From June to October 2021, University of Newcastle (UoN) and NENA hosted monthly online workshops that invited guest speakers and participants to explore, challenge and re-define the concepts of ‘quality of life’ and ‘social wellbeing’ in Australia.
This webinar series is part of the UoN research project: “Reimagining Quality of Life Post-COVID”, funded by the UON College of Human and Social Futures and hosted by the Alternative Futures Research Hub (AFRHub).
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP SERIES
People have been thinking about, describing, and striving for ‘the good life’ or ‘quality of life’ for millennia. Since the 1950s, the concept of gross domestic product (GDP) has dominated discussions about economic progress and economic growth by nation states, and narrow concepts around income and financial value have come to dominate individual notions of worth and wealth. However the past few decades have seen a rising movement of people trying to describe and define ‘wellbeing’ and ‘quality of life’ in alternative ways – challenging the dominant capitalist and financial growth mode of thinking and building policy.
This workshop series seeks to share information about different perspectives and stimulate discussion on these topics. The workshops are part of a larger project that invites individuals and organisations within the NENA network to share their ideas about how to define ‘quality of life’ and wellbeing in 21st Century Australia.
WORKSHOP FORMAT
In each online workshop, guest speakers presented their views on how quality of life and social wellbeing can be defined and then offer provocations on the subject, to stimulate thinking and discussions. Participants were then invited to share their ideas and experiences.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: events@neweconomy.org.au
WORKSHOP RECORDINGS
6 OCTOBER 2021 - "POST-EUROCENTRIC VISIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE"
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Dr. Milena Büchs - "From the growth-welfare nexus to sustainable welfare within planetary boundaries"
- Nûjîn Derya - “Liberating life. On women's knowledge, social organising and our common struggle. Learnings from the Kurdish women's liberation movement.”
- Ajahn Brahmali - “The Buddhist Idea of a Good Life”
21 SEPTEMBER 2021 - "POST-CAPITALIST VISIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE"
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Dr Nick Rose - "From commodity to commons; healing ourselves, healing nature"
- Loriana Luccioni - “Post-Capitalism and Universal, Unconditional Basic Income. Change the language to shift the values”
- Prof. Devan Pillay - “Marx meets Buddha: Ecosocialism, wellbeing and the pursuit of happiness”
10 SEPTEMBER 2021 - "POST-CAPITALIST VISIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE": PART OF SOCIAL SCIENCES WEEK, AUSTRALIA
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Prof. Noam Chomsky - "Imagining the Future – if there is one!"
- A./Prof. Ariel Salleh - “Some Ecological Feminist Thoughts on Wellbeing"
- Prof. Gar Alperovitz - “Democratizing the Economy: Practical Advances and Long Term Strategy”
PLEASE SEE EXTRA RESOURCES FROM THE WEBINAR BELOW:
'Post-Capitalist Visions of Quality of Life' Links & Resources
Ariel Salleh's presentation slides.pptx
Materialist Ecofeminism - some foundational references
Ariel's response to Comments and Questions at the NENA/UoN Webinar
Ariel Salleh, 'Social Debt : Ecological Debt : Embodied Debt'
27 AUGUST 2021 - "PLURIVERSAL VISIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE"
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Adjunct Professor Victoria-Grieve Williams - "Everywhen: Autonomy, Altruism and Living Well"
- A/Prof. Sara Motta - “Democracy (M)otherwise: Enfleshments from the Margins of Modernity”
- Prof . Ashish Kothari - “Ecoswaraj: a Radical Ecological Democracy Towards Justice and Sustainability”
14 JULY 2021 - "INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE"
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Dr Mary Graham - "The Relationist Ethos and the meaning of life"
- A/Prof. Daniela Heil - “Ngyiampaa perspectives of wellness in 2021”
- Dr Eiji Ranta - “Learning from Indigenous views of quality of life in Latin America”
23 JUNE 2021 - "RETHINKING WELLBEING"
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Dr Michelle Maloney (NENA) and Dr Hamed Hosseini (UON) - An introduction to the 'Reimagining Quality of Life' project
- Dr Michelle Maloney (NENA) - "Are wellbeing economics a viable alternative to capitalism?"
- Dr Hamed Hosseini (UON) - “From Wellbeing to Well-Living: On the urgency of an inclusive approach to Quality of Life”
- Ms Shelley McGrath (UON) - “Reimagining social change through connection”