where people can ponder new and important questions and expand their understanding.
a place to find out what we have in common as well as where we respectfully disagree.
and nurtures them into a reasoned, respectful and rigorous conversation that can spill over into our communities and strengthen New Zealand.
Genuine debate in a spirit of respect can expand our horizons. It can bring people closer together to create new solutions, share wisdom across traditions and boundaries, and develop mutual understanding. It also helps us to grow as individuals, as we test and develop our intellectual capacities and, through robust debate, identify our errors and exchange them for truth.
But public debate doesn’t always live up to our hopes. Clickbait and soundbites keep us awash in ephemera, local discourse too often apes international voices and trends, and polarisation and conspiracy theories divide and derail many of us. And with mainstream media increasingly sheltered behind paywalls to protect themselves from the behemoths of the internet, traditional sources of quality information are slipping beyond reach and out of mind of many.
The Inkling tackles some of the most important questions, opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand today through a series of distinctive events.
Hon. Peter Dunne on The Inkling's distinctive difference:
"I accepted the invitation to be a discussant at the Inkling's inaugural event with a measure of scepticism. I had been to similar events previously which rather than being a genuine forum for discussion and debate had ended up no more than a platform for the recitation of the entrenched views of the participants. This event was not like that at all. It was a well-moderated, genuine discussion on the impact of aging on our future society, where the discussants engaged with each other, listened to what was being said, and responded as appropriate, and where no dogmatic views prevailed. It was a superb format in the most congenial of surroundings and the format lends itself to considered, rational discussion of all manner of views on an important issue. In a world that is becoming increasingly polarised it is often becoming harder and harder to have genuine discussion on important issues. The format adopted by the Inkling makes this possible once more. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of it, and would thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone who has the opportunity to take part in a future event."
A diverse gathering of current and future leaders engage in enriching roundtable discussion facilitated by an expert moderator, in good faith and in a spirit of intellectual curiosity. The format has been designed to enable the cross-pollination of ideas, mutual learning and innovation, and to break out of the echo chamber.
The Inkling was created to help strengthen a New Zealand-specific culture of healthy intellectual discourse, one that is true to our circumstances and to this land and not simply an echo of other discussions in other places. It’s also aligned with the fundamental human drive to ask deeper questions of life, a drive that helps each of us to grow. By building intellectual and conversational muscle throughout New Zealand, The Inkling serves the wider community and the generations to come.
The Inkling is founded on a commitment to genuine debate with a generous ethos. It’s a commitment to understand rather than argue, to delve rather than dismiss, and to value the humanity and integrity of each participant. The Inkling also believes in focusing on the issues that matter most, not simply what’s in the headlines, and especially on issues that are overlooked or under-discussed.
RELEVANT to New Zealand
IMPORTANT, especially if uncommon
RIGOUR in debate
RESPECT for others
HUMILITY about our limits
CURIOSITY about ideas
Political
International relations
Economic
Social
Intellectual
Spiritual
