Bloom

Shane Fitzsimmons currently leads Resilience NSW - the peak disaster management and recovery agency in NSW - as its inaugural Commissioner, following a long and distinguished career with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS). Shane came to national prominence in Australia through his role as Commissioner of the NSW RFS during the 2019-2020 bushfires, where he led NSW’s response to the fires which raged across South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and most severely in NSW and the ACT. These fires tragically caused the loss of 33 lives, destroyed over 3000 homes and damaged thousands more, burnt 30 million hectares of land, and caused over a billion animals to perish. Shane’s leadership throughout the bushfires received universal acclaim for his empathy, calmness, trust, care, and clarity of communications as the nation endured unprecedented natural disasters. In this podcast, Nick and Shane discuss: Shane’s early life in Sydney’s northern beaches, and how he found his way to volunteer firefighting His 35 year career with the NSW RFS, the modernisation of the emergency management sector, and the remarkable spirit and humanity of volunteers and staff working in disaster management Shane’s experience of the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season: its devastating scale and impacts, and the remarkable stories of hope, spirit, and community resilience that emerged through shared hardship Leadership qualities, including authenticity, humility, care, and communication The creation and work of Resilience NSW, and how communities are faring amidst the compound disasters of drought, fires, floods, storms, and mouse plagues How government agencies can ensure that recovery is community-led How to ensure community groups who are disproportionately impacted by disasters, such as women, First Nations peoples, the elderly, and migrants, are able to participate in resilience and recovery activities The outlook for the 2021-22 bushfire season, and how organizations can look after their fatigued and exhausted workforces after years of continuous responses to disasters          

Tú Lê is a young lawyer, community worker, and political advocate. Tú recently came to national and international prominence, with articles recently published in The New York Times, in the wake of the Australian Labor Party’s decision to nominate the former Premier of NSW and current federal Senator Kristina Keneally for preselection in the Western Sydney electorate of Fowler, ahead of Tú as the locally preferred candidate. The backroom political decision sparked a national conversation about cultural diversity within our representative institutions, multiculturalism in Australia, the disconnect of the political class from everyday people, and cultural and socio-economic barriers to participation in civic and economic life. In this podcast, Nick and Tú discuss: Tú's family journey as refugees from Vietnam to Australia in the wake of the Vietnam War, her early life in Adelaide and Western Sydney, and the importance of her Buddhist faith and community Tú’s current work as a lawyer and coordinator at the Marrickville Legal Centre, working across migration, employment, and criminal law Tú’s experience nominating for Labor Party preselection in the electorate of Fowler, and the controversy that emerged after Labor’s national executive parachuted Senator Kristina Keneally into the seat The importance of cultural diversity in our representative institutions, where a quarter of the population is non-white and minority groups constitute six percent of the federal parliament “The Bamboo ceiling” in the Australian workforce and across society more generally Australian identity, what it means to be an “Aussie”, and how we can adopt more inclusive understandings of national identity and history The electorate of Fowler and Western Sydney more broadly, and what these communities represent and reflect about modern Australia Some of the political issues Tú would prioritise in Parliament, including a constitutionally-entrenched “voice to Parliament” for First Nations Peoples, climate action, and reforming Australian immigration policy

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/paulmonklyricpoetry   In this podcast, Nick and Paul discuss: Poetry’s Touch by Professor William Waters and its influence on Paul’s approach to lyric poetry The ‘addressable you’ in poetry Reflections on communicative intimacy and the idea of authentic understanding between people in romantic or other relationships A number of Paul’s poems from his published works Lyrical Epigrams, All The Bad Things, and Delphic Deixis Paul’s relationship with Claudia Alvarez Artwork in the Chauvet Caves, and human civilization and beings across time Paul’s experience of being catfished, and the creative inspiration that this generated New infatuations, muses and poems Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.  Follow Paul on Twitter

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/paulmonkoncancer   In this podcast, Nick and Paul discuss: Paul's cancer journey and the odds of his survival The development of immunotherapy and other revolutionary cancer treatments Cancer research and the medical establishment The examples and books of Jimmy Stynes, Lance Armstrong, and Christopher Hitchens Reflections on mortality, death, and existential meaning and purpose The impact of Paul’s cancer journey on his relationships The 2016 International Cancer Conference in Brazil, and conversations with Dr. David Speakman, Chief Medical Officer of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Reframing one’s priorities after living with cancer Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.  Follow Paul on Twitter

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/paulmonkmortalityandmeaning   In this podcast, Nick and Paul discuss: The commemoration of the dead through religious rituals, such as the Kaddish Representations of mortality, death, and dying as expressed in poetry and literature Why death exists in the world at all, as a function of life and natural selection The intersection of the biological process of death and religious rituals around and for death Concern for the dead in classical works such as The Iliad and Antigone Paul’s journey with metastatic cancer and contemporary literature on mortality Reviewing one’s priorities after confronting one’s mortality Reflections on death and dying through everyday encounters with our built environment, such as cemeteries Oliver Sacks and gratitude for the gift of life and consciousness Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.  Follow Paul on Twitter

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/paulmonkonchina In this episode, Nick and Paul discuss: Paul’s book Thunder From the Silent Zone, and four possible futures for China The history and legacy of Hu Yaobang, the "conscience" of the Chinese Communist Party The history of democracy in China, and the possibility of political reform or democratisation Xi Jinping and his designs on Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan China’s rapid militarisation under Xi, and implications for Australia and the regional order Exercises in thinking: adopting the world view and perspectives of Chinese communist nationalists in regard to the current geopolitical order The Thucydides Trap, and the prospect of conflict between China and the United States The COVID-19 pandemic and China The diplomatic and trade war between China and Australia Literature on the implications of China’s rise Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.  Follow Paul on Twitter

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/frankbrennan   In this interview, Nick and Frank discuss: Frank’s early life and education in Queensland, and the influences of his mother and father on his life Frank’s ordination within the Catholic Church and the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) The impact of Jesuit Pope Francis on the Catholic Church, particularly with regard to environmental issues The future of the Catholic Church globally Frank’s early work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Redfern, Sydney, and the influence of Father Ted Kennedy on Frank’s formation The development of Australian land law, with reference to the Australian High Court’s Mabo and Wik Peoples decisions Practical policy steps towards Reconciliation, the Australian Constitution, and First Nations Peoples Frank’s work with refugees and asylum seekers, and his experiences in East Timor and with the 2001 Tampa case Migration policy changes for a more humane and ethical Australia Frank’s understanding of Jesus Christ, and how this has informed his work with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities The daily work of a priest, and death and dying in the COVID-19 pandemic Frank’s views on education in the 21st century, and his hopes and vision for Newman College Follow Fr Frank Brennan on Facebook and Twitter   Father Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest and the current Rector of Newman College within the University of Melbourne. He is a man of many talents and interests, having worked variously as a Jesuit priest within the Catholic Church, a human rights lawyer, a professor of law at Australian Catholic University, and CEO of Catholic Social Services Australia. He is a National Living Treasure, and widely known to the Australian public through his long career of leadership and advocacy on a range of human rights and social justice issues relating to asylum seekers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged both in Australia and abroad.

Originally published with transcript at: https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/bensonsaulo Benson Saulo is an inspirational and trailblazing 32 year old Australian, who has had a wide and diverse career across the social purpose sector, consulting, banking and finance, diplomacy and advocacy. Benson has recently been appointed as the first Indigenous Consul-General to the United States, where he will take up his post in Houston, Texas at the end of 2020 along with his wife Kate and daughter Anais.    In this interview, Nick and Benson discuss: Benson’s early life in Tamworth in rural NSW, and his early career in the banking and finance industry following moves to Sydney and then Melbourne The importance of culture and identity, growing up as the son of an Indigenous mother and a Papua New Guinean father Becoming a husband and a father, and the role of family in Benson’s life Walking the Camino de Santiago and the importance of faith, spirituality, and mindfulness Benson’s year as the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations in 2011, and the powerful stories that have stayed with him from travelling around Australia The social purpose/impact space in Australia, and Benson’s work with the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy and other organisations Benson’s appointment as the first Indigenous Consul-General to the United States, and his upcoming move to Houston, Texas to represent Australia The current state of affairs in the US, with the COVID-19 pandemic, mass civic unrest, and economic devastation What kind of an impact Benson would like to make in the future Follow Benson on Twitter @bensonsaulo

In this interview, Nick and Elly discuss: Elly’s love of Greece and Cyprus Questions of identity, home and belonging The Parthenon Marbles, and Elly’s work to reunite them through the Parthenon Committee of Australia Life and living history in Athens and Europe Reflections on the incredible life and legacy of the late Samuel Symons Living through a cancer diagnosis as an individual and as a family Samuel’s contributions to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Love, memory and gratitude How we remember loved ones, compared with the memorialisation of historical figures or events Follow Elly on Twitter @ellymariasymons

Transcript available at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/garethevans In this interview, Nick and Gareth discuss: Gareth’s early life and influences, and what drew him to politics Some of his most enduring political and policy achievements Reflections on Bob Hawke and Paul Keating as men, and as Prime Ministers of Australia The current world order, and the state of multilateralism and global cooperation on “problems without passports” Mass-atrocity events, and the personal and moral challenges of being Foreign Minister of a sovereign state with competing policy priorities The development of the global political commitment to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Memories and reflections on Gareth’s work as President and CEO of the International Crisis Group (ICG) in Brussels, and the differences in preventing deadly conflict from within an NGO than in government Reflections on his time as Chancellor of the Australian National University, and the university’s unique role in Australian society The meaning of Australia, and some of Gareth’s most treasured corners of the country Reflections on life and retirement Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC QC FASSA FAIIA is Distinguished Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, where he was Chancellor from 2010-19. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments from 1983-96, in the posts of Attorney General, Minister for Resources and Energy, Minister for Transport and Communications and - from 1988-96 - Foreign Minister. During his 21 years in Australian politics he was Leader of the Government in the Senate (1993-96) and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives (1996-98). From 2000 to 2009 he was President and CEO of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, the independent global conflict prevention and resolution organisation.

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/grayconnolly In this interview, Nick and Gray discuss: Gray’s life and career in the law, including his military service in the Royal Australian Navy The geopolitical lessons of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic The Dragon-Bear strategic alliance between China and Russia The 2020 US presidential election, and reflections on Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump How the pandemic has brought out the Australian ethos of looking after our most vulnerable, including a reflection on Simpson and his donkey How the pandemic has upended the Australian political landscape and forced the conservative Liberal-National Coalition - and governments around the world - to abandon ideology in the face of crisis Longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on Australian society, including changes to Federation and federal-state relations Observations on modern Australian politics and the quality of our politicians and polity Reflections on love, faith, grief, and the meaning of Australia Gray Connolly is a Sydney-based Barrister and Writer, and he is a reservist serving as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy. He writes about geopolitics, faith, history and war on his Strategy Counsel website. Gray’s writing has also appeared in an interesting range of Australian periodicals, including Meanjin and The Daily Telegraph. He regularly features on the ABC and Sky News as a commentator. He is a lifelong South Sydney and Richmond supporter. Twitter @GrayConnolly

In this conversation, Nick and Hugo discuss: Hugo’s early life and career as a frontline humanitarian worker in Africa and the Middle East The bureaucratisation of humanitarian organisations over recent decades The magic of young people in humanitarian (and other) organisations The experience of civilians in war and conflict, the ‘seven spheres of suffering’, and memorialisation of the dead The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Hugo’s term as Head of Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy Recent developments in International Humanitarian Law and warfare The impact of COVID-19 on relief work in conflict zones The changed ethical landscape that many in western nations now find themselves in as a result of the pandemic. Dr Hugo Slim recently concluded 5 years as Head of Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. Before joining ICRC in 2015, he was Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC) at the University of Oxford where he led research on humanitarian ethics and the protection of civilians. Hugo has combined a career between academia and practice. He was Chief Scholar at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue from 2003–2007 and Reader in International Humanitarianism at Oxford Brookes University from 1994–2003. Between 1983 and 1994, Hugo worked for Save the Children and the United Nations in Morocco, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Bangladesh. He received his PhD in humanitarian ethics from Oxford Brookes University in 2002. His most recent books are Humanitarian Ethics: A Guide to the Morality of Aid in War and Disaster (2015 Hurst/OUP) and Killing Civilians: Method, Madness and Morality in War (2007 Hurst/OUP).

Originally published with transcript at: https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/peterdoherty In this interview, Nick and Professor Doherty discuss: Peter's life and career in science and advice for young research scientists today The work of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in tackling the global burden of COVID-19 The different public health responses to COVID-19 around the world Globalisation, pandemics and the 21st century President Donald Trump and the American response to COVID-19 The state of scientific literacy and education in Australia and the world The proliferation of conspiracies about COVID-19, including 5G and Bill Gates How our societies could change as we recover from the pandemic Professor Peter Doherty shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 with Swiss colleague Rolf Zinkernagel, for their discovery of how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells. He was Australian of the Year in 1997, and has since been commuting between St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity is named in his honour, and the institute is leading a lot of the research into COVID-19 in Australia.

In this interview, Nick and Dr. Paul Monk discuss: Background on epidemiology, virology and global transmission as they relate to COVID-19 Major plagues throughout history, and literary representations of pestilence and plague The context of wet markets, corruption, totalitarianism and secrecy in China The divergence in global reactions to the outbreak of COVID-19 The emergence of conspiracy theories about the virus Silver linings from the current crisis, such as the need for global coordination and cooperation to respond to similarly global problems Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China. 

In this podcast, Nick and Dr. Paul Monk discuss: The Rationalist Society of Australia and Paul’s occasional paper, Religion and Society: Dilemmas of Our Time The deep history of the relationship between religion and society The relationship between liberal and social democracies and religion since the Reformation The rich traditions of mysticism, prayer and contemplation The case of Israel Folau and the Religious Freedom Bills before the Australian Parliament How we might structure curricula in schools to promote greater literacy and understanding of religious and civic issues A vision for religious toleration in the 21st century Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.

Dr. Zac Seidler is a clinical psychologist, researcher and leading men’s mental health expert who works as Director of Health Professional Training at Movember and as a post-doctoral research fellow with Orygen at the University of Melbourne. In this conversation, we speak about mental health and the Australian health care system, notions of masculinity, and the importance of social connection to foster wellbeing and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the content we cover touches on subjects that may be confronting to some listeners, such as suicide, depression and anxiety. If this raises any issues for you, please seek help via Beyond Blue, Orygen, Headspace or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/angelinastanton   In this podcast, Nick and Angie discuss: Angie’s life story and career as a poet Typewriters and poetry Influences on Angie’s writing, such as New Zealand writer Janet Frame Imagination and writing poetry for children The City of Melbourne and recent changes to busking permits The busking and street performer communities in Melbourne Social scourges such as homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and inadequate access to healthcare Some of Angie’s poems about new beginnings, Merri Creek, addiction and substance abuse Angelina Stanton is a poet, who has worked in Australia and New Zealand. Follow Angie on Facebook

Transcript available at www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/paulmonkontrump In this podcast, Dr Paul Monk and Nick Fabbri discuss the impeachment and acquittal of President Donald Trump, the role of impeachment in the US Constitution and examples of it occurring throughout history, and the differences between the liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes. Dr Paul Monk is a poet, polymath and highly regarded Australian public intellectual. He has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty (which resides in former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s library), to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilization in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient 2005 treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China. 

Originally published with transcript at https://www.nickfabbri.com/bloom/gilliantriggs In this podcast, Gillian and I discuss her recent book Speaking Up (MUP, 2018), influences on her early life and career, her role as President of the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2012-2017, the scale of the Global Refugee Crisis, and her upcoming role as Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the United Nations. Professor Gillian Triggs is a lawyer and academic, who became best known to the Australian public through her Presidency of the Australian Human Rights Commission between 2012 and 2017, which saw her involved in and influencing some of the major social, political and human rights issues and controversies of the day. Professor Triggs was recently appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).