Ideas at the House

For former refugee and politcian Ayaan Hirsi Ali: "It is a matter of principle that women are free and equal". This means zero tolerance of cultural practices such as honour violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). In her talk, Hirsi Ali challenges the audience with questions such as whether multiculturalism is indifference disguised as tolerance, and what do Western feminists have to offer to the life and death problems of women from the developing world? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Seligman is a bestselling author, world leading psychologist and expert adviser on wellbeing at the highest level of international public policy. According to Seligman, happiness is not the result of good genes or luck, and well-being is more than just the absense of ill-being. Real, lasting happiness comes from focusing on personal strengths and working with them to improve all aspects of your life. Watch as he speaks about everything from positive emotions and relationships to the politics and economics of well-being. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent survey of media coverage of the US Election showed that over 70% of print stories were written by men and less than 20% percent of coverage was of women, making women almost invisible at the highest levels in public life and in the media. But are there advantages to invisibility? If anonymity comes with the freedom to do and say what you want, does this mean that the power that comes with visibility isn't all that it is cracked up to be?Join our panel of authors Tara Moss, Nikki Gemmel, and Brooke Magnanti (Chaired by Rebecca Huntley). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Delhi gang rape case in everyone's mind, focus on the specific situation of women in India and India's 'rape culture' were put into perspective by a US case in Steubenville Ohio where an unconscious girl was repeatedly assaulted and onlookers and participants posted images and film all over the internet. If rape happens everywhere, but 'rape culture' is specific to local circumstances, what needs to happen in Australia and everywhere to make it a thing of the past?Join our panel Kiran Grewal and Dixie Link-Gordon (Chair: Clementine Ford). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mystique of 'leadership' is such that it has become the Holy Grail for anyone trying to understand why organisations succeed or fail. But being a leader is not something where there are a series of clear instructions to follow. Because it brings together the personal and the professional, finding out how to lead can be harder to explain but more satisfying than any of the other challenges that work or home throws up.Join our panel Maria Atkinson and Julie White (Chair: Judith Whelan). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While daughters can be a learning experience for fathers, mothers with feminist convictions sometimes fall into the trap of seeing their daughter as the next stage in the march towards 'liberation' or 'equality'. In an age of analogue parents and digital daughters, what do girls need from their parents?Join our panel Nigel Marsh, Maya Newell and Barbara Toner (Chair: Dannielle Miller). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noam Chomsky is one of the most celebrated public intellectuals of our time. He is a linguist, philosopher, historian, and social commentator among other things, and author of books influential books such as 'Manufaturing Consent.' In this convesation with Mary Kostakidis, Chomsky addresses a range of questions on the theme of knowledge and freedom, covering areas such as linguistics, global politics, human rights, climate change, and the nature of democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alain de Botton is a best-selling author and one of the world's most celebrated philosophers. Watch as he discusses his latest book, 'Religion for Atheists,' about the parts of religion that he thinks atheists too often overlook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Stoppard is one of the world's greatest dramatists, with a body of work that includes 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,' 'The Real Inspector Hound,' and 'Shakespeare in Love.' Watch Stoppard in conversation with Australian writer Jonathan Biggins at the Sydney Opera House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Celebrated Edinburgh novelist Alexander McCall Smith is the creator of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which has sold over a million copies in Australia. Smith is wise, witty, and full of observations on life and infectious good humour in this conversation at the Sydney Opera House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.