Summit 2008
Future Summit 2008: Big Ideas was held on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 May at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney.
Future Summit Patron: His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
”If Australia could do a few big things that would have the greatest positive impact on our collective future, what should they be?”
Big ideas: they can change the trajectory of a nation and influence the course of world events. Putting a man on the moon became a rallying cry for the United States and focused that nation for an entire decade. Racial equality and freedom were ideals that led to dramatic and peaceful change in South Africa. The dream of a European Union gathered momentum over multiple decades and has dramatically shifted life and commerce on that continent.
Australian history manifests the importance of big initiatives and ideas, marking the progress of our nation. Women’s suffrage and liberation, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, the Mabo decision, and the floating of the currency were significant initiatives of our past – what are the next big ideas for our future?
Today, we have no shortage of challenges at home and abroad. Globally, we face the frightening spectre of planetary climate change, the unrelenting burden of inequality and poverty, and the spread of increasingly rancorous violence. Australian healthcare and education standards are declining, our national infrastructure is in desperate need of renewal and expansion, the supply of energy and water supplies are proving more costly and limited, there remains an ever-present threat of inflation, and the concepts of democratic participation and the role of government remain open to debate.Australia needs big ideas now more than ever. And we need them to be translated into actions that bring results. Lofty ideals like the UN Millennium Goals need to make a difference in the real world. A big idea needs to have big impact. But what do you need to make that happen? Historically, what factors have made some big ideas successful and others not?
Future Summit 2008 was a unique opportunity for thought leaders from across Australia to share their big ideas and help shape Australia’s future by participating in deep and meaningful debate. This year’s Summit gave participants the chance to identify big ideas that are most likely to improve our quality of life, secure our future prosperity and enhance our standing in the community of nations. Central to the Summit were discussions about the best ways to advance those ideas and facilitate real change and outcomes to benefit the wider Australian community.
