Greensforums discontinued in 2009 following a very long and strong history. No further Greensforums will be held at CII until further notice. Greensforums had been held for some years on certain Fridays at 5:30 pm. Upstairs in CII's Restaurant, 470 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Entry was free.
Greensforums are monthly informal forums where a prominent person is asked to discuss a topic of interest.
Greensforums are free to attend. You do not have to be a member of the Greens and are not required to join in order to participate. Issues and speakers are chosen on the basis of their relevance and value to the community.
They begin at 5:30 pm on the first Friday of each month upstairs at CII's Restaurant, 470 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, Victoria. Discussion usually finishes at 7 pm, when participants are invited downstairs to buy a drink from the bar and enjoy complimentary nibbles provided by the generous proprietors.
The Greensforums were initiated by Brian Walters, SC, who has a strong commitment to a just and well-informed society through his work in the law, his membership of the Greens and his involvement in community issues on behalf of Free Speech Victoria and Liberty. Joel Townsend has done a great deal of work with Brian to maintain the success of the Greensforums.
Past speakers have included Greens Senator Bob Brown on Green Politics, Jamie Gardiner of Liberty Victoria on Gay Rights, Julian Burnside on Refugees, Ken Davidson, Wayne Wescott on Local Government and the Environment, Paul Sinclair on the Murray, Greg Connellan, Harry Barber as a Melbourne City Mayoral candidate, Tim Costello, Marjorie Thorpe in Indigenous Issues, and myself (David Risstrom) on Melbourne City Council politics.
I'll endeavour to keep an updated list of speakers. Ideas for speakers for future Greensforums can be e-mailed to me at Greensforums@davidrisstrom.org, which I will pass onto Joel and Brian.
Greensforums usually begin at 5:30 pm on the First Friday of each month, upstairs in CII's Restaurant, 470 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Entry is free. In some instances, where demand is high, other venues are used.
A separate though complementary program of Greensforums has evolved in Glenferrie, Melbourne. The program for these is available on a separate website at Glenferrie Greensforums. Share a glass of wine and inspiring ideas. Meals and snacks are available after the talk for those who wish to stay on for a chat.
| Speaker |
Date |
Topic |
| Dr Bart Ziino |
7 September 07 |
How people in Australia attempted to come to terms with having WWI dead remain on battlefields on the other side of the world |
| Frank de Jong from the Ontario Greens |
20 July 07 |
Green politics |
| Rod Quantock, comedian and chicken chaperone |
7 July 07 |
Rod being Rod |
| Peter Job, Refugee activist and Greens candidate. |
1 June 07 |
Refugee policy |
| Vanessa Bleyer, President of Lawyers for Forests |
4 May 07 |
Recent developments in logging in Victoria |
| Michael Pearce SC |
13 April 07 |
The proposed Access Card and a constitutional challenge
to the Commonwealth government's regressive electoral laws |
| Michele Fountain and Emma Henley |
23 March 07 |
Global Young Greens Conference in Nairobi |
| Richard di Natale |
1 December 06 |
2006 Victorian State Election |
| Peta Murphy, solicitor for Stary and Associates |
10 November 06 |
Jack Thomas and the 'Anti Terror' Laws. |
| Professor Brian Costar |
6 October 06 |
Victorian State election and politics |
| Gerard Brody, Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby |
1 September 06 |
Gay and lesbian rights |
| Professor Graham Brown |
4 August 06 |
International Health and Preparations for Avian Flu |
| Rod Quantock |
7 July 06 |
Rod, life, politics and laughs |
| Peter Singer |
2 June 06 |
Ethics |
| Herman Wangai, West Papuan activist |
5 May 06 |
West Papua |
| Richard Flanagan, Author |
31 March 06 |
Sport and Society |
| Ken Davidson |
22 March 06 |
Politicians - the real threat to democracy |
| Greens Senator Christine Milne |
3 March 06 |
Current issues as a Greens Senator |
| Barry Jones |
2 December 05 |
The campaign to have capital punishment abolished |
| Prof. Sarah Joseph, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law |
4 November 05 |
The legalisation of torture and the diminution of human rights |
| Marika Dias, Human Rights Lawyer |
7 October 05 |
Scott Parkin's deportation and recent changes to ASIO laws |
| Dr Rob Sparrow of Monash University |
2 September 05 |
The New Eugenics |
| David Tatnall - Wilderness photographer |
5 August 05 |
Discussing aspects of his photograph collection |
| Waleed Ally - Islamic Council of Victoria |
1 July 05 |
Islam, Discrimination and Demonstration |
| Prof. Marcia Neave - Vic. Law Reform Commission |
3 June 05 |
Law Reform in Victoria |
| Andrew Hamilton, S. J., publisher of Eureka Street |
6 May 05 |
The Importance of the Independent Voice |
| Dr. Steven Curry - University of Melbourne |
1 April 05 |
The Gunns Writ and Freedom of Speech |
| Fr. Peter Norden of Jesuit Social Services |
4 March 05 |
Criminal Justice Reform |
| Dr Julie Debeljak, Castan Centre for Human Rights |
4 February 05 |
An Australian Bill of Rights |
| Dr Jude McCulloch |
3 December 04 |
Proposed changes to police powers in Victoria |
| Dr David Corbett |
5 November 04 |
'Sending them Home' - the return of asylum seekers to Afghanistan and Iraq |
| Senate candidates Richard di Natale + David Risstrom |
1 October 04 |
An Australian Republic |
| Clive Hamilton |
3 September 04 |
Growth Fetishism |
| Paul Collins |
20 August 2004 |
Ecology and Spirituality |
| Greg Connellan of Liberty Victoria |
6 August 2004 |
Guantanamo Bay detainees |
| Green Senator Kerry Nettle + Senate Candidate David Risstrom |
9 July 2004 |
Federal election issues |
| Dr Mark Peel |
4 June 2004 |
'Poverty in Australia' |
| Juan Rogas |
7 May 2004 |
Juan, from the Permaculture Institute on 'El Salvador' |
| Joo-Cheong Tham |
2 April 2004 |
'Casualties of the 'War on Terror': ASIO's powers and the banning of 'terrorist' organisations' |
| Rod Wilson |
12 March 2004 |
Medicare and health care reform |
| Dr. Richard di Natale, Cr. Greg Barber + Cr. David Risstrom |
6 February 2004 |
Progressive Politics in an Election Year |
| Arnold Zable |
5 December 2003 |
Refugees and Storytelling |
| Ramona Koval |
7 November 2003 |
Issues relating to the ABC |
| Bob Phelps |
3 October 2003 |
Genethics Network |
| Malcolm Reid + Anne Lockley |
5 September 2003 |
Intervention in the Solomons |
| Sian Prior |
1 August 2003 |
Art and the Environment |
| Anne O'Rourke |
4 July 2003 |
GATS and the US-Australia free trade agreement |
| Jamie Gardiner |
13 June 2003 |
Gay Rights |
| Wayne Wescott |
2 May 2003 |
Local Government and the Environment |
| Ken Davidson |
4 April 2003 |
Analysis of Australia's Involvement in the Gulf War |
| Marjorie Thorpe |
21 March 2003 |
Indigenous Issues |
| Dr Paul Sinclair |
7 March 2003 |
Rivers |
| Rev Tim Costello |
7 February 2003 |
Nagaland |
| Snr. Bob Brown, Cr. David Risstrom + Greens state election candidates |
6 December 2002 |
Victorian State Election Wrap up |
Dr Paul Mees
|
8 November 2002 |
The Cars That Ate Melbourne |
| Julian Burnside QC |
4 October 2002 |
Refugees - Populism and Policy |
| Dr Tim Bonyhady |
13 September 2002 |
The Colonial Earth |
| Richard Tregear |
2 August 2002 |
'The War on Drugs': Drugs, Law and Bumps in the Road of Life |
| William Lines |
5 July 2002 |
Australia's Environmental History |
| Sarah Joseph |
7 June 2002 |
International Criminal Court |
| Scott Kinnear |
3 May 2002 |
Eating What We Preach |
| Professor Joseph Camilleri |
12 April 2002 |
Australia and Asia after the Tampa |
| Doug Humann |
1 March 2002 |
Private Conservation as a Public Good |
| Janet Powell |
1 February 2002 |
Reflections on life in politics |
| Chris Baxter |
7 December 2001 |
The Vanishing Wilderness |
| Glenys Oogjes |
2 November 2001 |
The campaign to prevent the killing of bats in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens |
| Rev Dr Wes Campbell, Bilal Cleland, Alison Duxbury + Terry Lane |
29 October 2001 |
The military intervention in Afghanistan |
| Chris Mardon |
5 October 2001 |
Energy or Climate Change - must we choose? |
| Janice Carpenter |
7 September 2001 |
How ethical investment can make a difference |
| Rev Alistair Macrae |
3 August 2001 |
Spirituality and the Environment |
| Lindsay Hesketh |
6 July 2001 |
Competition Policy and the Forests |
| Chris Tipler |
1 June 2001 |
Using economic arguments to win the Conservation War |
| Dr Mardie Townsend |
4 May 2001 |
The Greening of Industry and Corporate Citizenship |
| Annie Goeke |
6 April 2001 |
The US Green Presidential Campaign |
| Harry Barber |
2 March 2001 |
As Green Mayoral Candidate on transport |
| Senator Bob Brown |
2 February 2001 |
Bob being Bob |
| Professor Chris Nyland |
8 December 2000 |
Trade and the Defence of Rights |
| Karen Alexander |
24 Nov 2000 |
Campaigning for the Environment |
| Cr. David Risstrom |
20 Oct 2000 |
Life on Melbourne City Council |
