Primates, Populism and Utopia

Panellists: Jane Goodall, Primatologist; Betty Churcher, Art educator; Peter Coleman, Conservative intellectual; Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, Central Australian Indigenous leader; and Stuart Rees, Founder of the Sydney Peace Foundation -- Jane Goodall Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. Her fascination with animal behaviour began in early childhood. In her leisure time, she observed native birds and animals, making extensive notes and sketches, and read widely in the literature of zoology and ethology. From an early age, she dreamed of travelling to Africa to observe exotic animals in their natural habitats. Jane attended the Uplands private school, receiving her school certificate in 1950 and a higher certificate in 1952. At age 18 she left school and found employment as a secretary at Oxford University. In her spare time, she worked at a London-based documentary film company to finance a long-anticipated trip to Africa. In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane travelled from England to what is today Tanzania and bravely entered the little-known world of wild chimpanzees. She was equipped with nothing more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars. Jane's fieldwork led to the publication of numerous articles and five major books. She was known and respected first in scientific circles and, through the media, became a celebrity. In the Shadow of Man, her first major text, appeared in 1971. The book, essentially a field study of chimpanzees, effectively bridged the gap between scientific treatise and popular entertainment. Her vivid prose brought the chimps to life, although her tendency to attribute human behaviours and names to chimpanzees struck some critics being as manipulative. Jane's efforts to educate people about the ethical treatment of animals extends to young children as well. Her 1989 book, The Chimpanzee Family Book, was written specifically for children, to convey a new, more humane view of wildlife. The book received the 1989 Unicef/Unesco Children's Book-of-the-Year Award, and Jane used the prize money to have the text translated into Swahili. In recognition of her achievements, Jane has received numerous honours and awards, including the Gold Medal of Conservation from the San Diego Zoological Society in 1974, the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize in 1984, the Schweitzer Medal of the Animal Welfare Institute in 1987, the National Geographic Society Centennial Award in 1988, and the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences in 1990. More recently, she was named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations in 2002 and a Dame of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 2003. Today, the Jane Goodall Institute works to protect the famous chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania. Likewise, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, which Jane started with a group of Tanzania students in 1991, is today the Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program for young people from preschool through university with nearly 150,000 members in more than 130 countries. Jane is determined to use just about every minute she has working to save chimpanzees and to empower people – young and old – to do what they can for a better world. -- Betty Churcher Betty Churcher AO is one of Australia's most loved cultural commentators. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, she was director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia from 1987 to 1990 and of the National Gallery of Australia from 1990 to 1997. She has written several acclaimed books, including Notebooks, Australian Notebooks, The Art of War, Treasures of Canberra and Adam & Sarah Explore Turner, has been art critic for The Australian and has written and presented successful television art programs such as Take Five and Hidden Treasures. Earlier in her life Betty was a painter and won a travelling scholarship to Europe, where she became an associate and graduate of the Royal College of Art, London and gained a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London. Betty has four sons and seven grandchildren and lives in sheep country in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. -- Peter Coleman Peter Coleman is a writer and former politician. He was editor of The Bulletin and Quadrant magazines, and has published 16 books on political, cultural subjects. These include The Liberal Conspiracy, a history of the intellectuals in the Cold War, the autobiographical Memoirs of a Slow Learner and biographies of Barry Humphries, James McAuley and Bruce Beresford. He also co-authored The Costello Memoirs with his son-in-law Peter Costello. In political life Peter was the Liberal Leader of the Opposition in the NSW Parliament and later the Member for Wentworth in the House of Representatives. He currently writes a weekly column for the Australian Spectator. He was married to the biographer Verna Coleman and has three adult children. -- Rosalie Kunoth-Monks Rosalie Kunoth-Monks is an Aboriginal activist and former actor, best known for her lead role in the iconic Australian film Jedda. Born in 1937, Rosalie lived until the age of nine on remote Utopia Station in the Northern Territory where she learnt the Aboriginal laws of her tribe, the Amatjere people. Her grandfather was German. At the age of 16, she was discovered by filmmakers Charles and Elsa Chauvel and in 1955 won the lead role in Jedda. In 1960, Rosalie moved to Melbourne where she spent ten years as a nun, living in a convent with the Melbourne Anglican Community of the Holy Name. She left the order to set up the first Aboriginal hostel in Victoria. Rosalie returned to Central Australia in 1970, where she settled in Alice Springs, married Bill Monks, and had her daughter, Ngarla. She became involved in social work and politics, working on campaigns for improved indigenous education, health and housing. Rosalie was appointed as an aboriginal adviser to the Northern Territory Government, and eventually stood for election to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1979. She campaigned to oppose the proposed construction of a dam that threatened to destroy land sacred to her people. Although unsuccessful in the election, Rosalie continued her activism for indigenous rights, and most recently, has lobbied hard against the Federal Government’s Intervention, condemning it as a ‘huge violation of human rights’ and displacing ‘more indigenous people from their traditional lands, depriving them of opportunities to speak their native language and severing links with culture.’ ‘Our beings are very fragile,’ she says.’ We disagree with being herded by the army into the big centres.’ Rosalie has now returned to live on the Utopia homelands, 260km north-east of Alice Springs, and is now President of the local Barkly Shire. -- Stuart Rees Professor Stuart Rees is the founder and Vice Chair of Sydney Peace Foundation, the founder of the Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies and Professor of Social Work (1978-2000) at the University of Sydney. He has worked in community development and social work in Britain, in Canada, in the War on Poverty programmes in the USA and with Save the Children in India and Sri Lanka. He has published over one hundred articles in professional journals and eleven books including the poetry anthologies: The Jury’s Return, Tell Me The Truth About War . Other single authored and co-edited books include, Passion for Peace, Human Rights, Corporate Responsibility; The Human Costs of Managerialism; Beyond the Market; Achieving Power, Practice and Policy in Social Welfare; A Brutal Game, Verdicts on Social Work, Social Work Face to Face. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia for services to international relations. Stuart Rees served on the State Reconciliation Council for six years, was a member of the University of Sydney Senate for four years, was independent chair of the NSW Energy Council for six years and in 2005 received the Order of Australia for service to international relations. -- Audience: : 16-24 y.o. 33%, 25-34 y.o. 30%, 35-54 y.o. 21%, 55+ y.o 16% CHIMPS AND HUMANS Tristan Muir asked: Jane Goodall, since you have famously spent many years studying chimpanzees in Tanzania, and remain the only "human" recorded to have been accepted into their society, it would be fair to say that you have a greater understanding of chimpanzee behaviour and interaction than any other "human" alive. Given that your reports document both peaceful and malicious interactions between these animals, how closely do your observations of their society reflect those of "human" society and what can we learn from these creatures about the ways in which we interact with each other and members of other species? CLIMATE DISCONNECT Syd Smith asked: The Federal Government has abolished the Climate Commission. The carbon tax is to be rescinded. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is to be abolished. We no longer have a Science Minister and we’re putting ports on the barrier reef. Is this complete disregard to our environment and future a sure sign of Jane Goodall’s claim of our "increasing disconnect between the head and the heart" and if so what can we do about it? CLIMATE: FACTS OR BELIEFS? Tony Barry asked: On issues as important as climate change, I think that people allow their identity as left-wing or right-wing voters to shape their beliefs, rather than the facts. Do you agree and why is this so? WHITE AUSTRALIA STILL? Saeed Fassaie asked: Although African Americans form less than 15% of population in America, in 2008 Obama was elected as the country’s president. And almost in every American TV morning show or current affair program, you can find a blend of white, black, Asian and Hispanic as presenters. In contrast, with a quarter of Australia's population born overseas and more than 43 per cent of people having at least one overseas-born parent (2011 Census), when I watch the morning shows or the Australian soap operas on commercial channels here, I only see Caucasians. As a migrant with olive skin I am confused and would like to ask our wise elders: Is White Australia still unofficially alive in this country or are the commercial channels exclusively for Caucasians? “UTOPIA” Sophie McIntosh asked: I find that documentaries such as “Utopia” simply affirm and add to my current understandings and beliefs but I know, for some other people, they provoke a knee-jerk reaction as they're seen, among other things, as an excuse for non-Indigenous activists for social equality to indulge in unproductive 'white guilt'. I'm interested in the panel's opinions about whether films like this do contribute to Reconciliation (by informing people who are less aware of these ongoing issues) or whether they perhaps only reach an audience that is already battling or sympathising with these issues and, thus, just reinforce the existing divide in beliefs? ART – REALITY VS POPULISM Lyall Chittleborough asked via video: Does the panel agree that it is the major responsibility of art to bring people to passionate awareness of reality? Has art in Australia succeeded in doing this, or does the panel consider that the arts in Australia have largely succumbed to egotism, personal indulgence, or the demands of a populist entertainment industry? BUDGET BURDENS YOUNG Zoe Thompson asked: The 2014/15 budget seems to place an unfair burden on young people. The proposed changes to higher education are expected to increase fees leading to a bigger debt burden for most. Young people also have to contend with the prospect of being locked out of the housing market, at least in the major cities and they are inheriting huge environmental problems. As a mother and teacher I know that young people feel uncertain about the future. Are the burdens on today's young people greater than in the past, greater than when you were young for example? ADVICE TO 20 YEAR OLD YOU Oliver Damian asked: If you could talk to your 20 year old self, what advice would you give? And what advice would you give to the 20 year olds who are watching right now?