The silent truth

Conflict has marred the whole of human history, but the hope for peace is everlasting in the human imagination. In a world riven by war from Ukraine to Israel, Yemen to Mayanmar, we should all remember our common humanity and the healing power of art.

Alien science

We no longer live in a universe that is seen as the product of the divine plenitude. Nor one in which our planet can be viewed as the centre of the universe. As a result, ironically, we have become aliens to ourselves: modern “alienation” is that sense of being lost and forsaken in the vast spaces of a godless universe.

More weird books, please!

Two new books by Australian authors, “Tell” by Jonathan Buckley and “It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over” by Anne de Marcken, add to the puzzle of the post-post-postmodern novel.

#StandwithUkraine

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has united the civilised world against Vladimir Putin’s criminal regime.  Open Forum advocates arming Ukraine with the tanks, planes and missiles it needs to drive out the invaders and restore and protect its peace, independence and complete territorial integrity. The free world must oppose tyranny, support freedom and welcome Ukraine […]

National Resilience

GAP Summit National Resilience Report Devastating fires and the COVID pandemic highlighted the need for Australia to become more resilient in the face of growing economic, political and environmental threats.  GAP’s Annual Economic Summit in November 2020 discussed ways to improve national resilience in a unique online event. A range of articles on Open Forum […]

Education and Lifelong Learning

GAP will discuss education and life-long learning at its annual summit in September. Here are a range of articles published on Open Forum discussing some of the issues and solutions at hand.

Media

Newspapers and traditional journalism are one of the many industries ‘disrupted’ by the internet.  Many people piece together their view of the world from snippets from social media and personalise their ‘feeds’ to ensure their existing opinions are always reinforced rather than challenged. ‘Fake news’ and state sponsored disinformation is further eroding the common culture […]

Digital Trade

E-commerce has disrupted a series of traditional markets and has become an increasingly important way for Australia to trade with the rest of the world.  Digital trade overcomes the ‘tyranny of distance’ which previously inhibited Australian exports to the rest of the world and opens up exciting opportunities for Australian businesses and consumers. Around half […]

The Pacific

The South Pacific encompasses a vast expanse and is home to island nations which face pressing economic, social and environmental challenges. Countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu often hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, but they also have great potential for growth and development. At […]

Australia’s Health

Please join us as we explore Australia’s health. What does the future look like and what is the potential for innovators to leave a lasting legacy, one with the potential to both enhance our life expectancy whilst also improving our quality of life?

Space

The announcement of an Australian space agency bought great excitement at the recent International Astronautical Congress. And so it should – Australia spends billions of dollars a year on foreign data and technology which could soon be sourced domestically. We invite you to join the discussion on this dynamic topic and continue the momentum towards the development of a strong Australian space industry.

Cyber Security

How do we, as a nation, ensure we have the technology, and also the skillset, to combat massive data breaches? How do our governments regulate a threat that has permeable borders and no global framework? Our current Featured Forum is Cyber Security, and we invite your comments to ejohnson@openforum.com.au on this vast and fast-moving topic.