In this episode of Getting to Better Together, Tami Harriott and colleague Shannon Brincat explore the intricate dynamics of global governance. They discuss its role in fostering international cooperation, resolving global issues, and building resilient futures in an interconnected world. Touching on topics like sustainability, the complexity of international regimes, and the challenges of fragmented rules, they examine the need for inclusive mechanisms and collaborative approaches to tackle global challenges effectively.

This podcast explores the concept of "a good life" and its connection to community, virtue, and sustainable development. Hosts Tami Harriott and Em Prof Richard Bawden discuss Aristotle's philosophy of happiness, the importance of collaboration, and the challenges of global inequity. They delve into moral responsibility, the loss of connectedness in modern society, and the paradox of globalisation. The conversation emphasises the hopeful notion of "getting to better together" and the need for collective action to address societal and environmental challenges.

In this insightful episode of Getting to Better Together, host Richard Borden explores the concept of development, its historical roots, and the challenges of navigating complexity in a globalised world.

From the Truman Doctrine's vision of progress to the multifaceted issues of poverty, governance, and environmental change, this conversation dives into the intricacies of international development. Joining Richard is Dr. Ratan Kumar, Assistant Professor at Brac University, who shares his anthropological perspectives on media, culture, and society.

Tune in to explore how we can better understand and address the complexities of progress and development.

Language plays a critical element in the quest for getting to better together. Without the ability to share our thoughts and the meanings that we attribute to words, shared communication would be essentially impossible. Even when we are speaking the same language there are considerable difficulties in communicating exactly what meaning we are attempting to convey. When we say the word land for instance are we talking about the paddock out the back or the piece of property we own under our house? Or do we mean the nation as a whole or the entire landmass of the planet? Whenever a statement is made, be it a fact of the matter, an opinion or a wild guess, it is subject to different interpretations and even misinterpretations. We talk of information of misinformation of dis-information of mal-information of alternative truths. A very significant issue here, in our present context, is when we say better what do we mean? What constitutes better according to what criteria and who says so?

These matters are profoundly complicated by the fact that there are literally thousands of different languages spoken in the world, each with its own words, pronunciations, grammar, vocabulary, and indeed processes of making meaning. As anyone who has even tried to learn a second language will know, it is quickly becomes apparent that what one can say in one language is often not translatable into another – meanings get lost in translation!

In these circumstances, how do we come to understand each other at all across this Tower of Babel that is our world? Certainly a significant start would be for everyone to attempt to learn at least one other language beyond their mother tongue.

In this episode, Richard pursues these matters of language and meaning with his guest, Levi Durbidge.  Dr Durbidge is a lecturer in world languages at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As a fluent speaker of Japanese, he has been involved in language education across secondary and tertiary sectors for more than 18 years in both Australia and Japan. His research explores how international mobility, language contact and technology use intersect, is currently authoring a book entitled language learning social media and study abroad: multilingual experiences of Japanese adolescents.

In this episode of Getting to Better Together, Tammy Harriet and Dr. Shannon Brincat explore the concept of Utopia. They dive into Thomas More's original idea of Utopia as both an ideal place and a fictional construct, discussing its relevance in today’s world. Dr. Brincat reflects on the tension between aspirational thinking and practical action, especially in relation to political and societal change. They explore how Utopian ideals can inspire hope for a better world, despite seeming unattainable, and challenge the notion that change is impossible. Tune in for an engaging conversation on the power of visionary thinking in a world facing rapid change.

In this compelling episode of "Getting to Better Together," Tami Harriott and Dr. Shannon Brincat delve into the profound concept of the "good life." They unravel how modern individualism, shaped by neoliberal ideals, skews our perception of a meaningful and fulfilling existence.

Dr. Brincat challenges the prevailing narrative that ties the good life to personal consumption and social status, advocating for a transformative, community-centered approach. Drawing inspiration from classical Greek philosophy, the discussion highlights the importance of redefining the good life not only for individuals but for society as a whole.

Join Tami and Dr. Brincat as they explore how collective well-being can lead to a richer, more sustainable understanding of what it means to truly live well. Tune in for a thought-provoking dialogue that inspires action and reflection.

In this episode of Getting to Better Together, Tami Harriott and Declan Humphreys dive into the concept of "The Good Life." They explore how personal happiness intersects with ethical considerations and community impact. Tammy sees the good life as a balance between happiness and unhappiness, aiming for a state where one can pursue happiness without falling into unhappiness. Declan adds a philosophical perspective, referencing ancient Greek ideas of pneumonia—flourishing and living a fulfilled life. They discuss how happiness is not solely an individual pursuit but is intertwined with the well-being of others and the community. Tammy shares how her daily routine, including connecting with colleagues at a local cafe, contributes to her sense of happiness and fulfilment. The conversation emphasises the importance of considering both personal and communal aspects when reflecting on what constitutes a good life.

Leadership, it has been said, is like the Abominable snowman – its footprints are everywhere but is it never to be seen! In other words, we recognise it when we experience it, even if we can’t quite put our finger on what it actually is. There is at least a half a dozen or more theories of leadership with even more descriptions of leadership styles and literally countless definitions of it. All too often the focus is on the characteristics and competencies of individuals leaders rather than on the process of leadership. Within our context of Getting to Better Together, it is perhaps best understood as a property of a group of people that, under appropriate circumstances, just emerges as a collective commitment to doing something that leads to ‘betterment’.   The best definition that we have found from this perspective is that presented by the American philosopher Julia Ciulla: Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.

Most significantly, it is a process that must be inclusive, most especially for those who so often, are not included in development initiatives which often ignore core moral issues such as lack of respect for gender equality or for the inequities of those who are disempowered because of their race, or their religious beliefs, or their age or migration status.   

These matters of inclusion, empowerment and leadership lie close to the heart of Richard’s guest in this episode of the podcast which he hosts from the Centre of International Development, Social Entrepreneurship and Leadership (CIDSEL) at the University of the Sunshine Coast: Jeanette Allom-Hill is the CEO of Sunshine Coast-based Lionhearted Foundation. Jeanette has held senior private sector leadership positions at Optus, NBN Australia, and Microsoft, as well as working across all levels of government, with senior roles in several government departments. After moving to the Sunshine Coast five years ago, she was group executive at the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, a role which culminated in her receiving the Telstra Business Women’s Award in the Public Sector and Academia category in 2020.

One of our commonly held beliefs as Australians is that we are committed to the principles of FAIR GO. We hold that the values of equality, mutual respect, social equity, human rights, compassion, and egalitarianism, are deeply ingrained in our culture. We like to believe that we hold strongly to a set of what we see as such family values as trust, forgiveness, sharing, openness, and love. What a contradiction it was when a report published in November of last year recorded the fact that 1 in 5 Australians have experienced violence or abuse from their partners, with women twice as likely as men, to have suffered in this way.

Even more horrifying was that in that same month it was reported that 58 women in this country, had been killed because of domestic violence up to that date in 2023. And 2024 is looking no different. So, what is behind the fact that more than 4 million adults in this country, have experienced physical violence, and/or emotional or economic abuse from a partner who, during the relationship, presumably expressed love for the very person they have subsequently abused or violated?  Are these statistics, aberrations from the norms of our culture – exceptions resulting from unusual social and/or economic circumstances - or have we been kidding ourselves all along, about who we really are as a community? 

In this episode, Richard discusses these and related topics with Cathy Humphries who is among the most experienced and qualified people in Australia in this field. Cathy is Honorary Professor of Social Work at the University of Melbourne having recently retired from that institution with a truly outstanding record of research and engagement. Her deep commitment to researching issues of domestic violence - with a particular concern for children within this context - is matched by her insistence that her research has practical applications in the search for critically urgent improvements to these terrible situations.  

We humans are living in a period that is new in the entire history of humankind. We have essentially become a force of nature. The planet itself is being affected by our activities to such an extent that, as some scientists see it, we have been placing such unprecedented pressure on the planet, that we are facing the prospect that the Earth system might no longer support the conditions necessary for the survival of our species The signals are now virtually impossible to ignore. 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded and levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were at an unparalleled high.  The rates at which glaciers are melting, oceans are warming, sea levels are rising and the incidence of hurricanes and cyclones, plus heat waves of extraordinary intensity, are all increasing. The accelerated rate of species extinction, the desertification and erosion of soils, the continuing loss of biodiversity and the rates of land clearing and deforestation, the increased risk of disease transmission from closer contact with wildlife, and threats of major disruptions to global oceanic currents, while less obvious, are all further amplifying the scale of the crises that we now face.

With such complexity, it is no longer sensible to talk of problems but of a problematical – a complex mess of interdependent critical issues for which we can only seek sustainable improvements, not solutions.

The call is for new ways of thinking and acting that are appropriate to these confronting circumstances with the usefulness of systems thinking and practices being increasingly recognised in this context.

But what are these novel ways of thinking and acting? Ray Ison, who is Richard’s guest in this episode, is someone who is extremely well qualified to provide insights in these domains. Ray is a very distinguished systems scholar and academic, researcher, and innovator educator. He is an Emeritus Professor within the Applied Systems and Thinking Practice group at the Open University in the UK. He has a very extensive list of publications including a number of books and has been an adviser to policymakers.  He is a past president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences among other leadership positions that he has held over the years.