Is it possible that 2024 might be the year of ‘Peak polarisation’? Audrey Tang certainly thinks so and in this wide-deep, mind-expanding conversation, we explore everything from the dual nature of AGI to the potential for liberational education that gives young people a sense of agency, interaction and the common good, to ways to rescue democracy to recipes for sound sleep.
As we head rapidly into biophysical and cultural collapse, how do we adapt and transform to the changing realities?
It occurs to me that we are now at an inflection point in the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich and – notionally – Democratic) culture that has been so successful in destroying the ecosphere.
So where do we go from here?
How can we achieve total systemic change? And are there politicians anywhere who are ready to make it happen (in a way that supports the continuation of complex life on this planet, not the scorched-earth destruction of the right)?
The question of how we reshape democracy, walking the fine line between stagnation and populist rage – is the defining problem of our time – with a coherent strategy, we can shape anything. In its absence, we’re going to end up spinning in pointless circles, arguing about trivia while the world burns.
What are we being offered by the incoming Labour Government? What’s good in their Manifesto (spoiler alert, not very much)? What’s not good? What could be improved upon and how do we go about pushing them to a place where they actually do something useful that isn’t simply a repeat of the same-old, same-old we’ve had for the past decade and a half?
In this second election special, we talk to Natalie Bennett (or Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle if we’re going to be formal – but she said we didn’t need to be) – one of two Green Party members in the House of Lords. Natalie is author of the Book ‘Change Everything: How we can rethink, repair and rebuild society’ – one of the essential books of our time that outlines in detail how we can create the total systemic change we need.
Our first Election Special with Neal Lawson, director of the progressive campaign group, Compass, a long-time progressive campaigner and a tireless advocate for Proportional Representation as a vehicle for change. In this swift half hour, we look at the circumstances of this utterly unexpected election and at steps we can take between now and polling day with the aim of brining about what he calls a progressive ‘Pitch Invasion’ that will fundamentally upgrade and update the way we arrange our governance structures…
This week the tables are turned and Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture Magazine interviews Manda about her new ‘seismic’ Mytho-Political thriller, Any Human Power, which will be available from 30th May.
“From a bestselling storyteller who brings together myths and speculative futures with a radical compassion, comes the story of a family at the heart of a political crisis and the ensuing uprising of a disenfranchised generation. A family that harnesses the skills and stories needed for real change, if they can choose the right path, before it is too late …”
Grace Blakeley, staff writer at Tribune magazine and author of the eye-opening “Vulture Capitalism”, peels back the layers of our economic system, exposing the stark realities hidden beneath the veneer of ‘free markets’ and ‘democratic’ institutions.
This week, I spoke with James Plunkett, a man who has spent his career at the intersection of policy and social change. From the halls of Number Ten to the charity sector’s front lines, James’s unique perspective has birthed a book that critically examines what’s wrong with our society and offers tangible fixes. Together, we dissect our societal challenges, from outdated institutions to the technology of gods, and discuss structured ways to mend a fractured system.
Democracy is broken. We keep electing the people least suited to governance when what we need is a way to empower those with the most wisdom and bring wisdom to those with power. So what can we do? The Humanity Project is exploring exciting, living, vibrant answers, right at the emergent edge of inter-becoming.