Event Information

Key aims for this gathering are:

• to share insights across sectors (conflict mediation, therapy, performance, and education) regarding how to foster listening about challenging issues
• to collaboratively apply these perspectives in the design of new forms of civic engagement regarding socioeconomic inequality in Aotearoa New Zealand

Confirmed participants include:

Academics:

(1) Professor Romand Coles is the leading political scholar of receptivity and a long-term community organiser and activist (Institute for Social Justice at Australian Catholic University and author, most recently, of Visionary Pragmatism: Radical and Ecological Democracy in Neoliberal Times [Duke UP, 2016]). He’s a continual inspiration and mentor in all aspects of this project – I know no other academic who is thinking as creatively and seeking to translate that thinking into meaningful action and community in the challenging contexts in which we find ourselves. https://isj.acu.edu.au/people/professor-romand-coles/

(2) Dr. Tanja Dreher is Australia’s co-convenor of The Listening Project, housed in the University of Wollongong Australia’s Communication and Media Studies. She’s worked for years on the politics of listening in the context of media, multiculturalism, Indigenous sovereignties, and feminism and anti-racism. She has particular interests in listening across difference and the politics of recognition in listening for media justice. https://lha.uow.edu.au/taem/contacts/UOW094804.html

Master listeners across therapy, performance, education, and conflict mediation:

(1) Tanya Clare Coburn, conflict mediator, therapist and facilitator: https://clarecoburn.com

(2) Teina Moetara, theatre artist and founding designer of Ruku Pō and Ruku Ao: https://medium.com/@christianpenny/ruku-po-32d0c0805b82

(3) Ngapaki Moetara, film actress and Ruku Pō facilitator

(4) Robbie Nicol, a political comedian otherwise known as White Man Behind a Desk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo46IpsBPqg8k6Ih0qYzlMA

(5) Deb Hipperson, transformative mediator: http://www.meditatinggiraffe.co.nz/about/

(6) Jen Margaret, Tiriti educator: https://groundwork.org.nz/about/

(7) Jenn Parker, Restorative Justice mediator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FGBIrRDIgc

(8) Jo Randerson, Artistic Director of Barbarian Productions: http://www.barbarian.co.nz/c9mlci716ajbw01ge65cnqykbbneqb

(9) Bev Hosking, Psychodramatist and Playback theatre artist: http://wellintown.com/bev-hosking/

(10) Walter Logeman, psychodramatist and Imago therapist: http://www.psybernet.co.nz

(11) Madeline McNamara, theatre artist

(12) Jade Eriksen, theatre artist and director

(13) Peter O'Connor, Professor and practitioner in Applied Theatre, https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/p-oconnor

(14) Lani Morris, CEO of The Map of Meaning Intl Trust, http://www.themapofmeaning.org/about-us/bios

(15) Simon Wright, Partner at Public Engagement Projects, https://pep.org.nz/about-pep/

(16) Vicki Soanes, Secretary General of NZ National Commission for UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org.nz/about-us-menu/who-we-are

(17) and (18) Veronica Tawhai and JJ Carberry, Tiriti educators, citizenship scholars, and Māori politics and policy lecturers at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/departments/school-of-maori-art-knowledge-and-education/about/staff.cfm

(19) Hona Black, Massey University Senior Māori Advisor, Wellington Campus

Equality advocates and experts:

(1) Laura Rapira O’Connell, Director of ActionStation: http://www.actionstation.org.nz/about

(2) Max Rashbrooke, author of Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis: http://www.maxrashbrooke.org.nz

(3) Peter Skilling, Senior Lecturer at AUT working in public attitudes on inequality in Aotearoa NZ: https://www.aut.ac.nz/profiles/peter-skilling

(4) Jess Berentson-Shaw, Co-Director of Think and Do Tank 'The Workshop': https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessberentsonshaw2173/

(5) Jolyon White, Director of Anglican Advocacy: http://www.anglicanadvocacy.org.nz

(6) Nikki Turner, Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson: http://www.cpag.org.nz/about-us/