Gloria Montero
Novelist, poet, playwright
Baden Offord
Professor of Cultural Studies,
Director of Centre for Peace and Social Justice,
Southern Cross University, Australia
It could be argued that communication defines our age. Catalan
sociologist Manuel Castells makes the point that the world is now an
internationally networked society. However, the essential challenge remains about how people get along in a
complex world of difference. The British-born Ghanaian-American
philosopher, cultural theorist and novelist, Anthony Appiah, makes the
case for a cosmopolitan ethic as an answer. This is one which
focuses on key elements of what it means to be human while not ignoring the
differences that need to be accommodated through negotiation. Importantly,
he argues that no culture is infallible, and we need to learn from each
other. To borrow from Desmond Tutu’s use of the African term of ubuntu, we
become human through our relationship with others.
In this panel, Gloria Montero and Baden Offord will approach
these concerns through two reflective pieces of writing followed by a
conversation of sorts. Drawing on their experience of being and belonging in
between cultures, as migrants, as critical thinkers and authors – with a common
connection to Australia – they will contend that conversations about who we
are, how we belong, and importantly how to get along, are now more needed than
ever before.