About This Event
Multicultural Australia in partnership with QPAC is excited to be hosting Changing the Conversation: Cultural and Human Rights in the Digital Age, the second event in a new series of thought-provoking discussions exploring key issues in our increasingly multicultural society.
Facilitated by Benjamin Law, and featuring a panel of experts, the discussion will explore approaches to individually and collectively navigate the challenges, and opportunities of living in an era of seemingly unstoppable technology and new forms of community and culture shaped by online and offline interactions.
The digital world offers many different experiences. We are more connected, and at the same time more remote. The start-up movement has transformed our workplaces and our public lives are increasingly being lived from the privacy of our homes.
In the age of opportunity, where technology has the potential to build cultural bridges, enable greater inclusion and equal opportunity through increased connectivity, innovation, and transformation of services, how can we overcome the many challenges that come with technological advancements? Issues such as the digital exclusion of historically marginalised groups, the impact of systemic bias being embedded into AI systems and algorithms, and a lack of appropriate safeguards to protect the vulnerable have the potential to make our society more unequal.
Join us for this important and stimulating conversation in the Concert Hall this June.
About Changing the Conversation
Bringing together thought leaders from academia, government, business, and the community to engage in robust discussions about multiculturalism in the Australian context, the Changing the Conversation series – presented by Multicultural Australia in partnership with QPAC – explores issues of who and where we are as a nation and what we need to do to create a society that better reflects and cares for all its people. Changing the Conversation: Cultural and Human Rights in the Digital Age is the second of four events in this series to be held in 2023.
Who are the speakers?
Benjamin Law – Facilitator
Marek Kowalkiewicz - Panelist
Amanda Yeo - Panelist
Lizzie O’Shea - Panelist
Benjamin Law – Facilitator
Benjamin Law writes books, TV screenplays, columns, essays and feature journalism. Most recently, Ben edited the collection of stories, ‘Growing Up Queer’ in Australia and was also a researcher and associate producer on Blackfella Films’ ‘Deep Water: The Real Story’ (SBS) and a writer on Endemol Shine’s ‘Sisters’ (Ten). Recently he starred in the ABC’s two-part documentary series ‘Waltzing the Dragon with Benjamin Law’, where he travels from China to Arnhem Land to explore the history, unpack the present, and look to the future of Australia’s relationship with China. Every week, Benjamin co-hosts ABC RN’s weekly national pop culture show ‘Stop Everything’. He also co-hosts online startup and tech TV show ‘That Startup Show’, and you can catch him on TV shows like ‘Q&A’ (ABC), ‘The Drum’ (ABC), ‘The Projec’t (Ten) and ‘Filthy Rich and Homeless’ (SBS).
Marek Kowalkiewicz - Panelist
Marek is a Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School. He joined QUT from Silicon Valley, where he led global innovation teams as a Senior Director at SAP. Before Silicon Valley, Marek worked in Singapore as a Research Manager of the largest SAP Research lab in Asia, focusing on Machine Learning. Prior to that, Marek was a Global Research Program Lead of one of SAP’s main research programs, as well as a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. He holds fifteen patents describing his contributions to enterprise software systems. He is a keen long-distance trail runner.
Amanda Yeo - Panelist
Amanda Yeo is a tech and entertainment reporter, as well as co-founder and host of award-winning technology podcast Queens of the Drone Age. Amanda previously worked in refugee law to assist people seeking asylum in Australia and holds degrees in both Communication and Laws. After making the switch to journalism, her articles have appeared in numerous publications such as Mashable, Cosmos Magazine, and Gizmodo Australia.
Lizzie O'Shea - Panelist
Lizzie O’Shea is a lawyer and writer, and the founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch, an organisation advocating for human rights online. She also sits on the board of Blueprint for Free Speech and the Alliance for Gambling Reform. In 2019, she was named a Human Rights Hero by Access Now.
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