The State of the Nation Starts Right Here
Delivered by Mr Hugh Mackay AO
Burgmann College was honoured to have Australian psychologist, social researcher and writer Mr Hugh Mackay AO as the 2018 guest speaker of our annual EH Burgmann Lecture. Please click on the following link to watch the video recording of the lecture: Hugh Mackay AO Lecture
Hugh argued that social fragmentation is the greatest challenge our society now faces, because fragmentation leads to isolation and, since we are essentially social beings, isolation leads to a heightened risk of anxiety and depression.
He suggested we can rebuild trust and cohesion in our local communities—including the Burgmann community—by making a renewed commitment to the exercise of kindness and respect, especially towards those we don’t agree with.
He described compassion as the only rational response to an understanding of what it means to be human, and argued that a college like Burgmann can be a perfect ‘test-bed’ for a more compassionate society.
>> Watch Hugh Mackay AO's full lecture below:
