Discussion Index

Link to the discussion board is here

Get the latest discussion starters:

Bush may be crazy - but he's got a plan: the strategic ideas of the Bush Administration and their impact on Australia
available in html format
or as a word document [looks good but takes longer to load]

"Democracy" in Australia: is there a better way?
available in html format
or as a word document [looks good but takes longer to load]

An Australia-US Free Trade Agreement?
available in html format
or as a word document [looks good but takes longer to load]

The decline in Australia's banking industry
available as a word document [takes a long time to load]

War and Peace
available as a word document [takes a long time to load]

Notes on discussion starters
Discussion Starters aim to develop ideas for and interest in the conference, to ensure the most informed and productive level of discussion possible within our resources.

Using the discussion starter
The project sponsors encourage you to use the Discussion Starter in a group discussion in your locality, community organisation or trade union. If that's not possible, work through the points and questions yourself. In either case, your feedback on this topic into the discussion process is vital to develop the agenda for the July 2001 conference.

Guidelines for group discussion

1. Select a facilitator and a note-taker for the discussion
2. All participants should introduce themselves and say what they expect to achieve from the group discussion
3. Either a guest resource person, or someone in the group, should briefly introduce the first point in the Discussion Starter (5 mins).
4. In turn, each participant should comment on the discussion point.
5. At the end of discussion on each point, the facilitator should try to briefly summarise the views expressed, and if agreed, the not-taker should record the summary.
6. This process should be repeated for each point.
7. After all points are discussed, participants should be invited to briefly say if their expectations were met.
8. The summary of the discussion should be returned to Now We The People's Sydney office, by email if possible.
9. The discussion should be no longer than 90 minutes, and there should be a refreshment break during or at the end of the discussion.

May 2001

Due to the great number of responses received we've now decided to split the discussion area into two: Nowwethepeople starters/responses and new starters by individual participants.

• Nowwethepeople starters and responses
• Individual participant starters

Articles

Get informed about the U.S-Aust. Free Trade Agreement

Millions march against US war on Iraq

Allies at a Price: Bush buys himself a coalition (from The Nation)