Earth Dialogues: Session 2

Session Two began with its two keynote speakers (I missed Gorby, who addressed the booked-out Session One). First to speak was the former Vice-President of Iran, Massoumeh Ebtekar. She spoke well and raised some important issues, as well as giving an overview of Iran's past, its current situation and its very uncertain future. As she left the stage after finishing her speech, a man up the top (not far from us) got up and yelled out to the audience. I missed a lot of what he said, but he held a photo up (the details of which were impossible to see) and yelled, in broken English, something along the lines of "Look at this! She supports this regime! Look at this photo!". Another man called out "He's absolutely right!". Anyway, he was taken out by a security guard and yelled louder and louder as he approached the door. Immediately after that, another man nearby got up and protested the presence of Ebtekar. His extremely strong accent meant that we could barely understand a word. Interestingly, security guards who approached him were told several times by members of the audience to "Let him speak!". Anyway, once he was dragged out screaming by security, a man behind me yelled "Dialogue is two-way!", receiving applause.

Later on, I read a form that had been handed out by random audience members before the start of the session, titled Who is Massoumeh Ebtekar? I'd assumed it was a general profile, but it turned out to be an objection from the "Iranian Community in Australia" to the former VP's presence. It points out that Ebtekar was the spokesperson for the Iranian students who took 52 Americans hostage in 1979 (the Iranian Hostage Crisis). It also claims that she is an advocate for the suppression of women's rights, and ends by saying

We the members of Iranian Community in Australia object that Massoumeh Ebtekar is allowed to speak at the Brisbane Festival under the pretence of someone who is interested in the Global Environment.

The second keynote speaker was the Reverend Tim Costello (yep, brother of Peter). He is the head of World Vision Australia. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed his address, in which he made some very valid points concerning the greediness of corporations and the injustice of the existence of a massive gap between rich and poor. In appearance and mannerisms, he was a cross between his brother and the ABC's Peter Berner.

Three forums from which people could choose followed. We stayed where we were - the main auditorium - to hear Campbell Newman and the panel discuss issues under the subject of Cities and Spaces. Again, very thought-provoking. My favourite point made was by a member of the panel who said it's time to get things done. Discussion and debate are brilliant and necessary up until the point when they become just that and no more.

Finally, Phillip Adams - who'd just come from a 90-minute interview with President Gorbachev - moderated a review panel that talked about the major points of discussion that had been covered during the afternoon.

Earth Dialogues wraps up on Monday.