‘A witness to war’ – award-winning journalist to relive experiences of conflicts across the world
Published On Fri 27 Mar 2015 by Grant Hill
Former BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little, who has reported from more than 80 countries during a long career covering conflicts across the globe, will visit the University of Dundee next month to discuss his experiences.
This year’s Graduates Council Annual Lecture takes place at 6pm at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, on Saturday, 4th April. It forms part of the 2015 Saturday Evening Lecture Series (SELS) and will see Allan reflect on his experiences of reporting on fast-moving and unpredictable situations in some of the world’s most dangerous places.
Much of his career has been spent bearing witness to war and political and social upheaval. He has often reported on UK servicemen and women in action, both as peacekeepers and fighters, and has called for support for them to transition back to civilian life.
Allan said, "Of course you find yourself in frightening situations when you’re e porting conflict. But you learn to recognise and manage your own fear and to try to make judgments based on reason. The dangers associated with war reporting have changed dramatically since I started a quarter of a century ago.
“The fall of communism was exhilarating for those of us who covered it but within months the Gulf War had begun and Yugoslavia was breaking up. When you are reporting from one conflict zone after another you really have to fight cynicism while remaining sceptical.
“You obviously see people at their worst but at the same time you also see them at their best. It is hard to become cynical when you witness such courage and dignity and the sacrifices people make for others.
“There are different pressures, demands and difficulties involved in conflict reporting today compared to when I started out and this is something I will be focusing on. The talk will feature stories and anecdotes from my career that lead the audience to consider the way we bring news from a world that is now so frightened of itself into the living room has changed.”
Allan Little was born in Galloway and studied at the University of Edinburgh before joining BBC Scotland as a news and current affairs researcher in 1983. He joined BBC Radio 4's Today programme in 1988 and specialised in foreign reporting, covering the revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.
His BBC career also saw him cover the 1991 Gulf War, the break-up of Yugoslavia, the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, and the fall of Yeltsin regime in Russia among other momentous global events of the past three decades.
He has won several awards including the Gold Sony Radio Award for Reporter of the Year, Amnesty International Reporter of the Year, Bayeux-Calvados Radio War Correspondent of the Year, Sony Documentary Gold Award and the Grierson Premier TV Documentary Award.
SELS is Scotland's oldest continuous free public lecture series and its history can be traced back to a series of lectures held jointly with the Dundee Naturalists Society beginning with a lecture by Principal John Yule Mackay on Primitive Man in October 1924.
‘A witness to war’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill from 6pm on Saturday, 4th April.
A drinks reception will follow this lecture. Overflow theatres may be in operation and the main lecture theatre is filled on a first come first seated basis on the night.
Free tickets are available from Tower Reception, 01382 385108, online at www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, or by emailing events@dundee.ac.uk.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
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