Tuesday Forums

Forums have a "current affairs" focus covering local events, politics, science, the environment and international events.

Sessions are held via Zoom commencing on Tuesdays at 12:30 pm and run from March to early June and from mid-July to November.

There are two registration options:

* Pre-register for all talks during the year and you will automatically be sent Zoom login details each week, i.e. there will not be any need to register on a weekly basis. (Note: Those who pre-registered in 2023 will automatically be transferred to the 2024 Forums.)
* Register on a weekly basis for the Forums which interest you. Registration will open in the week preceding the talk and the details are advertised with each Forum

Date	Forum details
15 October	Offering more refugees opportunities to rebuild their lives in Australia Government policy, refugee experiences, the role of everyday Australians and how to get involved. Lisa Button, CEO Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia Lisa will discuss the role of Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) in encouraging, developing and supporting programs that expand and improve refugee settlement in Australia. The talk will outline how the introduction of a community sponsorship model enables Australia to support a larger, sustainable humanitarian program. Lisa holds a Masters degree in Public and International Law, in addition to a BA/LLB(Hons) from the University of Melbourne. As a commercial lawyer, Lisa worked in refugee law policy and programs for more than 15 years and founded what is now the CRSA in 2018. Lisa is one of the seven members of the Settlement Advisory Council advising the Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis. 👉 Registrations open 1 October 9AM and close 7 October 5PM. To register email Include your U3A membership number in the email.
22 October	Philanthropy and generosity in Australia Maree Sidey, CEO Philanthropy Australia and Krystian Seibert, ED Policy and Government Relations 1:30-2:30PM. (Note the later commencement time.) ` Philanthropy Australia (PA) is the national peak body for philanthropy. Members include trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisers, companies, intermediaries and not-for-profit organisations. Maree and Krystian will talk about the state of play in Philanthropy in Australia, including a recent Productivity Commission Report and how its members are leveraging their wealth and influence to create social change. Maree recently joined PA after nine years running Australian Communities Foundation. Maree is a passionate social change advocate, a specialist in strategy, advocacy, communication, and transformative change. She is an experienced CEO and started her career as a social worker in family services at Berry Street. Krystian has extensive experience shaping policy and regulatory frameworks applying to philanthropy. He was an Industry Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology and an adviser to a former Assistant Treasurer. He has completed a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science focusing on regulatory policy. If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis. 👉 Registrations open 15 October 9AM and close 21 October 5PM. To register email Include your U3A membership number in the email.
29 October	Elergy for Westminster - What impact are Australia's changing demographics having on politics as we know it Ian McAuley, former senior Policy Advisor and lecturer at University of Canberra ` As a follow up to last year's very popular talk, Ian will discuss what are the implications to the traditional two party system in Australia arising from the changing demographics within Australian society and long term economic changes. Why have the first preference votes for the two old parties fallen to low levels? How has widening inequality changed our political landscape? Is the traditional two-party system the only form our democracy can have in Australia ? What do recent elections in other countries — France and Austria — tell us about the trajectory of democracy? Ian McAuley has lived and breathed public policy. He has been a policy analyst and a manager in the federal Department of Industry, and more recently a lecturer in Public Sector Financial Management at the University of Canberra. Ian has been the course leader of a number of popular politics-related U3A courses. If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis. 👉 Registrations open 22 October 9AM and close 28 October 5PM. To register email Include your U3A membership number in the email.

Date

Forum details

15 October

Offering more refugees opportunities to rebuild their lives in Australia

Government policy, refugee experiences,
the role of everyday Australians and how to get involved.
Lisa Button, CEO Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia

Lisa will discuss the role of Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) in encouraging, developing and supporting programs that expand and improve refugee settlement in Australia. The talk will outline how the introduction of a community sponsorship model enables Australia to support a larger, sustainable humanitarian program.

Lisa holds a Masters degree in Public and International Law, in addition to a BA/LLB(Hons) from the University of Melbourne. As a commercial lawyer, Lisa worked in refugee law policy and programs for more than 15 years and founded what is now the CRSA in 2018. Lisa is one of the seven members of the Settlement Advisory Council advising the Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.

If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis.

👉

Registrations open 1 October 9AM and close 7 October 5PM.

To register email

Include your U3A membership number in the email.

22 October

Philanthropy and generosity in Australia

Maree Sidey, CEO Philanthropy Australia and Krystian Seibert, ED Policy and Government Relations

1:30-2:30PM. (Note the later commencement time.)
`
Philanthropy Australia (PA) is the national peak body for philanthropy. Members include trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisers, companies, intermediaries and not-for-profit organisations.

Maree and Krystian will talk about the state of play in Philanthropy in Australia, including a recent Productivity Commission Report and how its members are leveraging their wealth and influence to create social change.

Maree recently joined PA after nine years running Australian Communities Foundation. Maree is a passionate social change advocate, a specialist in strategy, advocacy, communication, and transformative change. She is an experienced CEO and started her career as a social worker in family services at Berry Street.

Krystian has extensive experience shaping policy and regulatory frameworks applying to philanthropy. He was an Industry Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology and an adviser to a former Assistant Treasurer. He has completed a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science focusing on regulatory policy.

If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis.

👉

Registrations open 15 October 9AM and close 21 October 5PM.

To register email

Include your U3A membership number in the email.

29 October

Elergy for Westminster - What impact are Australia's changing demographics having on politics as we know it

Ian McAuley, former senior Policy Advisor and lecturer at University of Canberra

`
As a follow up to last year's very popular talk, Ian will discuss what are the implications to the traditional two party system in Australia arising from the changing demographics within Australian society and long term economic changes. Why have the first preference votes for the two old parties fallen to low levels? How has widening inequality changed our political landscape? Is the traditional two-party system the only form our democracy can have in Australia ? What do recent elections in other countries — France and Austria — tell us about the trajectory of democracy?

Ian McAuley has lived and breathed public policy. He has been a policy analyst and a manager in the federal Department of Industry, and more recently a lecturer in Public Sector Financial Management at the University of Canberra. Ian has been the course leader of a number of popular politics-related U3A courses.

If you are already pre-registered, you do not need to register on a weekly basis.

👉

Registrations open 22 October 9AM and close 28 October 5PM.

To register email

Include your U3A membership number in the email.