Rationalist Meetups
The RSA holds monthly meetings (at this stage, only in Melbourne and Perth) for Members and others interested in discussing contemporary issues from a rationalist perspective.
Perth
Details of meeting held in Perth can be found here.
Melbourne
Our meetings are held on the second Wednesdays of the month at the Tivoli Club, 291 Dandenong Rd, Windsor VIC 3181. The club has its own parking area with plenty of room, and it's on the no 64 and no 5 tram lines (stop no 36 at Closeburn Ave, one stop past Williams Road coming from the city).
We are working on getting similar discussion events running in other Australian cities. If you would like to help host such an event, place contact info@rationalist.com.au
| When | What | Discussion |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 14 August | Should drugs like cannabis be legalised? | Watch this short video. And read the RSA arguments here. |
| Wed 10 July | Should religious schools be able to hire in their own image? | Both sides of politics have come out against schools discriminating against students, but what about staff? |
| Wed 12 June | "Islam & The Future of Tolerance | Film screening at The Nova in Carlton |
| Wed 8 May | The Chaplaincy Challenge | RSA Fellow Luke Beck will report on the VCAT case challenging the National School Chaplaincy Program. |
| Wed 10 April | Stay in or opt out? The pros and cons of My Health Record | |
| Wed 13 March | "Why is there something rather than nothing?" | Pre-reading: "Will nothing come from nothing?" RSA's President Emeritus Ian Robinson muses about why there is anything at all! |
| Wed 13 Feb | Alternatives to Prayers before Council, and State and Federal Parliaments | |
| Wed 16 Jan 2019 (Note: third Wednesday rather than second, due to Australia being asleep between Xmas and mid Jan!) | The Role of Reason in a Fractious Society | We'll begin the discussion with a 20 min video of philosopher Julian Baggini at a recent Qld conference. |
| Meetings held in 2018 | ||
| Wed 12 December 2018 | Homelessness | |
| Wednesday 14 November | Chaplains in Schools, Hospitals, Emergency Services and the Armed Services | Please note the change of DAY OF THE WEEK and VENUE |
| 13 August 2018 | The Communist Manifesto | How relevant is it today? |
| 9 July 2018 | China-Australia relations | |
| 12 February | Religious Freedoms for the Non-religious | |
| 8 January | An Aussie President | |
| Meetings held in 2017 | ||
| 11 December | Sport | |
| 13 November | False Witness | |
| 9 October | Human Responsibilities | |
| 11 September | Democracy | |
| 14 August | Genital Autonomy | |
| 10 July | Welcome to the World | |
| 12 June | Is the Australian tax system fair? | |
| 8 May | The new Worldviews curriculum | |
| 10 April | Government funding of the arts | |
| 13 March | Nudity | |
| 13 February | Division of Time | |
| 9 January | Drug Law Reform | |
Information for first time attendees
Transport: Meetings are held at the Tivoli Club on Dandenong Road in Windsor. The club has a private car park, so parking is easy. It's on the no 5 and no 64 tram routes, stop 36 at Closeburn Avenue. Buses 216 and 219 stop at the intersection of Hotham St and Dandenong Road, just 5 mins walk from the Club.
Protocol: Guests should arrive at 6.15pm. Come upstairs - we'll be in the first room on the left, before you enter the main dining area. Upon arrival, please introduce yourself to the other guests.
Eating/Drinking: Allow $25 for a meal and drink.
Discussion programme: After some socialising over a meal and a drink, we divide into smaller groups of four or five to discuss a set topic. Topics usually entail some form of ethical dilemma. The idea is to choose which side of the dilemma you align with, and importantly, why. These discussions are designed to encourage critical thinking in action. Each small group appoints a person to record and report the group's deliberations towards the end of the meeting.
The evening concludes around 8.30pm.
RSVP
If you are planning to attend, it would help if you let us know by emailing thinktank@rationalist.com.au by the Thursday before so we can notify the club of expected numbers. You can also register via Meetup.com. Go to: https://www.meetup.com/Melbourne-Rationalist-Think-Tank/ to join up.