Power and Greed: The corporate threat to human rights

Date/Time
5 Oct 2013
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Location
Centre for Theology & Ministry

Category(ies) No Categories

More Details:

Hosted by Justice and International Mission Unit of the Vic.Tas Synod.

Corporations motivated by greed are the greatest threat to human rights in democratic societies such as ours. Such greed stands in opposition to the vision for community in the Gospels. An alarming number of corporations lobby governments to water down our basic human rights. They threaten consumer protection measures and marketing restrictions in industries such as gambling, alcohol and finance to low income people.

We see corporations engage in tax dodging, depriving governments of their ability to provide the community with essential services and the protection of basic human rights. Others lobby for taxes which disadvantage the less well off, such as the GST. Others lobby against actions to make sure imported goods are free of human rights abuses in their production. Research has shown greed drives inequality in societies, which in turn drives overconsumption, posing one of the greatest threats to our environment.The Convention will explore how this is happening in Australia and what other countries have done to rein in corporate greed and the threat it poses to the Gospel vision for community.

The Convention will also seek input from participants on Synod recommendations for the 2014 Synod and the work areas of the Justice and International Mission Unit.

Keynote Speaker: Dr Richard Denniss, The Australia Institute 

Dr Richard Denniss is the Executive Director of The Australia Institute. He is an economist with a particular interest in the role of regulation. Prior to taking up his current position he was an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University. Richard has also worked as Strategy Adviser to the former Leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, was Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Australian Democrats, Natasha Stott Despoja, and lectured in economics at the University of Newcastle.

Richard has published extensively in academic journals, is a frequent contributor to national newspapers and was the co-author of the best-selling Affluenza (with Dr Clive Hamilton).

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