ABC Illawarra, Wollongong

Statewide Afternoons: 02 April 2012 02:53PM

Compere: Fiona Poole.

Poole talks about participatory democracy. She says an example of this would be the Occupy movement, or the Arab Spring, or closer to home, the coal seam gas campaign. Poole talks to Aidan Ricketts, Law Lecturer, Southern Cross University. Ricketts talks about the idea of democracy, and gives examples of participatory democracy, saying writing letters to editors, members of unions, being active in community groups, and more obvious forms of activism are examples. Ricketts says people in Australia are truly beginning to feel that the mining industry is controlling the parliaments, and are feeling they aren’t being protected by their representative democracy, and are wanting to take action in their communities. Ricketts talks about his book, the Activist’s Handbook. Ricketts says the only thing that ever has changed the world is a small group of dedicated people. Ricketts says coal seam gas is propelling action faster than just about any other social movement ever seen. Ricketts talks about digital activism, and says it is a new way to approach activism.

Interviewee

Aidan Ricketts, law lecturer, Southern Cross University

Syndication

This program or part thereof is syndicated to the following (7) station(s): ABC Central West NSW (Orange), ABC Coffs Coast (Coffs Harbour), ABC New England North West (Tamworth), ABC North Coast NSW (Lismore), ABC Riverina (Wagga Wagga), ABC South East NSW (Bega), ABC Western Plains NSW (Dubbo).