The Give Where You Live Foundation was proud to present the third Conversations that Matter event, featuring renowned journalist Stan Grant on Friday 7 June.
The event, presented by Community Care Chemist, and sponsored by Worksafe Victoria, GMHBA and the TAC, saw Stan Grant share his passion, insight and wisdom on finding new ways for all of us to meet each other beyond our differences.
In front of 450 guests from over 50 Geelong businesses, Stan reflected on how humans need silence and warmth to nurture us, but instead the world provides an ‘icy pandemonium.’ He encouraged the audience to look beyond the coldness of life.
“Life can be brutal, cold, unkind, uncaring. We choose our sides and go into battle. We don’t extend generosity and forgiveness. We can respond with grace. That’s my view. That’s our gift. That’s a way of speaking back to the icy pandemonium.”
At the 2024 Conversations that Matter event, the Foundation wanted to focus on how communities and societies can have respectful, informed and meaningful conversations when we might not agree with each other.
Stan spoke of Yindyamarra, an ancient word and concept of his people, the Wiradujuri. Loosely translated it means to provide peace, grace and generosity to your friends and opponents.
“Sometimes speaking to the person who disagrees with you is the best thing you can do. Why not love first and talk later? Why not forgive first and judge later? Why not find ourselves in the other, even if the other doesn’t look like you?”
Give Where You Live Foundation CEO, Bill Mithen said the Foundation was proud to have provided a platform for the community to hear directly from Stan at the 2024 event to reflect on how we can all do better when engaging in discussion about uncomfortable matters.
“The Give Where You Live Foundation launched Conversations That Matter in 2022 to encourage conversations on issues that matter to our community, to raise issues that can be difficult to talk about.”
“At this year’s event, we wanted to highlight the importance of respectful, curious discourse and demonstrate how communities are better and solutions are uncovered when we listen and start with curiosity rather than vehement conviction.”
“As a celebrated journalist, moral philosopher, and communicator, Stan Grant has consistently demonstrated how to navigate and engage in challenging conversations with respect and integrity. Our conversation centred on how to improve public discourse. Stan asked us to meet people, particularly our opponents with grace, generosity and kindness.”
To focus further on how communities can have respectful conversations, the Give Where You Live Foundation invited the Deputy Prime Minister, The Hon. Richard Marles and The Hon. Christopher Pyne to join the conversation to provide their views on our public discourse. With Stan Grant as the facilitator, the two politicians provided informative insights on how we can improve the quality of our community’s discourse and have respectful conversations.
Conversations That Matter launched in 2022 with 2021 Australian of The Year Grace Tame and continued with Nova Peris OAM OLY in 2023 with the theme of reconciliation. The series of events have been designed to start discussions in our community that will, in line with the Give Where You Live Foundation’s mission, help create an equitable, fairer G21 region.
