Past Programs
Government and Politics - 2008
The Republic - are we there yet?
21/09/2008
It has been nearly ten years since the republic was seriously discussed. Most thought it dead and buried. But with the political elevation of Malcolm Turnbull, the republican heart has quickened. Leading Australian historians Henry Reynolds and Mark McKenna kick start the debate in an engrossing conversation that cuts to the core of our national identity.
Unfinished business - Mick Dodson
17/08/2008
The Prime Minister has put unfinished constitutional business back on the agenda. It might be 108 years late in coming but official recognition of Indigenous Australians is drawing serious attention. So what is at stake here? In this powerful presentation, recorded at the National Archives of Australia, Indigenous leader and rights advocate Mick Dodson argues for an overhaul of a document frozen in time and almost impossible to change.
Reith Lectures 2008 - Chinese Vistas
06/07/2008
We hear much analysis about China as an emerging economic entity. But can history provide a more reliable insight into this rapidly modernising giant? This year's Reith Lectures bring to the fore one of the world's foremost authorities on Chinese history. Professor Jonathan Spence, Sterling Professor of History at Yale University, presents a long view in four parts. In this first lecture Professor Spence reflects on Confucius, and his importance for the current Communist leadership.
Islamofascism or climate change?
09/03/2008
It is the political season in the USA. Locked in battle are the final contenders for the big job. But will the new president get it right when it comes to global security? So far the USA has steadfastly stuck to the war on terror. Today's speaker thinks this belongs to an era that exists no longer.
US security expert Ann-Marie Slaughter has been surveying a darker view of the future from her bunker at Princeton. What she sees is not one threat, but multiple. These include pandemics, nuclear weapons and mother nature. What she also sees is a voting public not keen on hearing a complex story. Hear Slaughter's engaging lecture delivered in Sydney at the inaugural National Summit on 21st Century America,
