Fixing democracy with Xanana Gusmao

Back in the early 2000s when I wrote my Master's thesis on women's community building in East Timor, if you'd said to me, in 15 years, you'll have a chat with Timorese independence leader Xanana Gusmao about fixing democracy, I would've drawn on The Castle to say, 'Tell her she's dreaming.'

Prof. Shamsul Haque fixes democracy with Xanana Gusmao.

We certainly didn't fix anything. In fact, we probably only complicated matters. But MC George McEnroe certainly did her best to pull this wide-ranging panel together, drawing on the expertise of National University of Singapore Professor Shamsul Haque and the deep experience of Dr Gusmao. 

A few highlights from this session and read all about the Melbourne School of Government Democracy in Transition conference at the live blog.

The Hon. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao receives an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Melbourne. 

LET’S FIX DEMOCRACY

Thank god George McEnroe was there to pull us all together!

Democracies are facing a number of 21st century challenges ... can we put our heads together and find solutions?

Comedian and radio host George McEnroe invited attendees to spend the final hour of the Democracy in Transition conference coming up with remedies to fix* democracy’s ills.

Joined on the stage by former President and Prime Minister of East Timor Xanana Gusmao, Dr Sara Bice of the Melbourne School of Goverment, and Professor Shamsul Haque of the National University of Singapore, George McEnroe led a spirited and not-so-serious debate about ways to improve democracy – in Australia and abroad.

Some highlights:

• “Democracy is no longer sexy. We no longer appreciate it when we have it,” Dr Bice quipped. “So how do we get community interested in democracy?” 
• George McEnroe asks Xanana Gusmao, “how would you fix democracy?” 
  “I can’t”, he deadpans.
• We are seeing “political apathy, the disinterest of people in a globalised world ... there is political infantilisation”, Professor Shamsul Haque said.

*We can’t guarantee that we actually fixed democracy.