Politics in the Pub: The People vs Technology
6 pm Wednesday 20th November 
at Union Bar, 3 Rimmer St, Acton ANU

Join The Australia Institute, 6 PM Wednesday 20 November, for Politics in the Pub The People vs Technology with Essential Media Director Peter Lewis in conversation with Mark Andrejevic and Pia Andrews, two of Australia’s leading thinkers in imagining a future where technology works in our interests.

The web promised to change the world, ushering a new era of connectivity and collaboration. But 20 years on we are more distracted and divided than ever, with the business models of the Big Tech Titans shaping the future on their terms.

Part of the collateral damage has been the collapse of the public square, with trust in government plummeting, the media in seemingly terminal decline and our democratic processes fundamentally comprised.

In the face of these challenges what can citizens do to reassert their sovereignty?

Mark Andrejevic is Professor of Media Studies at Monash University where he leads the Automated Society Working Group and is a Chief Investigator on the recently announced ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society.  He is a member of the US  Council for Big Data, Society, and Ethics, funded by the NSF.  He is the author of four monographs and more than 80 academic journal articles and book chapters.

Pia Andrews has been a driver of open government from inside the public sector for the past two decades. She has been involved in various open government, open data and open source communities and initiatives around the world. 

Peter Lewis is one of Australia’s leading social researchers and strategists, whose company Essential media has designed some of the nation’s most successful community advocacy campaigns. He is a regular Guardian columnist and author of “Webtopia – the worldwide wreck of tech and how to make the Net Work’.

~Due to unforeseen circumstances Julia Powles will be unable to join us tomorrow, Mark Andrejevic will be taking her place in the panel discussion~

We hope to see you at 6 pm Wednesday 20 November for what promises to be a fascinating and thought provoking evening. 

NEW VENUE: Please note we have relocated to ANU Union Bar, 3 Rimmer St, Acton.

There are multiple parking options: 
The Marcus Clarke secure parking car park is a short walk from the venue located off Childers St. Kingsley St Parking Station is also within easy walking distance. Barry Drive has secure parking, as well as two secure car parks located on Moore St. 
Alternatively, Union Bar is located within the Rimmer St bus stop so you could catch either number 50,51,3,2,4,32 and simply step off the bus and walk inside.