Given the international condemnation reserved for 'apartheid' states, the comparison of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians to South Africa under apartheid is fiercely contested. Desmond Tutu and former US President, Jimmy Carter, have used the 'A' word in relation to the West Bank and Gaza, but South African Judge Richard Goldstone describes the use of the term 'apartheid' as being, 'false', 'malicious' and an 'unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel'. Arguments often come down to a dissection of 'the crime of apartheid' as defined by the International Criminal Court but how do such distinctions stack up against the reality of checkpoints, distinguishing identity cards, differential access to land and laws that discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnicity? If it is not 'apartheid', what is it?

Ilan Pappe is an Israeli born author and academic who is based at the University of Exeter in the UK. As one of Israel's 'New Historians', Pappe has challenged the accepted history of Israel's formation and has continued to court controversy in books such as The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.

Ilan Pappe is in Australia to present the Edward Said Memorial Lecture, University of Adelaide.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

CONCERT HALL

SUN 23 SEPT. 2.00PM - 3.15PM. $25

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The idea of free will underpins our views of morality, religion, ethics, law and ourselves. From our systems of government to our most intimate relationships, the idea that we determine our own thoughts and actions is fundamental. But what neuroscience and psychology have taught us in recent years is that free will is an illusion. This is simply not the way our minds work. So what does this mean for our cherished notions of political and social freedom and our focus on individual choice and responsibility? To find out we need to look beyond the delusion of free will and change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life.

Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. He is the author of bestselling books including The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape and Free Will.. He is cofounder and CEO of Project Reason, which is devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

CONCERT HALL

FRI 28 SEPT. 7.00PM - 8.15PM. $35/$45

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We are very attached to the idea of childhood as a time of innocence. Children are no longer seen as primitive creatures who need to be harshly trained out of their evil ways: they are pure, victimised and easily corrupted. But if we only value innocence, children who do not fit this stereotype, like sexually active teens, become 'bad' and not deserving of protection. We underestimate children's capability and resilience in ways that undermine our concerns about their safety. We panic about paedophiles, abduction and sexual abuse but don't always listen to what children say about these dangers. We can't decide whether children are in danger of being 'sexualised' or are in fact sexual beings. Our belief in 'innocence' does not stand up in the face of reality, and idealising ignorance as innocence does not help anyone grow up and take on the world.

Jesse Bering is an author, journalist and psychologist who writes extensively on human sexuality. Stephanie Hemelryk Donald is a respected international scholar whose research and writing focuses on film, media and children's experiences. Catharine Lumby is the Director of Journalism and Media Research at the University of NSW and author of several books.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

JESSE BERING, STEPHANIE HEMELRYK DONALD & CATHARINE LUMBY

SAT 29 SEPT. 6.00PM - 7.00PM. $25

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Are you expected to devote inordinate amounts of time and energy to your work? Do you spend more time with your colleagues than anyone else? Has your work taken over your life? If so, without realising it, you may be one of many Australians who have innocently slipped into working in a workplace that has become a cult. If cult qualities have come to characterise work, the broader consequences for families, societies and economies are frightening. Is it time to call in the deprogrammers to set us free?

Tom Uglow is a creative director for Google's Creative Lab in Sydney and has a particular interest in the future implications and uses of technology. Gideon Haigh is an Australian journalist and author of over 20 books including, most recently, The Office: A Hardworking History.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

GIDEON HAIGH & TOM UGLOW

SAT 29 SEPT. 4.30PM - 5.30PM. $25

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FODI favourites from last year, Applespiel are back, asking us to step outside Australia to build the future for ourselves. Throughout history, new nations have been born from conquest, the pursuit of freedom or the simple desire to expand the driveway against the wishes of the local council. You will have the opportunity to help create the nation you have always wanted. Catch the free show Saturday 5pm and 6.30pm & Sunday 1pm, 4pm, 5.30pm & 7.30pm (Show times subject to change without notice)

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SAT & SUN - ALL DAY FREE EVENT

When we talk about the Devil, we are usually referring to the concept of evil, an abstract force that propels us towards the dark side of life. But for some, the Devil is real - an active presence who moves among us every day. If the Devil is real, what difference does this make to how we think of evil? Is he the ultimate source of evil in human affairs? Should we arm ourselves for 'spiritual warfare' - doing battle with the Devil every day, rather than trying to make the world a better place in other ways?

A priest for the Archdiocese of Sydney since 1974, Bishop Porteous is one of Sydney's most experienced and recognised priests and an acclaimed author of several books.

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THE STUDIO

SAT 29 SEPT. 3.30PM - 4.30PM. $25

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Whether we lead our whole life online or just dip our toes into the 'digital pool' for news or shopping, information about everything we do is being collected, and analysed. Should we accept that our digital footprint will follow us to the grave, shaping our life along the way? Or should we try to hold on to our privacy - even (or especially) when online? Hear from two people who live online, but have distinctly different points of view about the age of sharing and radical transparency.

Victoria Doidge is Director of Marketing, Communications & Customer Services at the Sydney Opera House. Stilgherrian is an opinionated writer and broadcaster specialising in the intersection of technology and politics.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

SAT 29 SEPT. 1.00PM - 2.00PM. $25

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Join Germaine Greer, one of Australia's most consistently dangerous thinkers as she takes on one of FODI's favourite tasks and demonstrates how many dangerous ideas one person can have. In this socially explosive, cerebrally seductive session Greer will call the shots on everything from women, race, Australian politics, film and the environment.

Since the publication of The Female Eunuch in 1970, Germaine Greer has been recognised as a significant writer, thinker and agent provocateur. In journalism and a series of books about feminism, art, literature and her life she has written of women, men, the beauty of boys, rage, Aboriginal Australia and eco-feminism.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

CONCERT HALL

SAT 29 SEPT. 12.00PM - 1.00PM. $25

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In a complex and fast-moving world, if we want to move ahead in leaps and bounds, rather than in small steps, we need to rethink the conditions for making progress in science, business and society in a fundamental way... we need to rethink everything. We need to realise there is no 'right way', lose our fear of failure, embrace opportunity and take risks. We need to stop looking for leaders who can provide us with all the answers, and encourage the search for many solutions - for that is where we will find the 'one in a hundred' that delivers real results. We need to understand that to adapt to the challenges of the future, we must make mistakes, lots of them.

Tim Harford is a best selling author and senior columnist for the Financial Times. His book The Undercover Economist has sold one million copies worldwide in almost 30 languages and Adapt - Why Success Always Starts with Failure is his latest.

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CONCERT HALL

SAT 29 SEPT. 2.00PM - 3.00PM. $25

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As China's seemingly inexorable economic rise sees it moving towards superpower status, its relationship with the USA is shifting dramatically. From being a happily co-dependent 'Chimerica' (China saves, America spends) many scenarios point to a new state of inevitable conflict because, although both economies have changed, politics has not. But what if the reality is much more complex? As the pop-culture factory of the world, a hub of innovation and the country that attracts more migrants than all others, the US grip on the collective imagination gives it the kind of soft power that China can only dream of. The idea of America still occupies a place in the Chinese imagination that even Chinese nationalism cannot usurp. What if the greater threat lies in China and the US forming a 'special bond' - a love that is 'consummated' to the relative disadvantage of all others?

James Fallows is an author, journalist and visiting professor at various universities in the US and China, who was also White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter. Geoffrey Garrett is the founding CEO of the United States Studies Centre, Professor of Political Science at the University of Sydney, and Dean of the University of Sydney Business School, plus an author and commentator. Jianying Zha i is the China representative of the India China Institute and the author of two books in English, China Pop and Tide Players: The Movers and Shakers of a Rising China. Eric Knight has worked as an economics consultant to the OECD, the UN and the World Bank and is a celebrated author with his most current book Reframe out now. Stan Grant is an acclaimed Australian journalist who has worked on Seven News, SBS World News Australia, and CNN.

Stan Grant appears courtesy of CNN and Geoffrey Garrett and James Fallows appear with the support of the US Studies Centre, Sydney University.

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CONCERT HALL

JAMES FALLOWS, GEOFFREY GARRETT, JIANYING ZHA & ERIC KNIGHT. CHAIR: STAN GRANT

SAT 29 SEPT. 6.00PM - 7.00PM. $25

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Each year, celebrations of Anzac Day seem to get bigger and better and ten years after the death of the 'last Anzac' there is no sign of this abating, with four years of commemoration planned around the Anzac Centenary. But as a de-facto national day, should Anzac Day's military mateship and 'noble failure' still define Australia in the 21st Century? Or is it something that, with all due respect, we need to lay aside and forget?

Peter Fitzsimons is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald and prolific author of non-fiction books including Tobruk and Kokoda. Marilyn Lake is an Australian historian best known for her work on the effects of the military and war on Australian civil society.

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PLAYHOUSE

SUN 30 SEPT. 6.30PM - 7.30PM. $25

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While outside observers see us as a successful multi-ethnic nation, from the inside things often look different. Australian history is punctuated by events that bring racial tensions to the fore - from the White Australia Policy to the debate in black and white Australia about the Intervention. Most analysis of racism in Australia begins and ends with racism of the European colonisers. But is it that simple? Are we the tolerant and generous multicultural country of the fair go, or do we need to recognise our intrinsic racism in order to deal with it?

Joe Hildebrand is the creator and host of ABC's "Dumb, Drunk, and Racist", a Sydney based journalist and a respected media commentator. Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Sydney lawyer, writer and human rights activist of Palestinian and Egyptian heritage. She is the author of seven novels for young readers including Does My Head Look Big in This? and The Friendship Matchmaker Goes Undercover. Her latest book is her first adult novel, No Sex in the City. Alec Doomadgee, a man of the Wewanyi/Garawa and Gangalidda tribes in Northern Queensland, is a TV producer, presenter and radio broadcaster and a respected leader in the Doomadgee community.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

ALEC DOOMADGEE, JOE HILDEBRAND, &
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH, CHAIR: MARILYN LAKE

SAT 29 SEPT. 2.30PM - 3.30PM. $25

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Our economy is based on a model of constant growth - growth in production, consumption and population. Economic growth has provided rising standards of living in the West and seen millions in China and India lifted out of poverty. This model has been disrupted in many countries by the global financial crisis, which is now seeing another round of casualties, particularly in Europe. Will things settle down with growth resuming, or will our economies bump up against a wall of finite resources? And if they do, what will this mean the global balance of power?

Richard Heinberg is a leading author and journalist in the fields of natural resource consumption and sustainability. He is currently a senior fellow at the Post Carbon Institute in California.

Richard Heinberg appears with the support of Sustainable Population Australia Inc.

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THE STUDIO

SAT 29 SEPT. 2.00PM - 3.00PM. $25

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Some of the most difficult ethical and philosophical questions centre on what it is to be a 'person', and the nature of the 'right to life'. In Australia, abortion is widely considered to be acceptable, under certain conditions. However, attempts to define these conditions provoke profound disagreement. The questions are tough enough when they involve an unborn human foetus. But what is the difference between a foetus and a newborn baby? If they are morally equivalent, is there any difference between an abortion and killing a newborn baby? These are not arguments for or against abortion, but a philosophical conversation about the ethical status of human life, what it means to be a 'person' and our responsibility to look searchingly at the meaning of what we do.

Alberto Giubilini,a philosopher and bioethicist and Francesca Minerva, a philosopher who specialises in practical ethics, co-authored the paper entitled After-birth abortion: why should the baby live? in the Journal of Medical Ethics which has generated heated discussion.

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PLAYHOUSE

SUN 30 SEPT. 1.45PM - 2.45PM. $25

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In the face of stark disagreement about the politics of climate change, no-one argues against the benefits of cleaner, greener products. A green revolution seems to have been underway in supermarkets and households as people try to make a difference and reward green companies. But peek behind the advertising funded by the world's greenest brands and corporations and the 'green revolution' starts to look more like greenwash - masking 'business as usual'. Beneath the seductive branding and spin lies an uncomfortable possibility - that the revolution may be an illusion, and that the biggest marketers of climate-friendly products and brands might be making things worse not better.

Guy Pearse is a former political adviser and lobbyist with a history of exposing the extent to which lobbyists and 'big polluters' influence Government. He is a Research Fellow at the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland and is the author of Greenwash to be published this year.

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THE STUDIO

SUN 30 SEPT. 4.15PM - 5.15PM. $25

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Has our invention and mastery of increasingly powerful technology turned humans into gods? From the destructive potential inherent in nuclear technology to the understanding of the building blocks of life represented by the sequencing of the human genome, our technologies have given us the power to create and destroy at a human and planetary scale. This power can generate extraordinary possibilities, but do we need to learn how to use it more effectively? As science and technology shape the world at ever increasing speed, will the utopian narrative of the technological human-god become as important to ordinary people in explaining the world as gods and demons have been in the past?

Jason Silva is an American filmmaker, journalist and self-professed 'wonder junkie', producing over 100 hours of original content for Al Gore's Emmy-winning Current TV - the fastest growing television network in history. 'Part Timothy Leary, part Ray Kurtzweil and part Neo from The Matrix', Silva is set to host a new series for National Geographic, whilst continuing to produce his own 'shots of philosophical espresso' - short films that celebrate the best that humanity is capable of.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

CONCERT HALL, MAIN ROOM EVENT

SUN 30 SEPT. 3.00PM - 4.00PM. $25

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Body modification is nothing new and people throughout history have used piercing, cutting and scarring to demonstrate identity. but as cultural practices shift over time, one person's 'normal' can become another person's 'mutilation'. Male circumcision is part of Jewish and Muslim religious practice, but has moved in and out of favour with other groups although research indicates that there are strong health reasons in favour. For women, traditional practices in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East are described by the World Health Organization as Female Genital Mutilation,(FGM) and seen as a 'violation of the rights of girls and women'. Meanwhile, in the US and Australia, plastic surgery like labiaplasty and vaginal reconstruction is becoming more and more popular. Is cosmetic surgery the new normal, or the new FGM? These very different interventions tamper with nature for different reasons. Are health issues the only real justification for cutting? What place for religion, culture and aesthetics?

Since the publication of The Female Eunuch in 1970, Germaine Greer has been recognised as a significant writer, thinker and agent provocateur and a figurehead of the feminist movement worldwide. Through his research into cervical cancer, medical researcher Brian Morris developed an interest in the benefits of male circumcision, initially in the prevention of cervical cancer, and then in the prevention of various other sexually transmitted genital infections. Dr Meredith Jones is a cultural researcher based at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is particularly interested in body modifications and beautification practices and is the author of Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery and co-author of Cosmetic Surgery: A Feminist Primer.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

BRIAN MORRIS, GERMAINE GREER & MEREDITH JONES

SUN 30 SEPT. 3.15PM - 4.15PM. $25

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Internet sensation Kony2012 saw the world tune in, horrified, to the Joseph Kony saga. A kidnapper was exposed not by mainstream media but by viral video. Long-time Kony watcher Jane Bussmann says no wonder. Mainstream media is burnt out by "Bono and Geldof's Poverty Industry", she says, which deliberately painted Africa as depressing for two decades to line its own pockets. In a foul-mouthed comic tirade on celebrity and charity, Bussmann argues that Bono and Bob's victim culture provides African governments with perverse incentives to victimise their people in return for aid money and provides cover for the perpetrators of war like Joseph Kony and their western accomplices. If Bono and Bob can't stop pimping African children, she says, they should get out of Africa.

Jane Bussmann is an award-winning British comedy writer, journalist and author (media satire The Worst Date Ever), who has written for over fifty shows including South Park and Smack the Pony.

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DRAMA THEATRE

SUN 30 SEPT. 1.30PM - 2.30PM. & 3 - 4PM, $25

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Moral codes, religious and otherwise, condemn certain kinds of behaviour as 'wrong' or 'evil' - often to protect us from behaviour that is deemed to be bad for others and bad for ourselves. But if we look afresh at the seven deadly sins - pride, lust, gluttony, greed, envy, sloth, and anger - from a psychological point of view, they might actually be good for you. Whether it is anger making you more open minded or envy making you creative, even the deadliest vices can make you smart, successful, and happy.

Simon Laham is an Australian born "experimental social psychologist" whose research focuses on the psychology of morality and social interaction. Laham is currently an ARC Research Fellow and lecturer in Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

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THE STUDIO

SUN 30 SEPT. 12.00PM - 1.00PM. $25

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As the world watches, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will contest the US Presidential Elections on November 6. But does the outcome really matter that much? First in the primaries and now in hand-to-hand combat, the elections seem more like a drama starring the celebrity-in-chief, where thanks to the loosening of limits on donations, even the budgets will approach blockbuster proportions. While Romney and Obama try to define their differences for the extremes of their electoral base, and on domestic issues, will it make any difference to the rest of the world who wins? Or even to the majority of Americans?

James Fallows is an author, journalist and visiting professor at various universities in the US and China, who was also White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter. Geoffrey Garrett is the founding CEO of the United States Studies Centre, Professor of Political Science at the University of Sydney, and Dean of the University of Sydney Business School, plus an author and commentator.

James Fallows and Geoffrey Garrett appear with the support of the US Studies Centre, Sydney University. Anne Davies is the Investigations Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and was previously she was the Herald and The Age's Washington correspondent, reporting on the 2008 presidential campaign race. Nick Bryant is a BBC correspondent who has reported from Washington and South Asia. He has a PhD in American politics from Oxford and is the author of books including The Bystander: John F. Kennedy and the Struggle for Black Equality and Adventures in Correspondentland.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

NICK BRYANT, ANNE DAVIES & JAMES FALLOWS CHAIR: GEOFFREY GARRETT.

SUN 30 SEPT. 11.30 - 12.30PM. $25

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Our views on what constitutes 'normal' sexual behaviour have changed dramatically but the idea that most of us are 'normal' and anyone else is a 'pervert' in terms of sexual behaviour is hard to get rid of. We may be much more comfortable than our parents were with the idea of homosexuality, and most would assert confidently now that fantasies of dominance and submission do not make you mentally ill. But taking the next step to acknowledge that we are all sexual perverts in our own--and often unspoken--way and that this is in fact the essence of being human is more difficult.

An expert in psychological science and human sexuality Jesse Bering is an author, journalist and the former director of the Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen's University.

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DRAMA THEATRE

SUN 30 SEPT. 4.30PM - 5.30PM. $25

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As the baby boomers start to retire, the contrast between the generations has never been starker. While baby boomers could own their houses, had free education, and provided for their families, their children struggle to own property and delay having children in the face of an uncertain future. Young people in Europe are the first post-war generation to face downward mobility and in Britain, things seem to have gone wrong for an entire generation. While the departure of the baby boomers from work may present opportunities, their pensions and health-care costs will have to be paid for. If one part of the population still controls all the money, assets and political power, while the other has missed out, is conflict inevitable?

Shiv Malik and Ed Howker are well-known UK journalists from the Guardian and Spectator respectively and the co-authors of Jilted Generation: How Britain Has Bankrupted Its Youth.

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DRAMA THEATRE

SUN 30 SEPT. 6.00PM - 7.00PM. $25

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How many psychologists, journalists and philosophers does it take to change the world? In a breathtaking example of superior planning we have managed to assemble precisely the correct number to set the world to rights AND answer ALL of the trickiest questions that you can imagine. Join us for a fast-paced, entertaining romp through the past, present and future of dangerous ideas during which our panel of EXPERTS will bring the SUM OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE to bear on problems of: world peace, freedom from hunger and disease, climate change and the meaning of life, the universe and everything...

Jesse Bering is an author, journalist and expert in psychological science and human sexuality.

Jason Silva is an American film maker, journalist and producer/host of Current TV, the fastest growing TV network in history. Jane Bussmann is an award-winning British comedy writer, journalist and author who has written for over fifty shows including SouthPark and Smack the Pony. Gretel Killeen is an Australian journalist and author, famous amongst many other things for hosting Big Brother.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

DRAMA THEATRE

JESSE BERING, JANE BUSSMANN & JASON SILVA CHAIR: GRETEL KILLEEN

SUN 30 SEPT. 8.00PM - 9.15PM. $25

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Women are each others' harshest critics. The standards of beauty and appearance that can cripple women and damage their self-esteem are policed by other women. If a woman in public life is criticised, it's other women who are doing it. When UK journalist Samantha Brick wrote a story about how other women hated her for being beautiful the response was a violent online torrent, with more than a million hits on Twitter, criticising her for being ugly, arrogant and deluded. Women were harshest and most hateful, revealing that nothing is more challenging than someone who has escaped the corrosive insecurity about appearance that is most women's lot. With this level of self-hatred, is it any wonder that women hate each other?

Since the publication of The Female Eunuch in 1970, Germaine Greer has been recognised as a significant writer, thinker and agent provocateur. Eva Cox is an Australian writer, social commentator and activist and one of Australia's most influential Feminists. Tara Moss is a best selling Australian author, television presenter, journalist and former model.

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OPERA THEATRE

EVA COX, GERMAINE GREER, TARA MOSS &
DANNIELLE MILLER, CHAIR: JENNY BROCKIE

SUN 30 SEPT. 12.00PM - 1.00PM. $25

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In the same way that the value of clean air or water has not been taken into account in economic decisions (dismissed as 'externalities'), ecosystems, rivers, plants and other living creatures have not had legal rights. By giving nature legal status, 'wild law' puts the long-term interests of the whole Earth community ahead of what people or corporations want now. It is an idea that has the power to revolutionise the way we see ourselves, our place in the world and the rights of nature.

Cormac Cullinan is a practising environmental attorney, governance expert, lecturer and author who has practised, taught and written about environmental law for 20 years.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

THE STUDIO

SUN 30 SEPT. 2.00PM - 3.00PM. $25

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The latest science suggests that it is too late to prevent human-induced climate change. Technological optimists are now turning their minds to mitigation through techniques of geo-engineering, like giant space mirrors or seeding the oceans with iron to prompt carbon-absorbing algal blooms. But projects to alter the entire planet will expose all life to massive risk. So, why not address the source of the problem and engineer humans to reduce our environmental impact and adapt? Genetic engineering could make us smaller or reduce our appetite for meat. Doses of Oxytocin could make us more sympathetic and cooperative. Such possibilities are criticised as extreme, but are they any more so than re-engineering the planet?

Philosopher Matthew Liao is the Director of the Bioethics Program and an Associate Professor in the Centre for Bioethics in the Department of Philosophy at New York University.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

DRAMA THEATRE

SUN 30 SEPT. 12.00PM - 1.00PM. $25

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Government intervention - not the rigours of the free market - is the cause of the financial mayhem on Wall Street that becomes economic crises on Main Street. The Global Financial Crisis shows that it is not 'capitalism' (Karl Marx's insult of choice) or 'extreme capitalism (Kevin Rudd's) that has failed but the 'mixed economy'. The panic and bust of the GFC came about in the partial, corrupted and bastardised capitalism championed by the Western mainstream where government regulation stifles the free market. To stop these crises, we need to free the market and allow it to do its job. In a free society, no bank is so big or important that we shouldn't let it fail.

Chris Leithner is a senior scholar with Liberty Australia and author of several books on banking and finance in Australia including The Evil Princes of Martin Place.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

THE STUDIO

SAT 29 SEPT. 7.00PM - 8.00PM. & SUN 30 SEPT. 6.15PM, $25

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We've talked a lot about education in the last few years, but what kind of education do we really want in Australia? And how do we get it? If we look overseas for inspiration, the Finnish system stands alone as a uniquely successful experiment that has eschewed the Western trend towards standardised testing and conformity to lead the world in terms of results.

So what is Finland's secret? Paradoxically, the goal of Finnish education is not excellence in terms of outcomes, but equity and social inclusion. There is no private education system, just well-resourced public education that gives choice and flexibility to individual schools, and children do well regardless of their socio-economic background.

Although Australian results are are good by international standards, with our highly politicised public/private/faith-based system, described by some as 'social apartheid', socio-economic background has a very high impact on how well children do.

Is the Finnish system an unattainable paradise? Or could something like this be achievable with one simple step...If we abolished private schools, could we create a genuinely fair system? Or would we just damage the one we have by getting rid of some of our best schools?

Join us to discuss this tantalising hypothetical situation with a panel including Pasi Sahlberg, a leading expert on the Finnish education system, Director General of CIMO in the Ministry of Education in Helsinki and the author of Finnish Lessons, and speakers from all sides of the education debate in Australia.

Pasi Sahlberg
Globally recognised as an expert and coach in educational reform, teaching methodology and policy, Pasi Sahlberg is currently Director General of CIMO (Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) in Helsinki, Finland, with a forthcoming book title Finnish Lessons: What can the world learn about educational change in Finland - drawing from his experiences serving the World Bank (Washington, DC) and the European Commission as an education expert.

James O'loghlin
With a rich background steeped in commercial and criminal law and a 20-year career as a stand-up comedian, media personality James O'loghlin has performed thousands of times around Australia and on virtually every national television program that feature guests; acting as host to The New Inventors on ABC TV, The Evening Show on 702 ABC Sydney and appearing on Rove Live, Sunrise, and Lateline.

Jennifer Buckingham
Firmly at the forefront of the educational debate covering areas such as school funding and teacher training to child care and female labour force participation, Jennifer Buckingham (Research Fellow, Social Foundations program) has published a number of policy monographs and hundreds of major newspaper articles, acting as schools editor at The Australian and publishing Boy Troubles (2000), Families, Freedom and Education (2001), Schools in the Spotlight (2003) and Schools of Thought: A collection of Articles on Education (2009).

Jewel Topsfield
Currently the education editor at The Age, where she has been a journalist since 2004, Jewel Topsfield has become one of the most respected and consistent voices covering educational matters in national policy, having previously spent three years at the Press Gallery in Canberra reporting on education, immigration and federal politics.

Verity Firth
A Labor Party member since the age of 15, Verity Firth is the CEO of the Public Education Foundation and a former politician - previously serving as Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment and a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly.

Jane Caro
A board member of The Public Education Foundation and Bell Shakespeare, Jane Caro is a part-time lecturer in Advertising Creative, author, media commentator and freelance copywriter with over 30 years experience collaborating with agencies such as Forbes Macfie Hansen, The Campaign Palace, JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi - and now a novelist with her first publication; Just a Girl (UQP, 2011).

Br David Hall
Since 2010 Br David Hall has served as Principal of Marcelling College, Randwick, before which he held the roles of Executive Director of the Marist Ministries Office and Principal of St Patrick's Marist College, Dundas - he is also completing his doctorate at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

CONCERT HALL

PASI SAHLBERG, JENNIFER BUCKINGHAM, JAMES O'LOGHIN,
JEWEL TOPSFIELD, VERITY FIRTH, JANE CARO, DAVID HALL
SUPPORTED BY THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

SAT 29 SEPT. 3.45PM - 5.00PM. $25

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Twenty-first century Australia is built on the premise that the British Government acquired title to the country more than 200 years ago. Although significant shifts in our understanding have taken place in recent decades, this basic ownership has been unchallenged. But what if it could be proved that Aboriginal people never lost sovereignty over Australia? If our governments had to negotiate to salvage their legitimacy, could they come to terms with this shift in the balance of power and forge a new understanding between black and white Australia?

Michael Anderson (Nyoongar Ghurradjong Murri Ghillar) is an Aboriginal rights activist, community leader, lecturer and long-standing political figure who was appointed by his peers as the first Aboriginal ambassador to white Australia in the 1970s.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

THE STUDIO

SAT 29 SEPT. 5.00PM - 6.00PM. $25

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As NATO sets an 'irreversible' course out of Afghanistan, President Barack Obama states 'we are now unified behind a plan to responsibly wind down the war in Afghanistan'. This unilateral declaration of the 'end of the war' parallels the start of the Afghan 'war on terror'. Both began and both will end as creatures of the Western imagination. It would be naïve to believe that peace will break out in Afghanistan when the bulk of Western forces withdraw. This will be the beginning of the real Afghan war and the outcome will remain unknown for many years.

Jim Molan is a retired major-general of the Australian armed forces who was the Chief of Operations overseeing a multinational force of 300,000 troops in Iraq. Amin Saikal is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (The Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University. His many books include: Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival (recently named by The Wall St Journal as one of the five best books on Afghanistan) and The Afghanistan Conflict: Australia's Role and Islam and the West: Conflict or Co-operation? Hamish MacDonald is a well respected Australian journalist, having worked previously for Channel 4, ITV, and Al Jazeera English.

Price subject to change without notice. Fee of up to $8.50 per order applies.

PLAYHOUSE

JIM MOLAN & AMIN SAIKAL,
CHAIR: HAMISH MACDONALD

SUN 30 SEPT. 5.00PM - 6.00PM. $25

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MY PLANNER SELECT EVENTS TO PLAN YOUR DANGEROUS WEEKEND

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MULTIPACKS: SEE MORE & SAVE UP TO 25%.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE CALENDAR
  12 - 2PM 2 - 3.30PM 3.30 - 6PM 6 - 8PM 8PM TIL LATE
FRI 28 SEPT       7 - 8.15PM
SAM HARRIS THE DELUSION FREE WILL

SOLD OUT

  
SAT 29 SEPT 12 - 1PM GERMAINE GREER HOW MANY DANGEROUS IDEAS CAN ONE PERSON HAVE? 2 - 3PMRICHARD HEINBERG THE END OF GROWTH

SOLD OUT

 3.30 - 4.30 PMJULIAN PORTEOUS THE DEVIL IS REAL 6 - 7PMPANEL CHINA ♥ AMERICA  
1 - 2PM PANEL I SHARE THEREFORE I AM 2 - 3PMTIM HARFORD MAKE MORE MISSTAKES 3.45 - 5PMPANEL ABOLISH PRIVATE SCHOOLS 6 - 7PM PANEL CHILDREN ARE NOT INNOCENT  
  2.30 - 3.30PMPANEL ALL AUSTRALIANS ARE RACIST

SOLD OUT

 4.30 - 5.30PMPANEL MY WORKPLACE IS A CULT

SOLD OUT

 7 - 8PMCHRIS LEITHNER LET BANKS FAIL  
    5 - 6PMMICHAEL ANDERSON WHO OWNS AUSTRALIA    
SUN 30 SEPT 11.30 - 12.30PM PANEL THE US ELECTIONS: JUST ENTERTAINMENT 1.30 - 2.30PM JANE BUSSMANN BONO AND BOB, GET OUT OF AFRICA

SOLD OUT

 3 - 4PM JANE BUSSMANN BONO AND BOB, GET OUT OF AFRICA 6 - 7PM PANEL THE COMING CIVIL WAR BETWEEN THE YOUNG AND OLD

SOLD OUT

 8 - 9.15PM PANEL HOW TO SOLVE THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS IN AN HOUR

SOLD OUT
12 - 1PM MATTHEW LIAO ENGINEER HUMANS TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE 1.45 - 2.45PM PANEL A FOETUS IS NOT A PERSON

SOLD OUT

 3 - 4PM JASON SILVA WE ARE THE GODS NOW 6.15PM CHRIS LEITHNER LET BANKS FAIL  
12 - 1PM PANEL ALL WOMEN HATE EACH OTHER 2 - 3PM CORMAC CULLINAN IF MOTHER NATURE COULD SUE: WILD LAW AND THE RIGHTS OF NATURE 3.15 - 4.15PM PANEL GENITAL CUTTING IS NORMAL 6.30 - 7.30PM PANEL ANZAC DAY: BEST WE FORGET  
12 - 1PM SIMON LAHAM THE JOY OF SIN   4.15 - 5.15PM GUY PEARSE YOU ARE BEING GREENWASHED    
    4.30 - 5.30PM JESSE BERING WE ARE ALL SEXUAL PERVERTS

SOLD OUT

    
    5 - 6PM PANEL THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN HAS JUST BEGUN    
TO BOOK A MULTIPACK CALL 02 9250 7777

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1. Offer available by phone or in person, not available online. 2. Does not include free events. Based on the standard price only, not Insider ticket prices. 3. Tickets must be purchased by the same customer, in the same transaction to receive the discount on multi-event purchases. 4. Additional tickets may be purchased at a discount price for eligible performances. Patrons must mention this at the time of purchasing. 5. Multipack discount will not be applied to the ticket/s previously purchased. 6. No refunds except as outlined in the code of practice for Event Ticketing in Australia. 7. Multipacks are limited and may be withdrawn without notice. Buy early to avoid disappointment. 8. Multipack discount can only be applied to tickets purchased across the program (does not apply to multiple tickets for the one show/production). 9. Venues and performance times are subject to change 10. A transaction fee of $5-$8.50 applies to all bookings. 11. Program may be subject to change. 12. Prices subject to change without notice. 13. Information correct at time of printing.

 

 

People like to tell us less is more, so in the spirit of dissension, we've decided that at this year's FODI more is more! We've got more sessions, spread across more days, in more venues. Plus with the FODI FESTIVAL MULTIPACKS, the more you see the more you save - up to 25% off.

 

Extra weekend options come in the form of FODI favourites Applespiel, who are back with another interactive experience, while the SOAPBOX STAGE offers any budding speakers the chance to share their dangerous idea with the crowd and maybe even deliver it live on the Opera Theatre stage.

 

There are more ways to spread the word, share your opinion with #FODI on Twitter & Google +, visit Ideas At The House on Facebook and our blog at sydneyoperahouse.com/ideas, all available on free Wi-Fi at the House.

 

The more you give, the more you get. But what if we couldn't give you more? What if we couldn't give you arts and culture at all due to increasingly-reduced funding? At FODI, we dare to pose that questions that others dare not - so our own dangerous question is this: can you help us to keep giving you more by donating to the House today? With your help, we're doing more. Donate now.

 
PLAN YOUR DANGEROUS WEEKEND
HAVE YOUR SAY @ FODI WITH SOAPBOX LIVE

There are lots of ways to share your opinion, especially live at the festival. Twitter walls, the popular Soapbox Stage is back featuring live rants, free performances by Applespiel (decide what kind of country you want), and the Sydney Morning Herald will be running a 'reaction lounge' where you can voice your viewpoints.

REGISTER NOW FOR SOAPBOX LIVE RANTS!

When you've had enough of listening to other people's dangerous ideas on the FODI weekend why don't you have a rant yourself! Register below by September 25th to have a rant at the festival - we want to hear your dangerous idea in two minutes. Soapbox heats will take place at the Opera House September 29 from 11am until 1pm.

SUBMIT
HAVE AN OPINION IN THE HERALD REACTION LOUNGE

Have an opinion, say what you feel and argue the toss with FODI panellists and Sydney Morning Herald journalists in The Herald Reaction Lounge!

As FODI partners, The Sydney Morning Herald are presenting two sessions Abolish Private Schools & The US Elections:Just Entertainment.

Directly following each session, join us in the Drama Theatre Foyer for the Herald Reaction Lounge, where the debate will continue and you'll be able to contribute your two penneth to these controversial topics.

PLAN YOUR DANGEROUS WEEKEND
St James Ethics Centre JCDecaux Sydney Morning Herald