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(06 Sep) 100701 Les Murray & Abdulla Ahmed - Uncensored Conversations Pt.1: Immigration, Asylum Seekers and Refugees: What is the Real Impact? Les Murray is well-known as a leading soccer commentator, however few Australians are aware that he began life as a refugee, fleeing his homeland of Hungary when he was eleven. Les will tell the personal story of a refugee who benefited from moving to this country as much as our country has benefited from his arrival. Abdalla Ahmed is the Chairperson of the Australian Somali Association and has helped over 300 Somalian families settle into Australia. He also returned to his homeland in 2005 and against all odds helped build a hospital for the community. Abdalla will share his thoughts on what democracy has done for him and so many others, often being the difference between life and death. The Uncensored Conversations lecture series was organised and hosted by the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra. Media personality, Angela Catterns was the moderator. ** CD or Cassette only (13 Sep) 100702 Tim Costello & Stephen Kenny - Uncensored Conversations Pt. 2: Involvement or Intrusion: Where is the Line for our Government? As Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, Tim Costello has been instrumental in ensuring the issues surrounding global poverty are highlighted on the national agenda. Tim is recognised as one of Australia's leading voices on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. Stephen Kenny has practiced as a barrister and solicitor in Australia for over 25 years. During this time he has maintained a strong interest in civil libertarian matters. Taking on David Hicks' case is representative of Stephen's strong interest in civil libertarianism. Stephen has worked on high profile native title land claim cases as well as undertaking pro-bono work for migrant families and community groups. He shared his first-hand experiences of both international and national politics. The Uncensored Conversations lecture series was organised and hosted by the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra. Media personality, Angela Catterns was the moderator. ** CD or Cassette only (20 Sep) 100703 Tim Levinson, Kenny Sabir, Shannon Kennedy and Julianne Schultz - Uncensored Conversations Pt. 3: Freedom of Speech and Censorship: How Free Are We? Tim Levinson, Kenny Sabir and Shannon Kennedy from The Herd, have used music as an outlet to express their opinions on a variety of issues. Their song 77% which features the line "77% of Aussies are racist" refers to survey results that revealed the majority of Australians agreed with the former Australian Federal Government's response to the Tampa affair. With a history of expressing active opinions through their music, The Herd members will discuss how democracy influences the inspiration of their craft. Tracks of The Herd are included in the Museum of Australian Democracy's Living Democracy exhibition. Julianne Schultz is a professor at the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas at Griffith University in Queensland. At the 2020 Summit she co-chaired the Creative Australia session, which explored the future of Australian arts, film and design. She has also written extensively about the media and democracy. The Uncensored Conversations lecture series was organised and hosted by the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra. Media personality, Angela Catterns was the moderator. ** CD or Cassette only (27 Sep) 100603 Norman Finkelstein - Gaza Massacre Gaza is often described as the largest open-air prison in the world. It may be the most densely populated area on earth. Its 1.5 million Palestinians live in a narrow strip with a total area of 139 sq miles or 360 square kilometers. In 2005 Israel dismantled its colonies and withdrew its military forces but retained control over Gaza's land, sea and airspace. Two years later Hamas took political control of Gaza. Citing rocket attacks, Israel imposed a blockade. The International Committee of the Red Cross describes the blockade as "collective punishment" and a violation of international law. There are crippling shortages. Gaza is plagued by frequent power cuts, a ruined economy, and a collapsed health care system. 80 per cent of Gazans lack access to clean water. Israel insists it provides enough "humanitarian aid" to cover Gaza's basic needs. Norman Finkelstein received his Ph.D. in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University. For many years he taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He is currently an independent scholar. He is the author of many books including Beyond Chutzpah, The Holocaust Industry, and This Time We Went Too Far: Truth & Consequences of the Gaza Invasion. He is the subject of the documentary American Radical.