
Save the date: FODI returns in 2020!
NewsArts + Culture
BY The Ethics Centre 7 AUG 2019
Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI), Australia’s original provocative ideas festival, returns in 2020 for its 10th festival. April 3 to 5 will be a milestone weekend of provocation, contemplation, critical thinking and preparation for the battles of the next decade.
Presented by The Ethics Centre, FODI 2020 will once again feature leading thinkers from Australia and around the world to interrogate the issues of today and prepare for the major shifts of tomorrow.
FODI Festival Director, Danielle Harvey said: “Over the past decade the number of avenues for people to talk and share their opinions has steadily increased, we are more connected than ever with like-minded people, but the cost has been significant. We are losing the ability to listen.
“Without the tools to listen to other opinions and contemplate new ideas, society risks fracturing like never before.”
“Without the tools to listen to other opinions and contemplate new ideas, society risks fracturing like never before. The Festival of Dangerous Ideas has always been an opportunity for deep thinking, carving out precious space for disagreement, difference of opinion and critical thinking.
“As we brace for 2020, FODI will celebrate its 10th anniversary by looking again to the future and presenting a cohort of FODI alumni, representing the world’s best thinkers, journalists, creators and specialists, giving Sydneysiders an opportunity to listen to what will be shaping the world tomorrow.”
The Ethics Centre Executive Director, Dr Simon Longstaff said:
“The Ethics Centre is thrilled to once again be presenting the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. One of The Ethics Centre’s strategic priorities is to build and sustain the ‘ethical infrastructure’ that underpins a free, dynamic and democratic society.
“Fragile societies break apart when challenged. The resilient cohere around a common desire to face the truth – even if it is hard to bear.”
“Fragile societies break apart when challenged. The resilient cohere around a common desire to face the truth – even if it is hard to bear. FODI tests the truth of the claim that we are a ‘civil’ society – and proves that even in moments of profound disagreement – we have the strength to live an ‘examined life’.”
Last year’s sell-out festival featured Stephen Fry, Rukmini Callimachi, Niall Ferguson, Megan Phelps-Roper, Chuck Klosterman and Toby Walsh.
More information, including the full program and festival venue, will be announced in the coming months. Visit festivalofdangerousideas.com to subscribe to be the first to hear our news.
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BY The Ethics Centre
The Ethics Centre is a not-for-profit organisation developing innovative programs, services and experiences, designed to bring ethics to the centre of professional and personal life.
4 Comments
2020 post Australia’s summer mega-fires has provided multiple ground zeros for us to get January 26 1788 right, where we merge the intelligence of the indigenous and the west and create human systems that support nature’s ecosystem needs. Shifting to an economy based on facts not fiction namely that the earth’s resources are limited not infinite, does not mean we have to lower our comfort or quality of life. Making this transition will not lead to anarchy, dysfunction and chaos. Rather, as it is now, it will move incrementally sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, over to new earth-friendly human created systems. However, we need to flip the rate things are happening. Slow down the rate of extinction for forests, wetlands, coral reefs etc and speed up the rate of extinction of fossil fuel systems. The dangerous idea I would like to uncover is the idea that we need to separate environmental protection from political parties. Environmental protection should be a permanent-consistent-ecosystem function-orientated arm of government that has a safe line of funding and will never change no matter who is in power. Being ecosystem centric in how we design our human systems is ultimately the most human centric thing we can do and will secure more profit, more comfort and more jobs than when we run an economy from a western dreamtime story of infinite resources. It will be a reflection of true progress and true maturity. A sign that we are able to tame our currently out of control, very naughty limit pushing nature. A sign that after our long exploration of seeing whether we can “be God” and “tame nature” we come back to roost knowing we cannot do these things and find our rightful spot under Queen Mother Nature’s throne – bending the knee and asking “how can we serve you next your highness”.
ReplyPS David Carmichael talks publicly about his psyche drug induced murder of his autistic son, Robert Whitaker, Dr Peter Breggin, Dr David Healy, Dr Peter Goetzche and ex MP Martin Whitely from Psychewatch are also key well researched thought leaders in the psychiatric pill pushing info side
ReplyIs it too late? Have we got to the stage where our capacity to change and adapt, as a species, is so diminished that we are on a path to annihilation? if this is true, what is the ethical response to our inability to deal with climate change?
Abandon the planet, advocate anarchism against carbon intensive societies, promote the more sustainable 3rd world lifestyle or some other response?
ReplyDean Morelli, your comment and the question on ‘the ethical response to our inability to deal with climate change’ has taken on an even greater significance with the fire disaster and a PM who is out of his depth, lacks empathy and any understanding of any of the points/questions you raise.
Reply
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What dangerous idea would you like to uncover?