GlobalNet21 is a group for those who believe that we need to develop a new form of humanism that includes people of all religions and none but who embrace humanistic values as the basis of their actions. These are values of global compassion, personal self-discovery, shared development, planetary concern and a love of community. - Francis Sealey
Hidden behind the front window blinds of a house in a Palmers Green street is the centre of a discussion network that is international in scope, but never forgets that global issues are always felt locally.
GlobalNet21's founder and chairman, Francis Sealey, is a former BBC producer and long-term PG resident. Like the issues that they debate, the group's 30,000 members are spread across the UK and abroad - they form what Francis calls an "enlarged Public Square".
While physical meetings - many of them located in the heart of UK democracy, Westminster - remain an important element (or did, at least, before the lockdown), GlobalNet21 has always taken advantage of digital connectivity. In recent years Francis and his small team of interviewers have recorded hundreds of "webinars" - online interviews that are streamed live, with audience interaction, and then archived on YouTube. They are divided into a number of series, available as YouTube playlists, such as Conversations across Borders and Global Issues, Local Arguments.
In addition to his role with GlobalNet21, Francis set up Enfield Voices, a Facebook discussion group, which also recorded a series of webinars. These have now been merged into the GlobalNet21 series.
As well as subscribing to the GlobalNet21 YouTube channel, you can watch the webinars on Palmers Green Community (if you're concerned about being tracked on the web, it's worth pointing out that the PGC versions are free of tracker cookies). Links to the newest webinars are listed on the home page and in the weekly newsletter.
Some of the more recent GlobalNet21 interviews have also been published as audio-only podcasts, which can be found at globalnet.podbean.com.
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