Achill audience hears freedom of thought under threat in polarised world

Freedom of thought and expression has to be protected according to Channel 4 News International Editor, Lindsey Hilsum, who believes these freedoms are under attack in an ever polarised world.

The renowned British journalist was speaking at the opening of the Annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend in Achill on Friday evening where she gave a talk entitled ‘The Bulwark of Freedom: Reporting today’s wars’.

Hilsum, who has reported on major conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and most recently in Ukraine, told the Achill audience that ensuring the people have a freedom to write and think is more important than ever in today’s world.

“The way things are at the moment with so much polarisation of debate and political views, it is very difficult to find peace and freedom of thought. Freedom of thought requires individualisation and if you constantly identify with a group ... how difficult it becomes to get away from group think and think as an individual and reach out to someone from another group and compromise,” she said.

She referenced the Irish novelist, Paul Lynch’s Booker prize winning novel Prophet Song which is about what happens when facism comes and you no longer have freedom of speech.

“This is something we don’t want to think will happen in our societies and yet it is happening. It is happening in America and happening in Britain and we have to stop it and the way to stop it is by thinking freely and writing freely.

“I think all kinds of self expression whether it is film making, podcasts or whatever it is is part of what Heinrich Böll believed in which is freedom of expression and freedom of thought,” she said.

Ukrainian frontline

A REPORT from Ukraine which Hilsum made for Channel 4 News was shown to the audience and gives an insight into life in the trenches on the Ukrainian frontline. She said her job as a journalist is to tell the stories of what is happening in war and allow the audience to understand what is happening.

“You have so many Ukrainian refugees and it is important that you understand why they are here.

The fascists and the people who hate refugees have no understanding of what it is like to flee your home and what it is like to be invaded and occupied. We have to resist that and you resist it by reaching out and understanding and that is what I feel my job is. It is to go into places and try to understand what is going on and cut through the bullshit of politicians and military leaders and try to find out what is really going on,” she explained.

Hilsum explained that she is no stranger to Mayo or Achill and has been visiting the county for the last 15 years. During her talk she also spoke about the difficulties facing foreign correspondents in reporting both sides of conflicts as well as dealing with trauma she witnessed and how poetry and gardening helps her in this aspect.

The Annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend was officially opened by Mr Christian Resch, Deputy Head of Mission in the German Embassy in Dublin who also announced the winners of the Student Essay Competition.

The weekend is in memory of German Nobel Laureate and writer, Heinrich Böll who had a home in Achill and was a regular visitor to the island up until his death in the 1980s. The weekend also included workshops, readings, guided walks and panel discussions as well as music at locations throughout the island.