The first in a series of public talks called ‘This Stuff Matters – Politics of Life’ takes place at the M-Arts Centre, Murwillumbah on November 21. The evening kicks-off with bar and food starting at 5.30pm, with the main event starting at 7pm. The conversationalists are Juliane Schultz (The Idea of Australia. A Search for the Soul of a Nation) and Judith White (Culture Heist: Art vs Money).
They’re going to talk about what the US election means for you, me, and everything on the planet in a session titled ‘Phew or Spew?’. Let’s face it, the choice before the American people on November 5 wasn’t great. And the prospect of a Trump presidency is sending shivers down the global spine. You know the reasons why.
Julianne and Judith will reflect on what the US election result means in terms of US democracy, (so-called), global geopolitics, as well as its implications for Australia. How should Australia respond to a Trump presidency?
Politics of Life
The US election is of course only one among a host of things we think about. The Politics of Life series is concerned with how and what we think, what worries us, and how we are in the world. It assumes we’re all philosophers.
You don’t have to be a Plato or Aristotle to wonder what life’s all about. We think about the meaning of life all the time. How can I be happy, content? Why am I so sad? What does love mean? Why is my relationship not working out? Why do I feel so lonely? Why do I seek meaning and purpose? Why do I keep asking so many questions? Why can’t I just live?
Truth told, none of us knows the answers to these sorts of imponderables. If we did, we wouldn’t need all those self-help and personal growth books, or the mind fixers, would we? Life’s a journey all right. It’s complex. It can be brutish and short, but it can also be wonderfully joyous. Our lives, of course, are shaped by historical, social, economic, cultural and material circumstances. How we think of and experience life depends on where, when and with whom we find ourselves.
Life as we know it, is changing, and fast. Our worlds are becoming more polarised, troubled and uncertain. The very technologies that promised so much connection seem to be driving us apart. Despite their relative wealth and privilege, western societies exhibit many signs of social fragmentation and human misery. We’re among the loneliest generations to have lived.
Which is not great news given that the climate predicament and ecological destruction are going to have massive implications for how and where we live. To face up to what’s unfolding, we’ll need to rebuild civic life and create more resilient communities, through reconnecting with others, sharing our thoughts and feelings, building new solidarities and finding solutions to our collective problems.
The Politics of Life series is focused on what will encourage us to think afresh about what life means in a transformed environment and what we can do to make life feel more connected and joyous.
You can book your ticket for the first event here: https://thisstuffmatters.my.canva.site.
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