DECOLONISATION IS NOT AN ECONOMIC POLICY
The language of decolonisation – with its emphasis on returning land, dismantling colonial structures, and rejecting Western capitalism has never been louder or more confident of its legitimacy. But what if the framework itself is part of the problem?
What does ‘decolonisation’ demand of us when the structures we’re trying to dismantle are the very ones keeping us alive? Capitalism and colonialism were never separate projects: one provided the land, bodies and resources, the other dictated the rules and the ledger.
Today decolonisation is invoked in universities, boardrooms, and government policy. Could capitalism, for all its brutality, remain the only proven engine of economic liberation? Does decolonisation, as a political project, risk leaving the people it claims to serve exactly where they are – righteous, and poor?
JEROME COMISARI
Jerome Comisari is a Wiradjuri man from the Riverina who grew up on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. He has a passion for the arts and has championed the work and practice of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives and cultural practitioners. Previously Jerome held various jobs at the ABC, including with Radio National’s Indigenous Arts and Culture program, Awaye!. He has also worked in politics as a Media Advisor, communicating with various stakeholders at the local, state and federal level. Jerome currently works at Bundanon as the Cultural Liaison Manager where he is continuing to support and promote the aspirations of Aboriginal people and communities.
Celeste Liddle
Celeste is an Arrernte woman, a writer and social commentator, a trade union official, and a creative. Over nearly two decades, her writings have appeared in multiple outlets – Australia and abroad.
Glenn Loury [USA]
Glenn C. Loury is Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences, Emeritus, at Brown University. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economics Association and a Member of the American Philosophical Society. He has published scholarly and public intellectual articles on racial inequality in the US. His most recent book, Self-Censorship (2025), expands upon his ideas on political correctness from the 1990s. He is the host of The Glenn Show, a widely viewed podcast, and has also written an acclaimed memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative.
Waleed Aly
Waleed Aly is a broadcaster, author, academic and musician. He lectures in politics at Monash University, where he completed his PhD in 2018 researching global terrorism, and is a Patron of the Street Library. For over a decade, Waleed co-hosted Network 10’s The Project. He now co-presents The Minefield on ABC Radio National with ethicist Scott Stephens. Waleed’s work has earned wide recognition, including the 2014 Walkley Award for Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique. In 2016 he won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Australian TV Personality, the Silver Logie for Best Presenter, and delivered the Andrew Olle Media Lecture.
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We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation - the custodians of the country on which we meet - and acknowledge their Elders, past and present.
The views and opinions expressed by the Festival participants are not necessarily the views of The Ethics Centre and our partners.