The Sovereignty And Its Discontents (SAID) working group was established in 2005 with the aim of stimulating discussion, both within the academy and without, on the changing nature of state sovereignty since the end of the Cold War. There is no single public event in the UK that is more conducive to fulfilling our tasks than the annual Battle of Ideas festival. Two days of intense debate with highly engaged festival-goers allows us to cover a wide swathe of discussion on international politics, and more besides. Participating in the Battle of Ideas has contributed immeasurably to the mission of SAID, and we ourselves have learned much in the process about the nature of international politics today.

Phillip Cunliffe