http://www.abc.net.au/tv/fora Latest talks and discussions. From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Fora TV en ABC Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:34:05 +1000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss XML Engine Fora.TV@abc.net.au ABC TV Fora TV -The best talks, ideas, debates and lectures from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Fora TV. Fora TV nospam@abc.net.au http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2449915.htm Finding a surrogate mother is an increasingly popular solution for those who can't conceive children themselves. But the medical advances that enable these pregnancies have developed much faster than the legislation which surrounds them. The laws differ from state to state, and legal decisions about issues such as custody can have devastating effects on mothers and families. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2449915.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:01:00 +1000 Law and EthicsPoliticsHealth and MedicineCulture and Society,Anita Stuhmcke, Surrogacy, Law, Biomedical Law, medical advances, conceiving problems, pregnancy, legislation, custody, family http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2449908.htm Despite John Howard's best efforts, Robert Menzies remains Australia's longest-serving prime minister. He's also a polarizing figure, revered by the right and disdained by the left. Delivering the annual Menzies lecture in Melbourne recently, conservative commentator Gerard Henderson gave a very personal argument on why he believes Menzies still Matters. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2449908.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:48:00 +1000 HistoryPoliticsCulture and Society,Gerard Henderson, politics, australia, menzies, liberal party, longest-serving prime minister, "Mr. Santamaria and the Bishops" , "Menzies' Child: The Liberal Party of Australia". http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2444185.htm Chris Puplick was shadow arts minister in the late 1980s, and has since held several positions in arts administration, including serving on the board of the Griffith Theatre Company, the Freelance Dance Company and NIDA, and on the Theatre Board of the Australia Council. He was also President of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2444185.htm Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:54:00 +1000 ArtsCulture and SocietyBooks and Authors,Chris Puplick, shadow arts minister, government funding, lobby, Stephen Crittenden, theatre, dance, performance, future http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2431702.htm Gustav Niebuhr is an author, journalist and commentator who writes mainly about issues of religion. In this passionate talk, delivered at the Chautauqua Festival in August, he argues that a better society will come from more interaction between faiths, races and creeds. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2431702.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:47:00 +1000 ReligionCulture and SocietyLaw and EthicsHistory,religion, faith, tolerance, fear, Rodney King, Thomas Payne, George Washington, Judaism, freedom of speech, Roosevelt, media, interfaith organisation, muslims, educating, public, Gustav Niebuhr http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2450459.htm What an excellent time of year it is. Days and days and days off work with nothing to do but lie on the beach and catch up on the year's reading. And, of course, watching or listening to all of the ABC Fora talks and debates that you've missed this year. For your viewing pleasure, we have selected some of our most popular talks to display on the front page. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/19/2450459.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:46:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443915.htm When Julia Gillard took over the education portfolio in the new Rudd government, she took extensive advice from the controversial chancellor of education in New York, Joel Klein. Her department is now in the process of adopting many of his methods in Australian schools. Chancellor Klein was in Australia recently, and outlined his approach in this address to the National Press Club. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443915.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:54:00 +1000 PoliticsEducation,education, system, goverment, methods, policy, funding, chancellor of education in New York http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443892.htm Augusten Burroughs has become famous for writing blackly funny accounts of his own seriously dysfunctional life. From his breakthrough memoir "Running With Scissors", to his most recent book "A Wolf at the Table", he recounts his experiences in extraordinary detail. Here, in conversation with Jennifer Byrne at the Melbourne Writers Festival earlier in the year, he was candid about his dreadful childhood, struggle with alcoholism and abusive father. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443892.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:54:00 +1000 Books and AuthorsCulture and Society,Augusten Burroughs, memoirs, contraversial, fictional, defamation, black humour, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443890.htm In an increasingly secular society, where do we look for spiritual meaning? In his book "Ego and Soul", sociologist John Carroll argues that spiritual fulfilment is an essential human requirement. But now we derive our spiritual experiences from every-day things: going to work, playing sport, spending time with family. Here, he's at Gleebooks, with social commentator Clive Hamilton. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443890.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:55:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyReligionPhilosophyBooks and Authors,John Carroll, sociology, Clive Hamilton, religion, spirituality, sport, shopping, family, gleebooks http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443917.htm It's been 90 years since the end of the First World War, and only a handful of those who fought are still alive. Yet the war to end all wars is still remembered and commemorated by those born long after it finished. What is it about this war that has caused it to enter our memories and mythologies so profoundly? In a talk given to the Brisbane Institute on Remembrance Day this year, historian Peter Stanley investigates. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2443917.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:56:00 +1000 HistoryCulture and Society,First World War, rememberance, national identity, history, mythology, Anzac, Gallipoli http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2444040.htm Last week ABC Fora came to you a little the worse-for-wear after imbibing too enthusiastically at a Christmas party. But this week, after listening to Augusten Burroughs' sordid and alarming tales of alcoholism in this disarmingly honest talk, we have been shocked into renouncing all earthly pleasures and are seriously considering joining a convent. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/12/2444040.htm Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:31:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2437583.htm With its poor, largely rural populace and huge sex industry, Thailand could be expected to have major problems with overpopulation and HIV/AIDS. However, its birth-rate has been declining since the 1970s. And, it's one of the few developing countries with a slowing rate of HIV infection. Much of the credit for this can be claimed by public health guru Mechai Viravaidya, who has devoted his career to educating Thais in the use of contraceptives. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2437583.htm Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:21:00 +1000 Health and MedicineEducationPoliticsCulture and Society,Mechai Viravaidya, HIV/AIDS, contraceptive, education, condom, rural populace, developing countries, public health http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2438196.htm Last week the government's new, big-budget, confrontational anti binge-drinking ads began flooding our screens with bloodied images of booze-fuelled teen carnage, sordid sex and self-destruction. It's pretty powerful stuff, and we hope that they have some effect on their target audience. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2438196.htm Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:36:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2424865.htm One of the byproducts of China's extraordinary development in the last few decades has been an explosion in its urban populations. At the recent Metropolis summit in Sydney, Asia researcher Andrew Ness described how this changing landscape has come about, and how the Chinese are planning for an urbanised future. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2424865.htm Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:04:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyBooks and AuthorsEnvironment,China, development, urban, over-population, climate, infrastructure, housing, polution http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2431542.htm It's just over a month since one of the most fascinating US elections of all time. Australian writer and former Paul Keating speechwriter Don Watson was in the United States for Barack Obama's historic victory and shared his first-hand observations of the American political landscape at the Sydney Institute. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2431542.htm Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:56:00 +1000 PoliticsCulture and SocietyBooks and Authors,speechwriter, Don Watson, American political landscape, Barack Obama's, American Journeys, Walkley Award http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2431541.htm The problem of alcohol abuse is one of the focuses of the campaign to close the gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia. But how was alcohol introduced to Aborigines in the first place? In this fascinating talk, which takes us back to the beginning of colonisation, ANU researcher Maggie Brady talks about indigenous Australia's first taste of alcohol. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/12/05/2431541.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:59:00 +1000 HistoryHealth and MedicinePoliticsCulture and Society,alcohol, abuse, colonisation, indigenous, aborigines, Romlie Mokak, Robin Room, life expectancy, dependency, tabacco, drugs, Maggie Brady http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431532.htm History, it is often said, never repeats. Yet, a little confusingly, we are also told that we need to learn lessons from history to prevent the same things happening over and over. And then there's the notion that there are no gaps between time or matter, so we in the present are intricately connected to things past and future on some great cosmic continuum, rendering the whole notion of history irrelevant. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431532.htm Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:46:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431439.htm LANGUAGE WARNING: this talk contains frequent coarse language. US writer James Frey's 2003 memoir "A Million Little Pieces", shot to the top of international bestseller lists when it was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. Three years later it was revealed that many of the experiences described in the book were in fact made up, and a huge controversy erupted. But his latest book, "Bright Shiny Morning", is being hailed by some critics as his return to grace. Here, he's at the New Theatre in Sydney's Newtown reading from it. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431439.htm Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:57:00 +1000 Books and AuthorsCulture and Society,Australian, new theatre, Bright Shiny Morning, memoir, family history, fiction, autobiography http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431405.htm The global financial crisis is causing leaders worldwide to re-consider their attitudes to economic management and regulation. Here, at a thought-provoking discussion between activist writer Naomi Klein, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and internationally feted thinker Hernando de Soto, the ideologies behind economic management are examined. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2431405.htm Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:40:00 +1000 BusinessPoliticsBooks and AuthorsCulture and Society,economy, unregulated markets, model, capitalism, legal system, national, assistance, bailout, crisis, ownership, government, foreclosures, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2412481.htm Geoffrey Blainey is one of Australia's best-known historians. His latest book is called "Sea of Dangers: Captain Cook and his Rivals". It examines the antipodean voyages of Cook and the French explorer Jean de Surville. Both men were at sea at the same time pursuing similar missions. But while Cook remains one of the most revered cartographers and discoverers of all time, de Surville has been relegated to the margins of history. Here, Professor Blainey is at the State Library of NSW. We join the talk as he's discussing the search for the "missing continent", a great southern land mass that eighteenth century Europeans believed to exist. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2412481.htm Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:08:00 +1000 HistoryBooks and AuthorsCulture and Society,political commentator, Australian historian, Captain Cook, French explorer, Jean de Surville, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2412501.htm Dr. Rajendra Pachauri was the co-recipient, with Al Gore, of the 2007 Nobel peace prize. He's the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. Here, he's delivering the 2008 Wallace Wurth lecture at the University of NSW. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/28/2412501.htm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:57:00 +1000 EnvironmentPoliticsLaw and EthicsCulture and Society,Rajendra Pachauri climate change, energy, environment, IPCC, forestry, biotechnology, conservation, natural resources, government departments, institutions, corporate organisations http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424864.htm Soon-to-be US President Barack Obama swept to victory with a message of change. He will replace George W. Bush, who has earned the dubious distinction of being the least popular president since opinion polls began. So where did Bush and his administration go wrong? Jacob Weisberg, until recently editor of the Influential online journal Slate.com and now editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, has written a book on the subject, "The Bush Tragedy". Here he's at the Aspen Festival of Ideas. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424864.htm Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:51:00 +1000 PoliticsCulture and SocietyHistory,President George W. Bush, neo-conversative, Barack Obama, administration, change, opinion polls, popularity, American public, online journalism, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2425394.htm "Courage," said John Wayne, with predictable use of metaphor, "is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway." When you think about this, it is difficult to distinguish that most widely praised of virtues from reckless idiocy. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2425394.htm Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:35:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424842.htm Former Australian of the year Professor Fiona Stanley has devoted much of her career to trying to improve the health of Aboriginal people, especially children. Delivering the annual Hawke Lecture in Adelaide recently, she discussed some of the causes of poor indigenous health, and outlined some strategies for improving it. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424842.htm Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:42:00 +1000 Health and MedicineCulture and SocietyLaw and EthicsPolitics,indigenous health, communites, children, youth, remote, urban, life expectancy, aboriginal, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424859.htm At the beginning of this week, veteran journalist Chris Masters filed his final story for Four Corners, the ABC current affairs programme he's worked on for 25 years. In this candid conversation with the ABC's Mark Colvin, he reflects back on an illustrious and award-winning career. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2424859.htm Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:43:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyBooks and AuthorsPoliticsHistory,journalist, author, media, investigative journalism, current affairs, Walkley awards, Chris Masters, Fitzgerald Enquiry, police corruption http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2412512.htm Anna Funder shot to international prominence with the publication of her 2003 book "Stasiland", about the East German secret police, and the attempts of some brave citizens to resist their oppressors. Now working on a novel, the author has taken time out to write and deliver the final of the 2008 PEN International Voices lecture series. Her essay is about Courage. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/21/2412512.htm Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:15:00 +1000 Books and AuthorsCulture and SocietyPhilosophyPolitics,Anna Funder, PEN International Voices, Stasiland, German secret police, courage, BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418473.htm Arun Gandhi is the fifth grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and he was a young boy and actually living with his grandfather at the time of the tragic assassination. Born in 1934 in Durban, Arun has spent much of his life actively promoting the principles of non-violence and social activism that made is grandfather such a seminal figure of the 20th century. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418473.htm Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:37:00 +1000 HistoryCulture and SocietyPolitics,Mahatma Gandhi, non-violent activism, M.K. Institute for Nonviolence, social causes, displaced persons http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418836.htm There are few things ABC Fora loves more than a good natter. Be it heavy-duty gossip sessions where the intimate private lives of friends and colleagues are carefully dissected, or late-night, wine-stoked and earnest ruminations on the state of the world, if there's a conversation to be had, we'll be having it. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418836.htm Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:37:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2405710.htm Aboriginal leader and rights advocate, Patrick Dodson, was recently awarded the "2008 Sydney Peace Prize". Past recipients have included former U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and Palestinian activist Dr Hanan Ashrawi. Dodson is often called the "father of reconciliation" for his determination to build bridges between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Here Dodson presents the "Peace Prize Lecture" in which he urges Australia to follow the lead of the American President-elect, Barack Obama, in its approach to dialogue with our Aboriginal people. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2405710.htm Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:16:00 +1000 PoliticsCulture and SocietyEducation,reconciliation, Patrick Dodson, peace prize, consultation, self-determination, dialogue, intervention, Northern, Territory, racist, legislation, indigenous, non-indigenous, Australia, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418412.htm Former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating; current Leader of the Federal Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull and former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten are not the usual people you'd expect to see having a chat after dinner. But here in Sydney, at an event hosted by the Oxford Business Alumni, the three of them got down to business, discussing all of the big events of the minute: the global financial crisis and what governments should do about it, climate change, China and Obama. The event is hosted by our own Tony Jones. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/14/2418412.htm Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:10:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyBusiness,Paul Keating, Malcolm Turnbull, Chris Patten, global financial crisis, China, Obama, climate change http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2412108.htm History has been made. America has its first black President-elect and as the man himself so eloquently put it that night at Grant Park, Chicago, "the dawn of a new American leadership is at hand". http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2412108.htm Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:55:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2405698.htm "America has lost its moral authority" was the proposition that was argued in the most recent of the IQ Squared debates, hosted by the St. James Ethics Centre. If the proposition is correct, then the incoming president faces not only a worsening domestic crisis, but a major challenge to restore America's image in the eyes of the international community. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2405698.htm Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:38:00 +1000 PoliticsCulture and Society,America, international community, world power, Iraq war, rhetoric, Bob Carr, Owen Harries, Paul McGeough, Mark Carnegie, Geoff Garrett, Martine Letts http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2411730.htm Is intelligent design about to win America's soul? This is the question asked by Brown University Professor of Biology, Dr Kenneth Miller, at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State. Professor Miller is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement. He's written several books on the subject, including his latest, Only a Theory in which he explores intelligent design and the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, as well as the overarching threat ID presents to scientific rationalism. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2411730.htm Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:27:00 +1000 Science and TechnologyPhilosophyLaw and Ethics,creationism, scientific rationalism, intelligent design, Kitzmiller, Dover Area School District, Dr Kenneth Miller, Chautauqua Institution http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2405399.htm William McInnes is probably best known to most of us as Nick in "Blue Heelers", or perhaps Max in "SeaChange". But he's also a prolific author, most recently of a book called "That'd Be Right". Here, at a Dymock's Literary Lunch he's in conversation with Susan Wyndham, Literary Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. And he's fabulously entertaining discussing the themes of his book: family, sport and politics. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/07/2405399.htm Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:32:00 +1000 Books and AuthorsPoliticsCulture and SocietyHistory,acting, Australian TV drama, sport, politics, family, Susan Wyndham, author William McInnes. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/03/2408957.htm Each year for over 40 years the ABC Board has invited a prominent Australian to present the Boyer Lectures - an opportunity to present their views on the great social, scientific and cultural issues of the moment. This year, the Boyers are being presented by the head of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch. His subject? "The Golden Age of Freedom", and in this address, delivered at the Sydney Opera House, one of the world's most powerful men outlines his vision for how Australia can meet the challenges of the future. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/11/03/2408957.htm Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:01:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyPoliticsHistoryEducation,rupert murdoch; boyer lecture; education; reform; reconcilliation; economy http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405462.htm As anyone who formed their television watching habits in Australia during the 1980s will attest, things look mighty different 'round here these days. Back then, everyone knew how things were and would always be. In summer we chanted C'mon Aussie C'mon, C'mon, as we slowly warmed to pyjama cricket. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405462.htm Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:24:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405394.htm PM Kevin Rudd has been spending most of his time lately concentrating on the global financial crisis. But delivering the keynote address at the C.E.W. Bean Society Dinner in Canberra recently he turned his attention to Afghanistan, and gave this update on how the war is progressing. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405394.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:50:00 +1000 Politics,war, troops, US, alliance, Afghanistan, Iraq, Australia, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405359.htm In a week that saw James Packer finally sever ties with PBL and the Nine Network, the age of the great Australian media mogul, with a passion for news or broadcasting, seems to be over. Delivering the Andrew Olle lecture last week, veteran journalist and - until recently - Channel Nine stalwart Ray Martin fondly reminisced about the effect that Kerry Packer's patronage had on news in Australia, and slammed the current state of the industry that made him a star. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405359.htm Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:33:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyBusiness,online, media, internet, Ray Martin, broadcasters, commercial TV, Kerry Packer, journalism, monopoly http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405419.htm Next up, Michael Sandel is a professor at Harvard University. He's also the author of many books, most recently "The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering". Here, at the Chautauqua Institution, he engages the audience in a lively and challenging debate on this controversial topic. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405419.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:53:00 +1000 Law and EthicsHealth and MedicineScience and Technology,genetic engineering, biotic athletes, ethics, science, egg donors, genetic technology, disease, hyperparenting http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405398.htm It's been 15 years since the Oslo accords were supposed to bring about greater stability in Israeli-Palestinian relations. But today the situation for most ordinary Palestinians is nothing short of dire. American author and academic Sara Roy has been writing about the region since the 1980s, and here, in a lecture at Sydney Ideas, she delivers her assessment of the current situation. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/30/2405398.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:52:00 +1000 PoliticsHistoryLaw and Ethics,Palestine, Israel, Gaza strip, civilians, casualities, land, economic, politics, de-development http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399481.htm Morality is an interesting, elastic concept. What is completely morally justifiable to one person is abhorrent to another. Many people believe that moral opinions are subjective, and greatly influenced by culture and context. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399481.htm Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:27:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399081.htm Common Ground is a series of lectures presented by the Centre for Policy Development. It takes the novel idea of bringing together two people from opposite ends of the political spectrum to discuss a subject that they actually agree upon. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399081.htm Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:04:00 +1000 PoliticsCulture and SocietyLaw and Ethics,politics, donations, revenue, funding, parties, CPD, interest groups, emerging, reform http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399231.htm Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has identified herself as part of the religious right. So it's timely to consider what this term actually means, and how important a bloc this group is in the U.S. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399231.htm Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:20:00 +1000 ReligionCulture and SocietyBooks and Authors,religion, America, conservatism, politics, class, fear, nationalism http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399230.htm You're a senior British officer in WW2. You have a staff of 25 people. You discover someone in your department is leaking critical information to the enemy, which is causing British soldiers to be killed. What do you do? http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2399230.htm Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:14:00 +1000 PhilosophyBooks and AuthorsHistory,political theory, European Thought, Straw Dogs, Black Mass, religion, Al-Qaeda, utopia, peace, London School of Economics, global conflict, apocalyptic religion http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2392620.htm In countries where news is censored and limited, how important are blogs in getting information out, and how do people living in these countries use the internet? http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/23/2392620.htm Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:49:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyPoliticsScience and TechnologyBooks and Authors,blog, information, online, media, internet, fairfax, journalism, counter-culture, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2393150.htm For those of us raised in a broadly Protestant tradition, like our very own Prime Minister, struggle and self-denial are not nasty and unpleasant aspects of life, but the very foundation upon which one constructs a superior moral character. It's an idea that's littered through our culture. We "grin and bear it", keep a "stiff upper lip" and think that "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2393150.htm Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:44:00 +1000 , http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392758.htm At the National Press Club, Kevin Rudd spells out his government's response to the international financial crisis, and explains how it will affect Australians. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392758.htm Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:31:00 +1000 PoliticsBusiness,Economic crisis, share market, sub-prime loans, australian economy, budget, recession, http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392648.htm With the controversial Military Commission in Guantanamo Bay ongoing, it's a good time to question whether war crimes can be fairly prosecuted on an international stage. Gerry Simpson is a professor of international law at the London School of Economics, and is a visiting senior fellow in the law department of Melbourne University. His most recent book, "Law, War and Crime: War Crime Trials and the Reinvention of International Law ", looks at war crimes trials from Nuremberg to the present day. He's in conversation with Australian barrister and human rights advocate Julian Burnside, at the Melbourne Writers Festival. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392648.htm Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:38:00 +1000 Law and EthicsHistoryPolitics,War crimes, international law, Julian Burnside, Gerry Simpson, convention, treaty http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392742.htm He's been a leading force in British theatre for half a century, and is an accomplished actor on both stage and screen. Recently at Sydney Ideas, director Stephen Berkoff delivered a passionate lecture about the perils of limiting artistic freedom. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392742.htm Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:52:00 +1000 ArtsCulture and SocietyBooks and Authors,theatre, contemporary, Australia, production, Germany, future http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392622.htm Australian history is full of images of ingenious settlers battling against the harsh, unforgiving land in order to survive. But is the European notion of 'survival' different from the indigenous one? In this brilliant address, the second of the PEN Voices lecture series, Aboriginal writer Melissa Lucashenko argues that it is. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/16/2392622.htm Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:57:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyHistoryBooks and Authors,Aboriginal, indigenous, history, survival, urban, contemporary, death in custody, Melissa Lucashenko http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/09/2384659.htm This IQ2 Debate was another sellout in Sydney's Angel Place Recital Hall, and the audience were wildly appreciative of the genuinely funny addresses. The topic under scrutiny was that "For a Sporting Nation, We're Not That Sporting." When the audience was polled on this question when they arrived for the event, a clear majority agreed with the proposition. http://abc.net.au/tv/fora/stories/2008/10/09/2384659.htm Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:19:00 +1000 Culture and SocietyBooks and Authors,nationalism, national identity, australia, sport, Brett Hutchins, Adam Gilchrist, Peter FitzSimons, Adam Spencer, Tracey Holmes, Gideon Haigh