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The CDDGG 10th Anniversary Conversation Series

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In 2024 the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, at the University of Canberra, turns 10 years old. In celebration, we are organising a conversation series that is open to all, addressing 10 of the most pressing questions facing deliberative democracy today. Each month we will host a one-hour hybrid conversation featuring two short talks by world-leading scholars and practitioners, followed by a moderated discussion. Events will be filmed and posted on our YouTube channel for wider dissemination.

 

Please keep checking our upcoming events page for the details and registration of each month’s conversation.

Next event

What can deliberative democracy learn from social movements?

8 October 2024

Nicole Doerr, University of Copenhagen

Claire Mellier, Iswe Foundation

This event is online only. Join us on Zoom.

Nicole Doerr is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen. Her work is on deliberative democracy and visual practices, deliberation and critical practices of intersectional translation and migrants' and minorities' contributions to deliberative democratic practice and theory. 


Claire Mellier is the Knowledge and Practice Lead at Iswe Foundation. She co-initiated and organised the world's first Global Citizens' Assembly for COP26. 


Moderator 


Madeleine Egan is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra.

10 Big Questions

20 February 2024

HYBRID

How can deliberative democracy listen to nonhumans?

Prof Danielle Celermajer, University of Sydney, Australia

Frederic Hanusch, Justus Liebig University, Germany

Moderated by Dr Hans Asenbaum

12 March 2024

HYBRID

Can deliberative democracy take root in settler colonial states?

Dr Justin McCaul, Australian National University, Australia

Dr Emily Beausoleil, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Moderated by Dr Adele Webb

9 April 2024

ONLINE

Are mini-publics enough to promote deliberative democracy?

Prof Simone Chambers, University of California Irvine, United States

Prof Hélène Landemore, Yale University, United States

Moderated by Prof John Dryzek

14 May 2024

ONLINE

Does deliberative democracy stand a chance in neoliberal times?

Prof John Dryzek, University of Canberra, Australia

Prof Oliver Escobar, University of Edinburgh

Moderated by Prof Nicole Curato

18 June 2024

ONLINE

Are everyday citizens competent deliberators?

Prof Simon Niemeyer, University of Canberra

Prof Daniel Kübler, University of Zurich

Moderated by Dr Lucy J Parry

2 July 2024

HYBRID

How should deliberative democracy respond to extremism?

Dr Jordan McSwiney, University of Canberra

Prof John Gastil, Pennsylvania State University

Moderated by Prof Selen Ercan

6 August 2024

ONLINE

How can deliberative democracy challenge macho populism?

Dr Hans Asenbaum, University of Canberra

Dr Maria Esperanza Casullo, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro

Moderated by Dr Jordan McSwiney

24 September 2024

ONLINE

How can we build a global deliberative democracy?

Nicole Curato, University of Canberra

William Smith, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Moderated by Wendy Conway-Lamb

8 October 2024

ONLINE

What can deliberative democracy learn from social movements?

Nicole Doerr, University of Copenhagen

Claire Mellier, Iswe Foundation

Moderated by Madeleine Egan

19 November 2024

HYBRID

How deliberative is Australian Democracy?

Selen Ercan, University of Canberra,
Adele Webb, University of Canberra

Carolyn Hendriks, Australian National University

Moderated by Ariadne Vromen

Recordings

How can deliberative democracy listen to nonhumans?
32:48

How can deliberative democracy listen to nonhumans?

20 February 2024 | A conversation with Prof Danielle Celermajer & Dr Frederic Hanusch How can deliberative democracy listen to nonhumans? What is the normative case for including non-humans in democracy? What is the role of democratic experimentation in overcoming the limits of anthropocentric institutions? Watch an engaging conversation featuring Prof Danielle Celermajer from the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney, and Dr Frederic Hanusch from the Panel on Planetary Thinking, Justus Liebig University. This event kicked off our 2024 conversation series on 10 Big Questions on Deliberative Democracy. This seminar was chaired by Hans Asenbaum. About the speakers Danielle Celermajer is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney, and the Deputy Director of the Sydney Environment Institute. Her expertise lie in human rights, theories and practices of justice and the intersection between human, environmental and animal justice and ethics. Frederic Hanusch is co-founder and scientific manager of the “Panel on Planetary Thinking” at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Fellow at THE NEW INSTITUTE in Hamburg, and co-convener of the Earth System Governance Project’s Working Group on Democracy. Frederic recently published "The Politics of Deep Time“ with Cambridge University Press, which explores how planetary temporalities can be politically institutionalized. Currently, he is working on "The Planetary Condition". Seminar Convener: Adele Webb Online floor manager: Ferdinand Sanchez All Centre seminars are recorded. To access the recording of our seminar series and other events, visit our YouTube channel.
Can deliberative democracy take root in settler colonial states?
29:38

Can deliberative democracy take root in settler colonial states?

12 March 2024 | A conversation with Dr Justin McCaul & Dr Emily Beausoleil Can deliberative democracy take root in settler colonial states? Can deliberation have a decolonial future? How can theorists and practitioners of deliberative democracy challenge entrenched paternalist attitudes towards Indigenous people and institutional non-listening? You are invited to join a conversation with Dr Justin McCaul of the Australian National University and Dr Emily Beausoleil of Victoria University of Wellington / Te Herenga Waka This event is part 2 of a 10-part seminar series on 10 Big Questions on Deliberative Democracy. This seminar was chaired by Adele Webb. About the speakers Justin McCaul is a descendent of the Mbarbarum Traditional Owners of far north Queensland. He is a Research Associate at the College of Law, ANU. Before pursuing an academic career, he worked for more than 20 years in Indigenous policy for several non-government organisations including Oxfam Australia. His recently completed PhD examined Indigenous rights, Australia’s native title system, and deliberative democracy. Emily Beausoleil is a Senior Lecturer of Politics at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University and Editor-in-Chief of Democratic Theory. She is an Associate Investigator on the ARC grant ‘Democratic Resilience: The Public Sphere and Extremist Attacks’ held at U Canberra and Research Associate of He Whenua Taurikura-Centre for Research Excellence on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism. Her first book, Staging Democracy: The Political Work of Live Performance (De Gruyter) launched a new book series (Critical Thinking and Contemporary Politics) in 2023. Seminar Convener: Adele Webb Online floor manager: Ferdinand Sanchez All Centre seminars are recorded. To access the recording of our seminar series and other events, visit our YouTube channel.
Are mini-publics enough to promote deliberative democracy?
31:15

Are mini-publics enough to promote deliberative democracy?

9 April 2024 | A conversation with Simone Chambers and Hélène Landemore For Prof Simone Chambers (University of California Irvine), deliberative mini-publics can be most effective when they serve as opinion leaders and mobilizers in partisan debates within the voting public. Meanwhile, Prof Hélène Landemore (Yale University) argues that self-governed deliberative mini-publics need to be articulated to mass democracy via referenda, citizens' initiative, or right to referral, and serve as generalist, agenda-setting bodies with some legislative powers on their own. What role do mini-publics play in promoting deliberative democracy? What kind of power and influence should they have? This event is part 3 of a 10-part seminar series on 10 Big Questions on Deliberative Democracy convened by Dr Adele Webb. This conversation was chaired by Prof John Dryzek. About the speakers Simone Chambers is Professor and Chair of Political Science at the University of California Irvine. She has written and published on deliberative democracy, referendums, constitutional politics, the public sphere, secularism, rhetoric, civility, digital misinformation and the work of Jürgen Habermas and John Rawls. She has recently published Contemporary Democratic Theory (2023) with Polity Press. Hélène Landemore is Professor of Political Science at Yale University and a Faculty Fellow with Yale’s Institute for Social and Policy Studies, where she leads a research agenda on Citizens' Assemblies. In 2022-23, she was part of the governance committee of the second French Citizens' Assembly, the Convention on End-of-Life Issues. Moderator John Dryzek is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and founder of the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. Seminar Convener: Adele Webb Online floor manager: Ferdinand Sanchez All Centre seminars are recorded. To access the recording of our seminar series and other events, visit our YouTube channel.
Does deliberative democracy stand a chance in neoliberal times?
31:12

Does deliberative democracy stand a chance in neoliberal times?

14 May 2024 | A conversation with John Dryzek and Oliver Escobar For Prof John Dryzek, deliberative democracy does stand a chance in neoliberal times, but it should do a better job addressing the constraints on democracy inherent in the political economy. Prof Oliver Escobar, in turn, argues that it does not stand a chance unless we think critically about the type of deliberative democracies we develop and how we approach the levers of power in neoliberal times. This event is part 4 of a 10-part conversation series on 10 Big Questions on Deliberative Democracy convened by Dr Adele Webb. This seminar was chaired by Prof Nicole Curato. Speakers John Dryzek is Distinguished Professor in the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. He is the author of the prize-winning book Democracy in Capitalist Times: Ideals, Limits, and Struggles (Oxford University Press, 1996), whose implications for the prospects for deliberative democracy under neoliberalism have not always been appreciated. Oliver Escobar is Professor of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation at the University of Edinburgh. His work combines research and practice across various policy and community contexts at the intersection of participatory and deliberative democracy, the political economy of the commons, and the governance of the future. Profile and publications: https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/oliver-escobar Moderator Nicole Curato is Professor of Political Sociology at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. Seminar Convener: Adele Webb Online floor manager: Ferdinand Sanchez All Centre seminars are recorded. To access the recording of our seminar series and other events, visit our YouTube channel.
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