The sad news of the death of a great and humble man came out overnight: “Sir Nicholas Winton, who organised the rescue of 669 children destined for Nazi concentration camps, has died aged 106. Sir Nicholas, then a stockbroker, arranged for trains to carry Jewish children out of occupied Prague. Via BBC He, like others during the 1930s and World War Two period, took action … Continue reading Sir Nicholas Winton: saviour, people smuggler, hero?
As part of Social Media Week Sydney 2014 I was honoured to host a panel discussion about the Politics of Social. The panel made for a lively and interesting chat – wish we could have had more time as there was much more to discuss! Panel Members Ariadne Vromen – Associate Professor, The University of Sydney Alex Greenwich – Independent Member for Sydney, Parliament of … Continue reading Politics of Social – Social Media Week Sydney 2014
Had a chat with David Speers, John Bergin, and Graham Young on Sky News yesterday. We discussed recent events in politics as played out in social media. Topics included – Julia Gillard’s visit to Western Sydney, the rise of surveillance and sousveillance with mobile phone cameras, the Mardi Gras police video, 457 visas, xenophobia/dog whistle politics by both parties, and the Liberal leadership spill in … Continue reading Sky News – Politics and Social Media
Over the weekend I listened to this moving talk from the Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, where she examines what drives people to dissent. Reflecting on the history of her own party, the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, examines the meaning of opposition and dissident. She also explains her reasons for following the path of non-violence. … Continue reading Dissent and Securing Freedom – Aung San Suu Kyi shares her ideas
Just finished a dinner in Canberra with @IainDale @msgovtech @craigthomler @purserj @piawaugh @stilgherrian @peterjblack @nickhodgemsft @markpesce @gcarraro before the forum tomorrow. We had some really lively discussions about politics, society, transparency and government. With this group one must really fight to get a word in edgewise! But Iain Dale, who is presenting the keynote tomorrow, managed to hold his own with aplomb. Iain is an … Continue reading Openness & transparency in Government – Microsoft Politics & Technology Forum #poltech
I recently discovered that one of my ancestors was arrested by the British in 1828 as a pirate and sent to Australia as a convict. He had originally been sentenced to death, but he appealed to the King and his sentence was commuted to life as a convict in Australia. It was pretty cool to discover that my relative was both a pirate and a … Continue reading What’s in a name? Pirate, freedom fighter or terrorist
Starting in 1998, a UWS research project has been in progress on the geography of racism in NSW. Key findings of the Racism project include: While racism is quite prevalent in Australian society its occurrences differ from place to place. These variations have been largely overlooked by anti-racism campaigns in Australia. Most Australians recognise that racism is a problem in society. Racist attitudes are positively … Continue reading Findings of the UWS Challenging Racism research
Yesterday in New South Wales there was a major shift in the state’s political landscape. We saw a significant shift in voting with enormous swings against the ALP across the state and especially in traditional heartland seats. The Liberals won seats in which they’d never imagined a serious contest. As election guru Antony Green noted: “It’s very hard to believe it when you see a … Continue reading Democracy in action, civil society and political change
Tomorrow night I’ll be hosting a panel for Digital Citizens on Politics and Digital Activism in the Social Age. The panel has a fascinating and diverse group of people: Penny Sharpe – Labor Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads John Bergin – Director of Digital News for Sky News Steve Hopkins – from Ai-Media Thomas Tudehope – Director of Engagement and Strategy for SR7 These … Continue reading #Digicitz 9: Politics & Digital Activism in the Social Age
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Oscar Wilde, in Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) It has been fascinating to watch the progress of the various revolutions in north Africa and the middle east, in particular the travails of the Libyan people trying to oust the long-standing dictator Gaddafi. Unlike the other countries in the region, … Continue reading Freedom – the price and the value #Libya #auspol
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