Documentally

Recorded for http://Documentally.net and #AudioMo This year marks the 18th consecutive gathering at the grave of George Orwell in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. It all began weeks before the 2007 financial crisis. A small meeting between myself and Dr John Perivolaris, when with Orwell's writings and enduring influence in mind, we asked questions and discussed threatened freedoms. And now, here in 2024 at the brink of another global slowdown, amidst social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts and mass protests, this annual pilgrimage continues and we meet again. Through the years, this informal picnic has discussed government and corporate mass surveillance programmes, restrictions on the right to protest as well as the continued erosion of online privacy. Orwell stood for decency and kindness. He called out injustice and institutional corruption. And our presence does the same. This picnic is a political act - but it's also a meeting of minds and a gathering of friends who are committed to uph