with a third child on the way.

The next ThinkFest event takes place at The Bermuda High School assembly hall and starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday October 8.

Ayo Johnson, founder of ThinkMedia which is producing ThinkFest, said: “We’re very pleased to have an independent thinker of Eugene Johnston’s calibre join us at ThinkFest. I look forward to an insightful, thought provoking presentation and a robust discussion on enhancing community nguvu.”

The newest event on the Bermuda calendar, ThinkFest is an opportunity for the island to celebrate and acknowledge Bermudian academics and independent thinkers, a platform for networking with potential employers, funders, other academics and researchers and a forum for discussing the latest research in a wide variety of fields.

Each of the ThinkFest presenters will dive deeply into a single topic for an extended period, followed by a chat with a host and audience Q and A.

For ThinkFest 2017, more than a dozen academics have been invited to present on topics such as the latest developments in cancer research, linguistics, media and race, ethnobotany and crime talk.

Several of them have agreed to take time off from their work and research to come to Bermuda specifically to participate in ThinkFest 2017.

There are a number of sponsorship and patronage opportunities to assist with some of the extraordinary costs involved in ensuring the success of ThinkFest.

Interested persons and organizations can contact us directly for more information.

Tickets for ThinkFest 2017 events can be purchased online at https://think.bm or at the door.

Early bird and group discount tickets are available.

This article belongs to Politica ! The original article can be found here: Next ThinkFest: Nguvu – the bedroom, the classroom and the ballot box