Manning Clark House – Festival of Ideas: Is Democracy in Australia Working?

Manning Clark House  – An historic house for contemporary debate –  has its Festival of Ideas coming up next month, incorporating a dinner with guest speaker Professor Frank Bongiorno.

Festival of Ideas

Discussion, food and music – join us and have your say.

Saturday October 14th

10.00 – 4.30 pm

Manning Clark House, 11 Tasmania Circle, Forrest

MCH members, government income support and full-time students $30. Non-members $40.00

 CLICK HERE TO BOOK

The democratic experiment in countries around the world has been about the free contest of ideas, interests, and groups, along with tolerance for opponents and respect for their legitimacy. But the history of democracy globally is strewn with examples of extremists and demagogues manipulating prejudice, insecurity, and fear in a bid for power. Recent events in the United States of America and Europe suggest these examples are not relegated to history.

So how does Australia fare in this environment? Join us, and have your say as to whether democracy in Australia needs revamping and if so, what might we do about it?

Program covers presentations and discussion on:

  • what people think about our political parties
  • who controls the policy agenda
  • perspectives from different community groups
  • limitation of ideas covered in election campaigns
  • does French President Macron offer new approaches
  • what can we do to increase real democratic engagement.

Opportunity, merit and Australian democracy

13 October, 6.30 pm

The Muse Restaurant, East Hotel, 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston

Dinner $90 per person OR Festival Ticket: 13-14 October Dinner and Day of Ideas, $110 (members) $120 (non-members)

CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Australians have prided themselves in the myth that opportunity is open for all. But the evidence that birth and luck play an outsized role in our lives is overwhelming. So how has the idea of a meritocracy survived for so long?

Join Professor Frank Bongiorno for fine dining at the Muse restaurant. For dinner, wine, and conversation with one of Australia’s most active public intellectuals on the future of opportunity and merit in Australia’s social democracy.

Speaker: Frank Bongiorno is Professor of History at the Australian National University. He is an Australian labour, political and cultural historian. His recent works include The Sex Lives of Australians: A History (2012), and The Eighties: The Decade That Transformed Australia (2015)

Comments

  1. Is Australian democracy working?

    (insert picture of Malcolm Roberts)

  2. Can’t be there.

    But gave some of my thoughts here…

    https://newmatilda.com/2017/07/30/its-time-for-our-baby-democracy-to-walk/

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