Recordings of our panel discussions will be added to Ky Chow’s On the Other Hand podcast.
Public discussion today on hot topics such as gender, race, sexuality and religion often seem dominated by outrage and intolerance of different opinions.
Angry tweets and Facebook comment battles either suck us into soul destroying fights or turn us off politics completely.
Many news and media organisations increasingly “take a side”, rewarding their most hostile commentators while showing somewhat of an allergy to opinions that aren’t “the house view”.
Corporate workplaces and associations also are also pressured by internal or external activists to take contentious political positions and intimidate those who disagree, leading to division and resentment.
Yet this Age of Outrage can’t last. The “exhausted majority” - including many quiet objectors in social media, newsrooms and workplaces - long for a better way forward, where controversies are addressed with openness, respect and nuance, rather than intolerance, hostility and binary thinking.
That’s why Fearless Curious has come to Sydney. We’re an event series where panellists treat each other and the audience with respect - even when we don’t agree. This ethos means you can connect with intelligent, open minded people who share your opinions, but also those who don’t - but won’t try to “cancel” or “dox” you.
It’s time to connect those seeking a public discourse renaissance. And we know you’re out there.
Our companion podcast.
What do Australia's Chinese communities think about controversies such as gender, race and religion - and why are they rarely heard?
Chinese Australians are our nation’s largest non-white minority group. But they're rarely heard from on some of Australia’s most contested controversies including racism, freedom of speech, gender, immigration and religion.
Read MoreWe’re back! And this time, we’re scrutinising the media and whether it’s doing its job on the hot issues of our time. With a couple of journalists, of course.
Read MoreIt’s tempting to want to stay in a social media ding-dong battle because we want to correct someone’s misinterpretation about our argument or motives, especially since they might then subsequently misrepresent that to others. What if we can never work in this town again?
Read MoreMany people - including many minorities and women themselves - fear a politically correct atmosphere where offence is easily taken. They worry that stifles well intentioned discussion and makes minorities and women distrustful and too sensitive, furthering social divisions and culture wars.
Others believe while claims of cultural appropriation, microaggressions and sexism/racism often go too far, they do raise legitimate issues. They believe that some apparently harmless habits, such as profiling and humour based on gender or race, can increase mistreatment of minorities and women.
Read MoreIt’s finally here. For years I’d been meeting people longing for a place to shelter from the Age of Outrage. And now they’ve got it (as long as they’re in Sydney. For now).
I’ve uncovered them in cautious, then relieved confessions at parties, or a surprising paragraph or quote in a journalism colleague’s story. They’ve emerged in chats with friends who I had assumed had never cared much for politics, but were simply keeping their heads down while incendiary insults and abuse in the culture wars whistled overhead.
Read More
