What’s going on with liberalism?

It is the philosophical foundation that has underpinned most developed democracies for decades. Over the past five years, however, much of the world seems to have turned its back on the doctrine of individual rights, social equality, fairness, and rule of law.

As trust in institutions plummets around the globe, liberal institutions and liberal thought are under siege from the right and the left. The rise of Trump, the Brexit vote, the resurgence of far-right parties across Europe, and indeed, recent political shifts on our own shores call us to attention.

What kind of political system do we need in the 21st century, and where does the liberal vision fit in?

Join us for a discussion that features Australian and international perspectives on the future of liberalism from leaders in politics, civil society, and academia.

The Hon. Daniel Mookhey, Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and Shadow Minister for Finance and Small Business

Dr. Amanda Tattersall, Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Sydney, and founder of The Sydney Alliance and GetUp!

Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Professor of Practice at The University of Sydney, and former Race Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission

Together, we’ll explore the current sources of dissatisfaction with liberalism, assess whether or not these are justified, and think of how we can realistically strengthen open and pluralist societies.

This discussion will be moderated by Associate Professor Alexandre Lefebvre from The University of Sydney, with responses by Professor Lars Tønder, Associate Professor Anders Berg-Sørensen, and Mads Ejsing, from the Department of Political Science, The University of Copenhagen.

Tuesday 17 September | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Refreshments and registration will be from 5:45pm for a 6:00pm start

This is an invitation-only event, but we would be happy for you to share it with interested colleagues or to recommend invitees by emailing policy.lab@sydney.edu.au.

The future of liberalism