Hotel Victoria Mews, Grahamstown, Saturday 17th November 2012 – Monday 19th November 2012
Although small in numbers, this was an enjoyable seminar with many excellent and original presentations, and several new faces (The old faces were mainly noticeable by their absence). Sitting in a large U format made it easy for each delegate to see the other, and allowed easy interaction between delegates during question time.
Each talk was recorded, and may be downloaded from the program following (The files are quite large 100-200mb). Powerpoint presentations for some of the talks are also available here (click on the filename to download to your computer). If you load the Powerpoint slides and listen to the audio file, you have a reasonably complete experience of the talk.
Program
Friday evening, 16th
November - Informal gathering in bar
See synopses of talks at end of this page. Not all talks are confirmed
at this stage.
Saturday 17th November
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Sunday 18th November
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Monday 19th November
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10-11 Colin Bower
The Myth of Unique Suffering Is the story of unique SA suffering fiction or non-fiction? |
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11-11.30 Tea
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11-11.30 Tea
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11-11.30 Tea
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12.30-13.00
Reportbacks
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12.30-14.00 Lunch
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13.30-16.00 Lunch
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13.00-16.00 Lunch
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19.00 Dinner
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19.00 Dinner
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If you would like to present a paper at this seminar, please email your
name, your preferred slot(1-18) and the title of your proposed topic to base37@gmail.com. There are 14 one hour
presentation slots, consisting of a 10 minute changeover break, strict maximum
of 30 minutes presentation, followed by 20 minutes question time. There are 4
twelve minute presentation slots on Sunday morning, consisting of 1 minute
changeover, 6 minutes presentation and 5 minutes question time. Presentations
will be grouped into themed sessions.
Delegates are required to make their own transport arrangements to
Grahamstown. I will publish a list of delegates as soon as practical in case
you want to make joint travel arrangements.
Contact details for the hotel, and a list of available rooms, appears
below. Please make all accommodation and payment arrangements directly with the
hotel.
Presentation Synopses
The Myth of Unique Suffering - Colin Bower
The grand South African narrative is a story of unique suffering and
injustice. The causes of that suffering and injustice are colonialism, slavery
and apartheid, and underlying each of these phenomena is the prime human evil,
prejudice.
But is the story fiction or non-fiction?
A lot rides on the answer we give to that question: If the story is true,
we are right to be dealing with our past suffering and injustice by remembering
it and commemorating it, and by redressing it. But if it is fiction, we are
doing the wrong thing by seeking redress, by a relentless insistence on
atonement, and by an endless outpouring of guilt or anger.
Of course, the overwhelming majority of South Africans take the
narrative as a work of non-fiction, and our policies and our debates are shaped
accordingly. Not only are we dedicated to redress, we are obsessed by the notion
of prejudice as the prime human evil that must be extirpated by means of
education, discussion, exhortation, and the subject of unceasing debate.
But what then if the narrative is fiction? What? Do I mean that there
are no elements of suffering and injustice in our history? Listen, and I will
explain.
A Mission to Civilise - Trevor
Watkins
Why are we libertarians? What is our purpose? What do we believe in
common? What should we be doing?
Courtesy of "The Newsroom", I believe we should be on a
mission to civilise, a grand and noble quest. Expect to get a drink tossed in
your face. Or worse.
SA Labour Market –
Trends and Issues - Loane Sharp
No synopsis available yet.
What we can do to
fix the environment. - Roland Kroon
Despite the highest level of sophistication that the planet has ever
seen, we are unable to halt desertification (defined as biodiversity loss). The
reason apparently lies in our decision making model, which once modified, has
the capacity to produce the reversal we are attempting to create.
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