Illtyd David Human Rights Memorial Lecture Programme

The Illtyd David Human Rights Memorial Lecture 2025 celebrates the remarkable legacy of Dr Illtyd David (1894–1982), a pioneer of adult education and an early advocate for what we now call Human Rights. Inspired by his experiences in the USA a century ago, David dedicated more than sixty years to teaching and public service in south-west Wales and beyond, shaping debates on justice, equality, and international cooperation. This year’s programme continues that tradition with special centenary lectures on 9 October, featuring Professor Edward David and the Rt. Rev. Dr Rowan Williams, alongside an online exhibition and events exploring contemporary Human Rights challenges.

Illtyd David Human Rights Memorial Lecture 2025

Human Rights and Human Solidarity delivered by the Rt. Rev. Dr Rowan Williams 

Talking about human rights can sometimes suggest we live in a world where everyone is trying to enforce rival claims. Some thinkers have been sceptical about the whole idea because it takes our attention away from what binds us together in society. Is this fair? 

The lecture will explore some of these crticisms in the hope of bringing the idea of rights closer to the hope for solidarity among human agents. But for this to happen, we need to ask some harder questions about the foundations for the language of rights, and broaden its meaning beyond the level of claims or entitlements.