This week I’m bringing you the audio of a panel I appeared on, discussing the reason behind and ideas around the recent boycott of the 2022 Sydney Festival.

I joined dozens of other artists in withdrawing from the Festival to protest its acceptance of $20k in sponsorship money from the Israeli embassy; a sponsorship which guaranteed Israel the honour of being a “star partner” of the festival.

Here I’m in conversation with academic Dr. Jumana Bayeh, the Executive Director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy Salem Barahmeh and my fellow boycotters Dr. Mohammed Ahmad (founding director of Western Sydney literacy outfit Sweatshop) and Maissa Alameddine (the Artist Director of the Ensemble Dandana, which is part of the Arab Theatre Studio).

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Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger

@PalestineRising

“Artists Against Apartheid Sydney Festival” petition

ARTICLE: Sydney Festival acts boycott over Israel by Farid Farid

ARTICLE: Why I’m helping to organise a boycott of this year’s Sydney Festival by Jennine Khalik

ARTICLE:Boycotts are an essential and necessary part of public life by Osman Faruqi

ARTICLE: From Safsaf to Sydney: Palestinian resistance and the festival boycott by Jeanine Hourani, Rihab Charida & Matt Chun

Cause of the Week: Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Australia bdsaustralia.net.au 

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Writer and journalist Johann Hari has returned to the show to discuss why our brains have melted.

His new book is called Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and it is a fascinating, depressing and insightful look at the “attention crisis” we’re facing as a society. Johann tells me about just how bad this situation is, how much social media and technology is responsible for it, its social and political implications and what the fuck we can do about it – as individuals, and as a collective.

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Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger

@johannhari101

johannhari.com

Johann’s first appearance on the show was back at Ep #73

You can order Johann’s latest book Stolen Focus here: stolenfocusbook.com

Read an extract of the book here

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Van Badham is a playwright, author and activist, and she’s returned to the show to discuss her latest book, QAnon: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults.

Here Van lays out precisely what the QAnon conspiracy theory actually is, how it came into existence and how much it has shaped – and continues to shape – politics in the US and here in Australia. We discuss the most bonkers beliefs involved in all this and what the theory’s success tells us about the internet and the failures of the modern Left, and we disagree about what happened to JFK.

Merry Xmas everyone! See you in 2022, when everything will be fixed forever xx

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Catch me (and a crazy good line-up) performing at Just For Laughs Australia at the Malthouse Theatre in January

Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger

@vanbadham

Van’s book QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults

Van’s podcast is The Week on Wednesday

ARTICLE: If your friends or family have fallen for an internet conspiracy cult, here’s what you should do by Van Badham

AN EDITED EXTRACT OF VAN’S BOOK: QAnon: how the far-right cult took Australians down a ‘rabbit hole’ of extremism

Cause of the Week: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au)

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James Button is a freelance journalist, ALP member and former speechwriter for the former prime minister Kevin Rudd. He recently wrote a three-part, in-depth series for Nine/Fairfax on “cancel culture”: what it is, why it exists and what it means for the Australian Left.

In this conversation James and I go deep into his argument and the three pieces and try to clarify how this social phenomenon manifests itself when it comes to issues of race, gender, art and politics.  On some fronts we agree, on others I try to push back and challenge some of the common arguments that are wheeled out on this stuff.

It’s long, but (I hope) really worthwhile. TL:DR – class politics is GOOD and we need MORE OF IT PLEASE.

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Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger

@JamesButton49 (though he rarely tweets!)

Read James’ three-part series on cancel culture: 

• “They cancelled me as a human”: what nearly killed Logie winner Hugh Sheridan
• Gender, sex and power: the debate dividing universities
• Is identity politics killing the left?

ARTICLE: The Failure of Occupy is Almost Complete by Freddie deBoer

ARTICLE: Woke politics and power by Waleed Aly 

Cause(s) of the Week: Savannah Pride (savannahpride.com.au); Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation (marrinweejali.org.au)

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Nyadol Nyuon is a former refugee, lawyer and passionate advocate for human rights and anti-racism.

This is her keynote address at the 2021 Refugee Legal “Not The Annual Dinner” (held via Zoom), which I MC’ed, followed by a Q&A session with Nyadol and Refugee Legal Executive Director David Manne.

It’s a passionate address about why human rights are important to her (and why they should be important to you), the realities of race in this country and the ongoing legacy of the War on Terror on our society and politics.

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If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel THIS WEEK! Two shows only

Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger 

@NyadolNyuon

Nyadol’s address at the National Press Club, “Australia Reimagined” 

Cause of the Week: Please support Refugee Legal’s work (refugeelegal.org.au) 

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NEWS: I have a brand new podcast to share with youse.

It’s called Serious Danger, it’s about the Australian Greens and green politics in Australia generally and I’m doing it with my cool friend Emerald Moon.

Also it’s going to fix everything.

Have a listen to hear the trailer and find out why I wanted to make the show in the first place.

(Also don’t stress: I’ll still be posting episodes of LIASYO for the time being.)

Find out more and subscribe to the show by heading to seriousdangerpod.com

Find us on twitter, Instagram, Patreon and YouTube on @SeriousDangerAU

Get to know Emerald more by catching up on our conversation together from last year.

<3 u

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