About

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance Confucius
551 – 479 BC

Founded in Australia, Agora Dialogue is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, independent organisation. Since 2016 the organisation’s main operations are carried out in Europe, in particular in Cyprus.

Agora Dialogue is motivated by the simple but important observation that the practical wisdom that humanity has achieved over the centuries trickles down into our real world practices with great difficulty, if at all. This disconnect can of course be explained by the fact that our everyday lives are subject to pressures which make contemplation and deep reasoning luxuries. Still, it is a regrettable state of affairs because it can lead to inconsistent decisions across time and therefore increased cost, irresolvable disagreements and conflict, and the loss of an organisation’s distinctive character.

Agora Dialogue is designed to encourage deeper reflection and reasoning. It doesn’t do so in a didactic, academic manner but rather by nudging people to engage with the relevant literature, by helping them to sharpen their analytical and critical skills, and by empowering them to bridge the gap between theory and practice and draw the relevance of abstract ideas to everyday activities.

By reintroducing to the ground and reinvigorating ideas such as justice, democracy, sustainability, fairness, equality, liberty, Agora Dialogue acts as a fulcrum for the development of a more attentive, sustainable and enriched society.

The aim is achieved through a number of valuable services:

  • Residential leadership colloquia and symposia, whereby attendees engage in intensive guided discussions based on the custom-designed Agora Dialogue curriculum of readings.
  • An interactive website aimed at promoting new ideas, challenging preconceived ideas and patterns of thought, and encouraging readers to engage in open discussion and consider alternative opinions and attitudes to their own.
  • Short courses, conferences and special events designed to introduce participants to the core philosophy of Agora Dialogue and inspire them to make positive change within their respective fields.

Our people

Our team consists of inspirational people from various backgrounds. They are business people, policy-makers, professionals, academics, artists, thinkers, with a wealth of knowledge and experience, who share the Agora Dialogue vision.

Patrons

George Bizos – South Africa

Julian Burnside AO QC – Australia

Kate Durham – Australia

Jose Ramos-Horta – Timor Leste

Jennifer Webb – Australia

Board

Kurt Esser – Australia

Glenn Scott – Australia

Dinos Toumazos – Australia

Directors

Yiotis Christoforou – Republic of Cyprus

Artemis Hadjivarnava – Republic of Cyprus

Artemis Orphanou – Republic of Cyprus

Celia Pavlaki – Republic of Cyprus

Hara Savvidou – Republic of Cyprus

Dinos Toumazos – Australia

Ambassadors

Stella Axarlis AM – Australia

Jamie Doughney – Australia

Anna Galanopoulos – Australia

Moya Mills – Australia

Evelyn Tadros – Australia

Jessie Taylor – Australia

Paul Toumazos – Australia

George Veis – Greece

Nic Vrodos – Australia

Brian Walters AM QC – Australia

Sally Webster – Australia

Stephanie Woollard – Australia

Arnold Zable – Australia

Mary Lou Jelbart – Australia

Moderators

Emmanuel Melissaris – United Kingdom

Michael Wright – Australia

Spencer Zifcak – Australia

Treasurer

Alexandros Ierides – Republic of Cyprus

Contributors

Uzay Bulut – Turkey

  • Columnist – Researcher

Maria Dikaiou – Australia

  • Forum Support Manager

Sevim Dogan Ozkan – Turkey

Theodora Galanis – Australia

Eva Ieridou – Cyprus

  • Partner Manager and Event Manager

Oz Karahan – Turkey

  • Political analyst and columnist

Stefanos Kouratzis – Greece

  • Visual Storyteller, multidisciplinary photographer and writer

Paul Patiniott – Australia

Emma Riggs – Australia

Zafiria Stamboulidis – Australia

  • Civil Liberties and Digital Operations Consultant

Dimitris Tsalavos – Republic of Cyprus

 

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