Democracy
Democracy, Featured, Green Agenda Quarterly Journal Spring 2020, Social Justice
‘Now is the time for bold decision making’: Senator Siewert on the lessons of 2020
What a strange year 2020 has been. We entered it under a fog of smoke with parts of the country barely able to breathe, and growing community anger as fires burned. The links were being made stronger than ever, the fires were due to climate change – surely there would finally be decisive action taken, surely there was no choice... Read More
Democracy, Economy
Cultivating Democracy In A Fractured World
Tim Dunlop provided a keynote address at the Green Institute conference, Reclaiming Democracy, in 2019. In this talk he discusses how citizen assemblies and sortition can help cultivate democracy in a fractured world. I’ve been asked to talk about the idea of citizen’s juries, or citizen assemblies, a form of democratic participation that I strongly support. In particular, I’ve been... Read More
Democracy, Environment
How The Greens Won Budapest
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party seemed unbeatable until a progressive breakthrough at the Budapest mayoral elections. As he made me coffee in his kitchen on the train to Budapest, the chatty chef said something surprising: “there is a fashion now to hate the president”. Orbán would, he guessed, lose the next election. On my previous trip to Hungary, just 15 months... Read More
Democracy, Economy, Social Justice
Going Beyond Waged Labour
Elise Klein provided a keynote address at the Green Institute conference, Reclaiming Democracy, in 2019. In this talk she discusses the need to think beyond waged labour, seeing it as an institution that is not democratic and never will be. Introduction I want to begin by acknowledging that we meet on the unceded lands of the Ngunnawal, and pay my... Read More
Democracy, Economy, Social Justice
Jobs, Justice And A Liveable World: The Green New Deal And Electoral Politics
On August 29, 2019 the UQ Greens, alongside QLD Greens MP Michael Berkman hosted the forum ‘Jobs, Justice & a Liveable World: A Green New Deal for Australia’. Looking at the leadership being provided around the world on the issue, this panel asked the question what might a Green New Deal look like in Australia? With permission from the organisers Green... Read More
Culture, Democracy, Environment, Social Justice
Hope, Fear, Needing And Grieving: New Year’s Eve 2020 At Malua Bay
“Who will mend us? How will we mend?” In this piece, originally published on Valerie Braithwaite’s blog, Professor Valerie Braithwaite reflects on her experience of the 2020 bushfires on the south coast of NSW. [On Friday 3 January, 2020] I was one of the thousands who left the NSW south coast via Bega and Cooma, heading home to Canberra. Like... Read More
Democracy, Environment, Social Justice
Jobs, Justice And A Liveable World: Urban Planning In A Green New Deal
On August 29, 2019 the UQ Greens, alongside QLD Greens MP Michael Berkman hosted the forum ‘Jobs, Justice & a Liveable World: A Green New Deal for Australia’. Looking at the leadership being provided around the world on the issue, this panel asked the question what might a Green New Deal look like in Australia? With permission from the organisers Green... Read More
Democracy
Sortition And The Joy of Participation
Tim Dunlop is providing a keynote address at the upcoming Green Institute Conference, Cultivating Democracy. Register now! This is an edited version of ‘Sortition: the joy of participation’, that appeared in Griffith Review 64. We thank them for permission to reproduce this article. Any democracy worthy of the name must be an ongoing experiment in institutional design: there must be... Read More
Culture, Democracy, Environment
Indigenous Communities Should Be At The Forefront Of Action On Climate Change
Dr Virginia Marshall is providing a keynote address at the upcoming Green Institute Conference, Cultivating Democracy. Register now! In early September I attended an Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Preparatory Meeting in Mexico City as one of three delegates representing the Australia/Pacific region, where Indigenous delegates from around the world drafted and endorsed a Commitment of Indigenous Peoples Action for presentation... Read More
Democracy, Environment
The Climate Emergency As A Governance Emergency: A Bold Case For Democratic Reform
On the 20th of September, millions of protestors marched across 85 countries demanding climate action. The image of hundreds of thousands of young demonstrators taking to the streets send a message that time is running out, that an urgent response is needed from world leaders. Raising alarm, however, is only the first step. Equally important is forging a global consensus... Read More
