Democracy, Ethics and the Public Good

CONFERENCE

Friday 1 August 2014 6.30 registration for 7,00–9pm

Saturday 2 August 8.30 registration for 9:00am–4.30pm
St Andrew’s on The Terrace, Wellington

Join us for this conference to examine the wider issues of democracy in NZ society – both good and bad forms of democratic engagement. Focusing on issues beyond voting and elections, conference speakers will link democracy to ethics and the public good.

What could this mean?

• Are the democratic arrangements that are needed to allow New Zealand to address the pressing issues of climate change, inequality, growing international instability and resources shortages in place?
• Do the wider structures in our society support or preclude the development of a deep sense of belonging and social solidarity. To what extent can we be citizens and not just consumers?
• Questions such as how can the internet support our engagement as citizens: how poverty and inequality are related to issues of democracy, and what the options are for democratic values to impact in workplaces and the wider economy are also relevant.
• How we can strengthen the ability for citizens to shape the services we receive or to have a say in budget setting?

We have identified some great speakers to raise issues and set the scene and because the topic is democracy what happens next will include some shaping of the conference workshops by conference participants.

• In the next few weeks, those who register interest in the conference can sign up to take part in a discussion to ahead of the conference itself.
• We will be aiming for a reasonably high profile to allow other organisations to use the conference as a focus for democracy issues.

The following speakers will set the scene and further presenters will be announced in the coming weeks:

• Bronwyn Hayward Senior Lecturer, the University of Canterbury, and author of Children and the Environment: Nurturing a democratic imagination
• Benjamin Knight Loomio Cooperative
• Sandra Grey Senior Lecturer on social movements, civil society, democracy and tertiary education policy, Victoria University of Wellington

The conference fee will be kept low to make it widely accessible, and it will be free for those helping to facilitate workshops and to assist at the conference. The Friday evening speeches will be video recorded.

Register your interest in the conference click here
For more information about the conference click here

This Conference is a collaboration between
Public Good & St Andrew’s Trust for the Study of Religion and Society

If you have any questions or suggestions, or would like to offer to help with the conference email janrivers@publicgoodorgnz or phone/text 022 126 1839.