Countering apathy with education
By Charlotte Knottenbelt
The Hawke Research Institute’s Weaving the Social Fabric 2004 public lecture series got off to an engaging start in August with a talk by Mike Newman on teaching for sustainable, vigorous and defiant societies.
Newman, well known for his books on adult education and community action, presented a pointed discussion bemoaning that too many people feel powerless to enact change in their lives and the world, and championing educators’ roles in countering apathy.
Citing the actions and words of legendary agents of change, from Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi to Rick Turner (whose book The Eye of the Needle challenged the dominant perception in 1970s South Africa that apartheid was unbreakable), Newman urged the audience, made up largely of educators, to "teach choice".
He also covered the tricky question of whether violent means could be justified by a peaceable end result, citing a case in Pakistan where a child was kidnapped to lever the release of 40 children from hard labour, as well as the Terrania Creek anti-logging protests in northern NSW in the 1970s.
Mike Newman’s lecture was the first in the 2004 Weaving the Social Fabric series, which is based around a theme of sustainable societies. Upcoming public lectures in the series include Professor Gabrielle Meagher on the future for paid carers (September 2), Professor Daniela Stehlik on community partnerships (Sept 16) and Dr Gido Mapunda on indigenous business (Sept 30). For more information, visit the Hawke Institute events website at www.hawkecentre.unisa.edu.au/institute/events.htm