Festival of Dangerous Ideas
Listen to over 10 years of talks presented at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas – Australia's original disruptive ideas festival. FODI brings to light important conversations that push the boundaries of conventional thought, challenging thinking on some of the most persevering and difficult issues of our time. Hear from our festival alumni – the world’s best experts, innovative thinkers and mischief makers – as they share provocative ideas and conversations that encourage debate and critical thinking. It’s time to get uncomfortable…
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The Pitchforks are Coming (2024) - Myra Hamilton, Carl Rhodes & Jordan van den Berg
05/15/2025
The Pitchforks are Coming (2024) - Myra Hamilton, Carl Rhodes & Jordan van den Berg
Ordinary citizens are starting to realise that their dwindling share of our common wealth is no accident, but the inevitable result of the current system. As life becomes more precarious, has the time come when the ‘discontented majority’ will flex their muscles and seize, by whatever means, a fairer share of the economic and social pie? Or will the world’s wealthiest 1% step back from the precipice by realising that inequality is as much of a problem for them as it is for everyone else? Myra Hamilton is an Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. She is a sociologist and social policy scholar whose work identifies and challenges inequalities arising from gender, age and social disadvantage. Among other things, her most recent work challenges the notion of the ‘generation wars’ and seeks to uncover the workings of elite privilege and its harms. Carl Rhodes is Dean and Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Technology Sydney Business School. Carl writes about the ethical and democratic dimensions of business and work. His work endeavours to question and reformulate the role of business in society so prosperity can be shared by all. Jordan van den Berg, an office-worker in Melbourne, is known for his reviews and visits of the worst rentals Australia has to offer by his audience on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube as purplepingers. Alongside his reviews, Jordan also uses his platform to passionately contribute to Australian political discourse, educating his audience on anything and everything that society failed to educate young Australians. Chaired by philosopher, writer, and public commentator, Gwilym David Blunt.
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Speaking Bluntly (2024) - Antoinette Lattouf, Andy Mills & Josh Szeps
05/15/2025
Speaking Bluntly (2024) - Antoinette Lattouf, Andy Mills & Josh Szeps
Journalists play a vital role in a democracy, holding power to account. The traditional model of journalism sees journalists as disinterested seekers of the truth, striving for ‘objectivity’ and suppressing their own opinions. But as newsrooms and editorial pages previously staffed only by white male journalists have evolved, and as the internet has driven the rise of opinion journalism, we are faced with two important questions: Does it matter who journalists are? And does it matter what they think? At a time when media business models are in crisis, how should we think about bias, representation, truth and opinion? What happens when journalists themselves become ‘the story’? And if we can’t talk about these thorny questions in the media itself, can the media do its job at all? Antoinette Lattouf is a broadcaster, columnist, author, speaker, human rights advocate, mental health ambassador who dabbles in satire and is terrible at reverse parking. She is the creator and co-host of The Antoinettes podcast, a weekly commentary and comedy podcast. She is also the co-host of news and analysis podcast The Briefing. The multi-award-winning journalist is the co-founder of Media Diversity Australia – a not-for-profit organisation working towards increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the media. Andy Mills is an American reporter and podcast producer who co-created The Daily at The New York Times, Reflector and several documentary series including Rabbit Hole and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Josh Szeps is one of Australia’s most influential and innovative interviewers. In New York, he was a founding host-producer of the revolutionary US streaming news network, HuffPost Live. He won a Webby Award while the organisation won a Pulitzer. Josh also appeared regularly with Al Roker as a contributor on the NBC TODAY Show. On his return to Australia, he co-anchored the national morning television show, Weekend Breakfast, and became a fixture of ABC Radio Sydney. Afternoons with Josh Szeps launched in 2021, a three-hour daily talkback radio show. In 2024, Josh left the legacy media to wrestle freely with ideas in a spicier way. Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps took off as a podcast, Substack publication, live touring enterprise and YouTube channel. Chaired by Louise Adler, Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, who has spent over 30 years in the culture business and continues to be committed to the dissemination of dangerous ideas.
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David Runciman (2024) - Votes for 6 year olds
05/15/2025
David Runciman (2024) - Votes for 6 year olds
When it comes our most divisive political, economic and social issues there is a fracture between the views of the old and the young. As older generations continue to monopolise wealth and how policy is shaped, younger generations are becoming more and more disenfranchised. The inequality and anger between generations is growing, and it might just be the biggest threat to our democracy. In a world going to be inherited by younger generations, UK academic David Runciman says we hardly ask children about their political views. Perhaps the solution is giving children the right to vote – an audacious plan that might just rescue democracy. David Runciman is Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge and was Head of the Department of Politics and International Studies from 2014-2018. He is the author of many books, including The Confidence Trap, How Democracy Ends, Confronting Leviathan and The Handover. His most recent book is The History of Ideas: Equality, Justice and Revolution, based on his popular podcast series Talking Politics. He currently hosts the podcast Past Present Future. He is a contributing editor at the London Review of Books, where he has written widely about contemporary politics. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Counterfeit People (2024) - Lizzie O’Shea, Patrick Stokes & Emily van der Nagel
05/15/2025
Counterfeit People (2024) - Lizzie O’Shea, Patrick Stokes & Emily van der Nagel
The late philosopher and scientist, Daniel Dennett talked about ‘counterfeit people’ as one of the great dangers of AI – but are we now willing to court the same dangers through our adoption of multiple identities across the metaverse. Moving from the confinement of physical reality to the landscape of the metaverse, where looks, preferences, and genders are limitless, we can each acquire many digital selves. Is a ‘virtual you’ a truer reflection of your deepest self – revealing desires and aspects that otherwise remain hidden? What is the human cost of leaving the physical world behind? What are the ethical implications of living without boundaries in a digital space where the borders between morality and legality, in the ‘real world’, begin to dissolve? Lizzie O'Shea sues companies and governments that do the wrong thing. She has run major cases against major technology companies on behalf of thousands of people who have been harmed by them. She is also a founder and the chair of Digital Rights Watch, which advocates for human rights in online spaces. Patrick Stokes is associate professor of philosophy at Deakin University, and a writer, radio producer, and media commentator on philosophical matters. He is currently engaged in a three-year Australian Research Council-funded project, ‘Digital Death and Immortality.’ Emily van der Nagel is a Lecturer in Social Media at Monash University. She researches social media identities, platforms, and cultures, with a particular focus on digital intimacies. Her book, Sex and Social Media, co-authored with Katrin Tiidenberg, takes a feminist, sex-positive approach to how social media platforms shape and restrict sex. Emily is currently working on a research project about how Australians use social media to create and subscribe to content on OnlyFans. Chaired by Professor of Evolution at UNSW Sydney and a popular science author, Rob Brooks.
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Ending the 'Tyranny' of Pregnancy (2024) - Luara Ferracioli, Brigitte Gerstl, Mianna Lotz & Kathryn MacKay
02/04/2025
Ending the 'Tyranny' of Pregnancy (2024) - Luara Ferracioli, Brigitte Gerstl, Mianna Lotz & Kathryn MacKay
Since the dawn of time, our pro-natalist society has implemented certain systems, norms and lenses in which we view child rearing. These often oppressive and coercive conditions make it difficult for many to think about their reproductive options. But with the emergence of artificial wombs and womb transplants, what impact could this have on reproductive autonomy? And what ethical and political questions will follow? Brigitte Gerstl is the program manager for the uterus transplant program at the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW). Brigitte played a pivotal role in establishing Australia’s first live donor uterus transplant research study program at the RHW, she is currently developing the deceased donor pathway within the program. In this role, she oversees patient screening, ethics, and governance, while also monitoring patient progress and clinical and psychosocial outcomes. Dr. Luara Ferracioli is Associate Professor in Political Philosophy at the University of Sydney. Her main areas of research are the ethics of immigration and family justice. Mianna Lotz is an academic, ethics advisor, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University where she specialises in and teaches ethics and applied ethics with a research focus on emerging reproductive technologies, adoption, surgical innovation, family ethics, and the welfare and rights of children and parents. Chaired by Kathryn MacKay, Senior Lecturer at Sydney Health Ethics.
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Uncancelled Culture (2024) - David Baddiel, Roxane Gay, Andy Mills, Megan Phelps-Roper & Tim Dean
02/04/2025
Uncancelled Culture (2024) - David Baddiel, Roxane Gay, Andy Mills, Megan Phelps-Roper & Tim Dean
Throughout history we have found ways to regulate human behaviour through the threat of social exclusion. But while the idea of ‘cancellation’ is not new, the online sphere has radically shifted the way we hold people to account and punish perceived wrongdoing. Is redemption possible in the digital age? And can narratives of growth and forgiveness help us shift the power from condemnation to compassion? What does ‘forgiveness’ look like in the digital age? David Baddiel is an accomplished comedian, author, screenwriter and television presenter. His works include the Sunday Times Politics Book of The Year – his polemic Jews Don’t Count, and The God Desire. Roxane Gay is an author whose works include Ayiti, An Untamed State, The New York Times’ bestselling Bad Feminist, and The New York Times’ bestselling Hunger: A Memoir of My Body and the nationally bestselling Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business. Andy Mills is an American reporter and podcast producer who co-created The Daily at The New York Times, Reflector and several documentary series including Rabbit Hole and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Megan Phelps-Roper is an author and podcast producer who left a life of religious extremism in 2012. She has spent the past decade using her experiences to work with schools on anti-bullying campaigns, with law enforcement organisations investigating deradicalisation, and with tech companies on the intersection of safety, free speech, and the value of dialogue across ideological divides. She hosted and produced The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Chaired by philosopher, Tim Dean.
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Democracy is Not Worth Dying for (2024) - Geraldine Doogue, Masha Gessen, Paul Ham & David Runciman
02/04/2025
Democracy is Not Worth Dying for (2024) - Geraldine Doogue, Masha Gessen, Paul Ham & David Runciman
Democracy has often been presented as an ideal, where citizens can participate and benefit from a fair society. But as we face growing inequality, political turmoil, and loss of faith in modern life, the price of preserving democracy might be proving too steep. Masha Gessen is an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a Distinguished Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. They have written extensively on The Russian-Ukrainian war, Israel/Palestine, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. Paul Ham is an author and former Sunday Times correspondent, with a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics. Paul lives in Paris and devotes his time to writing history and (when possible) to teaching Narrative History at Sciences Po, France’s preeminent tertiary school for the humanities. David Runciman is Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge and was Head of the Department of Politics and International Studies from 2014-2018. Chaired by journalist, Geraldine Doogue.
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Jem Bendell (2024) - Breaking Together
02/04/2025
Jem Bendell (2024) - Breaking Together
The process of global collapse has begun – driven by the damage we have caused to the Earth’s natural systems. And governments and corporations aren’t going to save us. So are we going to cling to our old individual ways of fighting each other for the final scraps? Or should we adapt and support each other through this transition? Sociologist Jem Bendell says while it might be too late for the breakdown of society, it’s not too late to figure out how we want to survive this crisis, together. Jem Bendell is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, with twenty years of experience in sustainable business and finance, as a researcher, educator, facilitator, advisor, & entrepreneur, having lived & worked in six countries. Clients for his strategy development included international corporations, UN agencies and international NGOs. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognised Professor Bendell as a Young Global Leader for his work on sustainable business alliances.
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Contagious Realities (2024) - Alice Dawkins, Natasha Mitchell, Sandersan Onie, Jean Twenge & Sonny Jane Wise
11/06/2024
Contagious Realities (2024) - Alice Dawkins, Natasha Mitchell, Sandersan Onie, Jean Twenge & Sonny Jane Wise
The increase in mental health and neurodivergent diagnoses in recent years indicates that we’re more aware of our brains than ever before. Does improved social awareness, self-identification, representation and access mean we’ve reached a turning point in the way we acknowledge and treat mental health and neurodivergence in society? Or are we at risk of over-pathologising ourselves and the world around us? Alice Dawkins is the Executive Director of Reset.Tech Australia, a policy organisation with a focus on regulating digital risks and online harms. Sandersan Onie is an award-winning researcher at the Black Dog Institute and Harvard Medical School and is passionate about a mentally healthier world, especially how culture, AI, and tech can contribute to this vision. Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 180 scientific publications and seven books, including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious. Sonny Jane Wise is an Autistic Bipolar ADHDer, who offers a powerful and relatable voice in the neurodiversity space. Their books resources, workshops and talks have led to organisations and services adopting a neurodiversity affirming framework and embedding inclusion within their policies. Chaired by journalist, radio presenter, and podcaster Natasha Mitchell.
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Positive Masculinity (2024) - Monty Badami, Tarang Chawla, Michael Flood & Anna Krien
11/06/2024
Positive Masculinity (2024) - Monty Badami, Tarang Chawla, Michael Flood & Anna Krien
Masculinity has become a battle ground. From the gender pay gap, to domestic violence and rape, the idea of what it means to be a man has been heavily scrutinised in recent times. Meanwhile the gender wars – fuelled by mainstream conservatives, technology and social media – has shifted society’s ideas in a dangerous direction. Has the recent focus on women had a negative effect on masculinity? Are men and boy’s feelings of shame and exclusion contributing to a crisis? And is masculinity necessarily toxic? Tarang Chawla is an award-winning keynote speaker, writer, advocate and recovering lawyer. He serves as Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission where he works to bring the voices and lived experiences of culturally diverse people to policymakers. He is also the co-founder of Not One More Niki, a grassroots non-profit working to end men’s violence against women. Professor Michael Flood is an internationally recognised researcher on men, masculinities, and gender, violence against women, and violence prevention. Anna Krien is an author and regular contributor to The Monthly magazine and The Saturday Paper. Chaired by anthropologist and the founder of Habitus, Monty Badami.
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Masha Gessen (2024) - The War of the Narratives
11/06/2024
Masha Gessen (2024) - The War of the Narratives
In an age of creeping authoritarianism, anyone who questions the logic of competing narratives when it comes to historical conflicts risks being silenced. Russian American journalist Masha Gessen says however, in order to learn from history we have to question our world and recognise the signs of when we're sliding into darkness. Gessen examines how the intersection of history, memory, propaganda and censorship enforces the narratives of today – and what happens when narrative becomes dogma. Masha Gessen is an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a Distinguished Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. They have written extensively on The Russian-Ukrainian war, Israel/Palestine, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. They have won numerous awards, including the George Polk Award, the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thinking, and the National Book Award. Chaired by journalist Hamish Macdonald.
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Art is Always Political (2024) - Louise Adler, Brook Garru Andrew, Violette Ayad, Gil Beckwith, Simon Longstaff & Emile Sherman
11/06/2024
Art is Always Political (2024) - Louise Adler, Brook Garru Andrew, Violette Ayad, Gil Beckwith, Simon Longstaff & Emile Sherman
The culture wars are seeping out of the real world and infiltrating our pages and stages. Art has always traversed unfamiliar and even dangerous territory. But with recent calls to boycott cultural institutions, donors pulling funding, and the cancellation of works and talent, are some discussions too fraught to engage with? Louise Adler is the Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week. She has spent over 30 years in the culture business and continues to be committed to the dissemination of dangerous ideas. Brook Garru Andrew is an artist, curator and writer who is driven by the collisions of intertwined narratives emerging from the mess of the “Colonial Wuba (hole)”. His practice is grounded in his perspective as a Wiradjuri and Celtic person from Australia. Violette Ayad was born on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja to Palestinian and Lebanese parents. She is now based on Gadigal land where she works as an actor, writer, director, and voice artist. Gil Beckwith has a significant career in the Arts and Not For Profit industry in senior finance and administration management roles. Her working career spans over 40 years and includes working for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Festival, the Victorian AIDS Council, and most recently CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Emile Sherman is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning film and television producer who co-founded See-Saw Films in 2008. Based in Sydney and London, See-Saw Films has worked with many of the world’s leading filmmakers and actors. Chaired by philosopher and Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, Simon Longstaff.
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Wrecking the World Order (2024) - Matt Bevan, Avani Dias, Cheng Lei, Hamish Macdonald & Johanna Weaver
11/06/2024
Wrecking the World Order (2024) - Matt Bevan, Avani Dias, Cheng Lei, Hamish Macdonald & Johanna Weaver
The world order that we’ve lived with for most of our lives is experiencing a tectonic shift. We’ve experienced unprecedented levels of growth and prosperity – but as a growing cohort of demagogues and autocrats continue to lead our world, there is something quite telling in how populations are responding to our levels of ‘success’. Is our world order functioning the way it was set up to? And how do we decide who best represents our decisions and values? Avani Dias is a reporter with Four Corners and was the ABC’s South Asia correspondent in India for the past two-and-a-half years. Cheng Lei is a bilingual and bicultural TV journalist who worked in Shanghai, Singapore and Beijing for 18 years for CNBC and China’s state TV English channel. Hamish Macdonald is an award-winning journalist who has covered wars, disasters, and major world events. Professor Weaver is the founding Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre at the Australian National University. Chaired by journalist Matt Bevan.
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FODI 2024 program out now
06/25/2024
FODI 2024 program out now
Are you BOLD, BRAVE and CURIOUS? FODI is back, baby. We’ve gathered the world's best for a weekend of provocation and inspiration. 87 speakers and artists including 16 international guests across 88 sessions at Carriageworks, Sydney for one massive weekend of danger. Presented by The Ethics Centre, FODI is a place to come and be curious together. A sanctuary where all are welcome. Safe from hype. Safe to listen. And safe to ask hard questions. Satisfy your taste for danger, tickets won’t last long. 2024 PROGRAM LIVE AND ON SALE NOW at festivalofdangerousideas.com
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Step into a sanctuary at FODI 2024
05/20/2024
Step into a sanctuary at FODI 2024
Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) returns to Carriageworks on 24-25 August 2024. Offering a haven for exploration and a harbour for the curious, FODI 2024's theme, Sanctuary allows audiences to engage with the ideas behind the headlines of the 24 hour news cycle. In a litany of entrenched ideas, shallow information and self-censorship, we desperately need a space where we can engage with challenging ideas in good faith. FODI 2024 is an opportunity to hear powerful and provocative speakers from around the world talk on important and rousing topics. And also a space, a sanctuary, where audiences can engage with these ideas in a way that we, unfortunately, can’t in the wild. In FODI's Sanctuary you are safe from hype and safe to listen and to ask questions. Program announcement and tickets on sale in June. Sign up for the latest updates: https://festivalofdangerousideas.com/
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Tariq Ali (2015) | The Twilight of Democracy
04/30/2024
Tariq Ali (2015) | The Twilight of Democracy
What is the purpose of democracy when it’s become more challenging than ever to tell the left and right apart? Journalist and filmmaker, Tariq Ali says Western democracy has failed and we are now seeing the emergence of an extreme centre, which ensures no challenges to this form of neoliberal politics is permitted. Tariq Ali is a British-Pakistani political commentator and a prolific writer, journalist and filmmaker. He has been a leading figure of the international left since the 1960s. His books include The Duel: Pakistan on the Flightpath of American Power, The Obama Sydrome and The Extreme Centre: A Warning.
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Dennis Glover (2015) | Winners and Losers
04/02/2024
Dennis Glover (2015) | Winners and Losers
In modern Australia, productivity is all that matters, or so our leaders tell us. However the way we have pursued economic growth in the last 30 years has prevented many people from sharing the rewards. We now create wealth via exclusion. Writer Denis Glover argues that an economy is not a society. We desperately need to confront the working conditions, jobs and lives we want for ourselves and our families – and to choose a future that is designed to benefit all Australians, not just some. Dennis Glover is an Australian writer and novelist. The son of factory workers, Dennis grew up in the working class Melbourne suburb of Doveton before studying at Monash University and King’s College Cambridge where he was awarded a PhD in history. He has worked for two decades as an academic, newspaper columnist, policy adviser and speechwriter to Australia’s most senior political, business and community leaders.
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Molly Crabapple (2016) | From the frontline
02/25/2024
Molly Crabapple (2016) | From the frontline
In a time of turmoil, what happens when art and politics collide? From prisons, refugee camps and war zones, artist and journalist Molly Crabapple has documented the astounding courage of people living in the worst possible circumstances. Crabapple wonders whether art is sharp enough to cut through razor wires. Is it time to move art out of galleries and use it as a real agent for change? Molly Crabapple is an artist and writer who has been published in the New York Times, The Paris Review, Vanity Far, The Guardian, The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. She became a journalist sketching the frontlines of Occupy Wall Street, before covering, with words and art, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lebanese snipers, Guantanamo Bay, the US-Mexican border, Pennsylvania prisoners, New York cabbies, Greek refugee camps, and the ravages of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
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Expendable Australians (2022) | Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Peter Greste, Ian Kemish & Sangeetha Pillai
01/22/2024
Expendable Australians (2022) | Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Peter Greste, Ian Kemish & Sangeetha Pillai
We all have assumptions of what citizenship means. However, in recent years we are starting to see the envelop pushed with more common law rights being taken away. From Australia shutting its doors during the pandemic to authoritarian regimes acquiring the habit of turning travellers into political prisoners, where is it becoming too dangerous to go? And if an Australian passport does not protect you, what are you owed by your government? Kylie Moore-Gilbert is a scholar of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. She was falsely charged with espionage and imprisoned in Iran from September 2018 to November 2020 before being released in a prisoner exchange deal negotiated by the Australian government. Peter Greste is a journalist, author, media freedom activist and professor at Macquarie University. Before joining academia in 2018, he spent 25 years as a correspondent in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. In 2013, he and two colleagues were arrested in Cairo on terrorism charges. They were convicted and sentenced to seven years in a case regarded as an attack on press freedom. Egypt released Peter after 400 days, and he has since become a press freedom advocate. Ian Kemish AM served as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, Head of the Prime Minister’s international division, and Head of the consular service in a diplomatic career that spanned twenty-five years. He is an adjunct professor in history at the University of Queensland, a non-resident fellow with the Lowy Institute, a director of the Australia–Indonesia Centre and an Honorary Fellow of Deakin University. Dr Sangeetha PIllai is a constitutional lawyer and a Senior Research Associate at the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney. She is an expert on Australian citizenship law and the scope of government power over citizens and non-citizens. She has published widely on this topic, and is a regular commentator on legal issues relating to citizenship, immigration and refugees in a range of media outlets.
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Drawing Truth to Power (2022) | Badiucao, Dan Ilic & Cathy Wilcox
12/11/2023
Drawing Truth to Power (2022) | Badiucao, Dan Ilic & Cathy Wilcox
Drawing truth to power is more dangerous in some parts of the world than others. The combination of satire and anger can make the best political cartoons lethal to politicians, unveiling truths around human rights, leadership and freedom. But where do we draw the line between humour, offence and legality? And for cartoonists trapped between censorship and cancellation, what is there still left to draw? Badiucao is one of the most popular and prolific political artist from China, and he confronts a variety of social and political issues head on in his work. He uses his art to challenge the censorship and dictatorship in China. Cathy Wilcox is a cartoonist and illustrator who currently draws editorial cartoons for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Over the years she has illustrated over 20 children’s books and been involved in several theatre productions. She has received several Stanley Awards, three Walkley Awards and has twice been named Political Cartoonist of the Year by the Museum of Australian Democracy. ‘Investigative Humourist’ Dan Ilic is one of Australia’s most prolific comedy voices, known for his work across TV, film, radio and stage. Co-host of the popular podcast and live comedy show A Rational Fear, Dan Ilic and Lewis Hobba brings together industry leaders to use comedy to explore big issues.
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Steven Pinker (2022) | Enlightenment or Dark Age?
11/07/2023
Steven Pinker (2022) | Enlightenment or Dark Age?
Are the ideals of the Enlightenment – reason, science and humanism – and the progress they can deliver being undermined by a cynical desire to burn it all down? Pre-eminent psychologist Steven Pinker explains why problems are inevitable and not a reason to destroy the institutions of modernity, with all the resulting chaos and carnage. The use of knowledge to enhance human flourishing will never bring about utopia, but it has given greater life, freedom, equality, safety, peace, and enrichment to billions, and promises still more if we rededicate ourselves to that ideal. Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in visual cognition, psycholinguistics, and social relations. Currently Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard, he has also taught at Stanford and MIT. He has won numerous prizes for his research, his teaching, and his nine books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate, The Better Angels of Our Nature, and The Sense of Style.
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Harmful Thoughts (2022) | Jayne Crossling, Emma A. Jane, Georgia Naldrett & Michael Salter
10/09/2023
Harmful Thoughts (2022) | Jayne Crossling, Emma A. Jane, Georgia Naldrett & Michael Salter
Australia is facing a child sexual abuse epidemic. Brought to light by The Royal Commission and stories of high-profile survivors, the numbers are shocking, and the online world is even worse. But this is not a crimewave we can arrest our way out of. Criminal justice is not enough, and the revulsion child sexual abuse inspires can paralyse more effective responses. However, there is a window for child sexual abuse prevention, if we are not too scared to seize it. It’s time to engage earlier with people concerned about their sexual thoughts or behaviours towards children, so that fewer children become victims in the first place. Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling has been a member of the Australian Federal Police for 32 years. For the past five years she has been responsible for the oversight of teams investigating human trafficking, online child sexual exploitation and cybercrime. Emma A. Jane is an Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney where she researches the social and ethical impacts of emerging technology. Her book, Diagnosis Normal, explores the complex combination of childhood sexual abuse, mental illness and a late autism diagnosis that led to her being who she is today, as well as exploring the impact each has on so many others in society. Georgia Naldrett is the Stop It Now! Australia Manager, a program which aims to prevent child sexual abuse by offering anonymous support and advice to individuals concerned about their sexual thoughts or behaviours towards children, as well as affected family members and professionals. She is a psychology graduate with a BSc(hons) in Psychology and a MSc in Forensic Psychology. Dr Michael Salter is the Scientia Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of New South Wales, where he specialises in the study of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
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Donate to make FODI happen in 2024
09/08/2023
Donate to make FODI happen in 2024
Since 2009 the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, or FODI to its fans, has curated thought-provoking topics and new approaches to wicked problems. We bring bold speakers, artists and experiences together in ways that are unexpected, and yes, sometimes a bit uncomfortable, but we are always unerringly authentic. We’ve never shied away from truth. So, here’s our dangerous truth: Festival of Dangerous Ideas needs funds to go ahead in 2024. We’re already talking to partners. We’re applying for grants. We're canvassing speakers and artists. We’re telling everyone who will listen about the 11+ festivals we’ve delivered with thought-leading speakers drawn from across the world, alongside art and activations with impact. But our festival of international significance is expensive to deliver. We keep ticket prices low so that it’s accessible. Our non-profit, independence is both an asset and a challenge. For the first time ever, we’re asking FODI fans to help keep us in the game. Your donation will go directly to helping us pay deposits to lock in the best speakers and artists from around the world for 2024. FODI could not be produced without the generosity of our supporters and donors. Our supporters are brave. They are bold. They think about the future and who want to play a role in shaping it. Is that you? Donate now at www.festivalofdangerousideas.com
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Stealing Culture (2022) | Daniel Browning, Corrie Chen, Coby Edgar & Luara Ferracioli
09/04/2023
Stealing Culture (2022) | Daniel Browning, Corrie Chen, Coby Edgar & Luara Ferracioli
From musical borrowings and dance moves, to clothing, art and stories, it's time to talk about where to draw the line between legitimate cultural exchange and damaging cultural appropriation. As we see more clearly how power shapes culture, the relationships between artistic freedom and protecting culture is shifting rapidly. It’s time for a bigger discussion about who owns culture, who’s stealing it, who is entitled to borrow, and how to pay a fair price. Daniel Browning is an Aboriginal journalist, radio broadcaster, documentary maker, sound artist and writer. Corrie Chen is an award-winning filmmaker and a highly sought after television director. Coby Edgar is a Larrakia, Jingili, Anglo, Filipino, queer, cis-woman from Darwin. She is currently the curator of Strategic Projects, First Nations at the Powerhouse Museum and has worked in the arts industry for over a decade. Luara Ferracioli is Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University of Sydney.
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Claire G. Coleman (2022) | Words are Weapons
08/07/2023
Claire G. Coleman (2022) | Words are Weapons
Stories define who we are, our history and they can be weaponised. Stories can erase an entire culture. History is nothing but a story. Noongar woman and author Claire G. Coleman invites you to consider that Australia has been defined by a story that hasn’t been built on truth. That the stories Australia tells itself about itself are actually dangerous; they disenfranchise and dehumanise people, both the settlers and the First Nations people. Colonisation in Australia is not over. It is a process, not an event, and the aftereffects will continue while there are still people to remember it. Hear from Coleman the full story of the colonisation and future of Australia and arm yourself against lies with weaponised words of truth. Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar woman whose family have belonged to the south coast of Western Australia since long before history started being recorded. She writes fiction, essays, poetry and art writing while either living in Naarm (Melbourne) or on the road. During an extended circuit of the continent she wrote a novel, Terra Nullius, which won the black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowship and was listed for 8 awards including a shortlisting for The Stella Prize.
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Just Be Evil (2022) | Frances Haugen, Scott Hargreaves, Sam Mostyn & Carl Rhodes
07/05/2023
Just Be Evil (2022) | Frances Haugen, Scott Hargreaves, Sam Mostyn & Carl Rhodes
In 1970, Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Friedman famously said that ‘the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits’. And much of western corporate culture has lived by that credo, allowing businesses to ravage the environment and trash the rights of workers. However in more recent times, corporations have seemingly grown a political and social conscious. Is woke capitalism the next step towards a better world? Or is it a form of dangerous hypocrisy that threatens democracy? Frances Haugen holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Olin College and an MBA from Harvard. She is a specialist in algorithmic product management, having worked on ranking algorithms at Google, Pinterest, Yelp and Facebook. Scott Hargreaves became Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs in 2022, having joined the staff in 2015. Prior to that he worked in a range of private and public organisations, including periods as a political adviser, corporate affairs manager, as a manager of sustainability for a listed company, and managing small businesses. Carl Rhodes is Dean and Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Technology Sydney Business School. Carl writes about the ethical and democratic dimensions of business and work. Sam Mostyn is a businesswoman and sustainability adviser, with a long history of executive and governance roles across business, sport, climate change, the arts, policy, and NFP sectors.
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Joanna Bourke (2022) | The Last Taboo
05/31/2023
Joanna Bourke (2022) | The Last Taboo
Our modern society is dependent on extraordinary levels of abuse and violence towards non-human animals. While we may love animals, we continue to interact with them in thoughtless, violent and cruel ways. We destroy their habitats, regulate their slaughter, farm and exploit them, and even in extreme circumstances, sexually abuse them. Historian Joanna Bourke asks us how we can love and care for animals better? Please note this session contains themes that may be sensitive to some listeners including depictions of animal abuse and bestiality. Joanna Bourke is a historian, academic and Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, and a Fellow of the British Academy. She is also the Gresham Professor of Rhetoric (London, 2019-2023). She is the Principal Investigator on a Wellcome Trust-funded project entitled SHaME (Sexual Harms and Medical Encounters). She is the prize-winning author of 14 books, as well as over 100 articles in academic journals.
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Frances Haugen (2022) | Unmasking Facebook
05/07/2023
Frances Haugen (2022) | Unmasking Facebook
Former Facebook product manager, Frances Haugen did not set out to be a whistleblower, but when it became a question of saving lives, she knew it was time to tell the truth. On top of her concerns about mental health and hate speech, finding out that the Facebook platform was being used by human traffickers in Ethiopia tipped the balance. With almost half the people in the world using Meta’s platforms, and leadership of the company vigorously denying her accusation that it values profits over people, Frances Haugen wants to show us Facebook from the inside, so we can see what it really values. Frances Haugen is a specialist in algorithmic product management, having worked on ranking algorithms at Google, Pinterest, Yelp and Facebook. She was recruited to Facebook to be the lead Product Manager on the Civic Misinformation team, which dealt with issues related to democracy and misinformation, and later also worked on counter-espionage. During her time at Facebook, Haugen became increasingly alarmed by the choices the company makes prioritising their own profits over public safety and putting people’s lives at risk. As a last resort and at great personal risk, Frances made the courageous decision to blow the whistle on Facebook. Haugen fundamentally believes that the problems we are facing today with social media are solvable.
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Join the Rebellion (2022) | Jane Caro, Osher Günsberg, Yasmin Poole, Kevin Roose & Alok Vaid-Menon
04/11/2023
Join the Rebellion (2022) | Jane Caro, Osher Günsberg, Yasmin Poole, Kevin Roose & Alok Vaid-Menon
As we confront the challenges of the 21st century, we’ve been encouraged to think that we can innovate our way out of anything, or that coding and technology are the answers. But what if the most important tools for our time are human skills like compassion, creativity and collaboration? To protect our own futures, it’s time to stop relying on technology to save us and focus on the things that make us truly human. Jane Caro is a Walkley Award winning Australian columnist, author, novelist, broadcaster, documentary maker, feminist and social commentator. Osher Günsberg is a television and radio presenter and journalist. Yasmin Poole seeks to challenge policymakers to think differently. She is Plan International’s National Ambassador, advocating for young women to be heard in Australian politics. Kevin Roose is an award-winning technology columnist for The New York Times and examines the intersection of tech, business, culture, and the combined effect they have on society. Alok Vaid-Menon is an internationally acclaimed writer, comedian, poet, and public speaker whose work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition.
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World Without Rape (2022) | Joanna Bourke, Jess Hill, Sisonke Msimang, Saxon Mullins & Bronwyn Penrith
03/05/2023
World Without Rape (2022) | Joanna Bourke, Jess Hill, Sisonke Msimang, Saxon Mullins & Bronwyn Penrith
The last few years have seen courageous sexual assault survivors become heroines and heroes, conquering the forces that have silenced them for so long. While laws are changing and we continue to unravel the culture of shame that has protected perpetrators and punished survivors – how can we evolve the conversation? Can we ever get to the heart of the matter, and think about a world without rape? Or are our efforts doomed to failure as we tinker at the edges of an eternal crime? Please note this session contains themes that may be sensitive to some listeners including discussions of rape and sexual assault. Joanna Bourke is a historian, academic and Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, and a Fellow of the British Academy. Jess Hill is a Walkley-award winning investigative journalist who’s been reporting on domestic abuse for several years. Saxon Mullins is Director of Advocacy at Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy. In 2018 Saxon appeared on Four Corner’s episode I am that girl where she gave up her anonymity to tell the story of her 2013 sexual assault and the subsequent criminal trials and appeals. Bronwyn is a Wiradjuri woman who has worked all her life for equality and the recognition of First Nations people and their rights. Sisonke Msimang is an award-winning writer whose long-form writing on money, power and sex has appeared in the New York Times, Foreign Affairs the Washington Post, Lapham’s Quarterly and a range of other publications.
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