Episode 12: The dangers of identity politics

Democratic societies are a melting pot of people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, but when political alliances are formed around a particular identity it can lead to division and sometimes violence. In this episode Ben explores one of the most extreme examples of ethnic conflict - the Rwandan genocide - and asks whether it’s possible to have a peaceful democracy after so much bloodshed.

Guests: 

• Sharun Mukand,  Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick
• James Chin, Professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania 

What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by the Open Society Foundations. 

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Host: Professor Ben Ansell

Producers: Ada Barume and Eleanor Biggs

Editor: Lewis Vickers

Original artwork: Jon Hill | Emma O’Neil 

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