General News
27 September, 2024
Panel to discuss democracy
Has democracy — like Elvis — left the building?
As the title suggests, the latest Words in Winter panel discussion is set to challenge speakers and audience members to question the health of the democratic process in contemporary times.
Is democracy a bloated, sad shadow of its former self, living on the memory of past passion and glory with only diehard adherents keeping it alive? Or is it ready for a reboot, attracting new devotees ready to refashion democracy for modern times?
Organiser — and panel member — Dr Janice Simpson encourages locals to come along and join the conversation.
“I am going to talk about some local issues to do with democratic participation in society,” Dr Simpson said.
“We want the audience to have quite a big say in asking questions and making comments because we want it to be participatory, which is what we believe democracy should be. We want to model what we are talking about.”
Dr Simpson taught politics and social economics at RMIT and is an activist in Maryborough promoting the development of a rail trail between Maryborough and Castlemaine.
“It’s timely because we have council elections coming up that will be finalised by the beginning of November, so we have a local democratic process happening right now,” Dr Simpson said.
“We also have the US presidential election on November 5 as well as an Australian federal election early next year.”
Dr Simpson will be joined on the panel by Chris Dickinson, an experienced teacher in economics and geopolitics, and Dr Denis Muller, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne and author of several books. The event will be moderated by Bryn Davies, who has worked across justice, social policy, environment, heritage, planning and Indigenous affairs for more than 15 years.
The discussion will consider global, federal, state and local trends and current issues that have tested democracy, as well as the role of the Fourth Estate – how important is the role of media to a healthy, vibrant democracy?
“If we don’t have a critical media we don’t have democracy,” Dr Simpson said.
“All the authoritarian regimes don’t want open, free, critical media. We can see how that plays out in China, with major bans on global internet, and North Korea —goodness knows what goes on there but they don’t have any information about the outside world. Russia is fed Putin’s views ad nauseum and dissidents are punished by disappearing.”
Dr Simpson said the importance of the media to maintain democracy is particularly relevant today, with a concentration of media ownership and many people turning to the internet for information.
“We have social media that seems to be able to publish whatever it feels like contrary to facts and reasoned and informed opinions,” she said.
“One of the things we used to emphasise at RMIT was to ask ‘is this an opinion or is this an informed opinion and, if it is an informed opinion, who is it informed by — is that a reliable source?’
“Many people don’t ask those questions; they increasingly just fly off the handle. They hear a rumour and suddenly it becomes fact.”
Dr Simpson hopes locals passionate about the state of democracy will join the conversation, no matter their political views or affiliations.
“A discussion about democracy needs to consider all points of view and respect differing opinions. We are looking forward to a lively and thought-provoking evening where democracy — unlike Elvis — will well-and-truly be in the building.”
The Has democracy — like Elvis — left the building? event will take place at the Maryborough Highland Society on Thursday, October 3.
The event commences at 5.15 for a 5.30 pm start and runs until 7 pm.
Tickets are $5 each if you book via the website at wiwcg.com.au/ current-events or $7 at the door.