WOMADelaide is just around the corner, kicking off in Adelaide on the 10th of March. As well as an incredible lineup of musicians and dancers, a key feature of the festival is the Planet Talks program. Planet Talks is a forum that runs over three days, featuring some of the brightest thinkers exploring the issues and solutions that are facing the planet.
Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly will be bringing their political podcast, The Party Room, to the festival for a live edition. It’s always informative and they promise to have some special guests appearing.
The Voice to Parliament is very much in the press at the moment. This will be an ideal opportunity to be informed, with the session being curated in collaboration with Reconciliation SA. it includes some incredible First Nations women, including Co-chairs of the Uluru Dialogue committee Patricia Anderson AO and Prof Megan Davis. Joining them is Pitjantjatjara woman Sally Scales who is the chairperson of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Executive Board, and host ABC journalist Dan Bourchie. The group will be exploring the complexities of enshrining a First Nations Voice to Parliament in our Constitution as the nation gears up to the forthcoming referendum later in the year.
In September 2020, the government’s climate bill passed parliament, legislating the new targets of a 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. How this can be achieved will be discussed in the ‘Race to Net Zero’ session which will involve Eytan Lenko, CEO of Mike-Cannon Brookes’ philanthropic Green Fund, Boundless. Joining Eytan will be Richie Merzian, who was the former climate negotiator for the Australian Government, Executive Director of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility Brynn O’Brien,and panel host Maree Lowes. As well as discussing the ‘hows’, will be the question of responsibility – private or public?.
For those who love the big questions and the ethical dilemmas that challenge us, then the ‘Natural Rights’ session could be for you. It discusses the idea of what would happen if we extended human rights to Earth. Award-winning science and environmental communicator Tanya Ha will be joined by community leader, advocate, and scholar Anne Poelina, and legal scholars Erin O’Donnell and Peter Burdon in pondering the pitfalls and prospects that exist in recognising personhood in the ecology
Seaweed has been known to spoil many a fine day at the beach. However, you might get a new appreciation after attending the ‘Can Seaweed Save the World’ session. An enlightened panel of experts will discuss the opportunities that seaweed can provide for regional areas as well as climate solutions. Get on board the seaweed revolution.
‘Crimes Against Nature’ will dive into what can be done to tackle those that are plundering the planet, from water theft, to illegal logging, animal and plant smuggling and more. Water economist Sarah Wheeler, ecologist Phill Cassey, and environmental lawyer Emma Carmody will be joined by session moderator Ruby Jones
The sessions will be held in Adelaide’s Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla over the festival, March 10-13.
Tickets are still available from the WOMADelaide website HERE.
