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 – Republic of South Africa
Julian Burnside AO QC – Commonwealth of Australia
Kate Durham – Commonwealth of Australia
Jose Ramos-Horta – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Jennifer Webb – Commonwealth of Australia
Board
Kurt Esser – Commonwealth of Australia
Glenn Scott – Commonwealth of Australia
Dinos Toumazos – Commonwealth of 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 – Commonwealth of Australia
Ambassadors
Stella Axarlis AM – Commonwealth of Australia
Jamie Doughney – Commonwealth of Australia
Anna Galanopoulos – Commonwealth of Australia
Moya Mills – Commonwealth of Australia
Evelyn Tadros – Commonwealth of Australia
Jessie Taylor – Commonwealth of Australia
Paul Toumazos – Commonwealth of Australia
George Veis – Hellenic Republic
Nic Vrodos – Commonwealth of Australia
Brian Walters AM QC – Commonwealth of Australia
Sally Webster – Commonwealth of Australia
Stephanie Woollard – Commonwealth of Australia
Arnold Zable – Commonwealth of Australia
Mary Lou Jelbart – Commonwealth of Australia
Moderators
Emmanuel Melissaris – United Kingdom
Michael Wright – Commonwealth of Australia
Spencer Zifcak – Commonwealth of Australia
Treasurer
Alexandros Ierides – Republic of Cyprus
Contributors
Uzay Bulut – Türkiye
- Columnist – Researcher
Maria Dikaiou – Commonwealth of Australia
- Forum Support Manager
Sevim Dogan Ozkan – Türkiye
Theodora Galanis – Commonwealth of Australia
Eva Ieridou – Republic of Cyprus
- Partner Manager and Event Manager
Oz Karahan – Republic of Cyprus
- Political analyst and columnist
Stefanos Kouratzis – Hellenic Republic
- Visual Storyteller, multidisciplinary photographer and writer
Paul Patiniott – Commonwealth of Australia
Emma Riggs – Commonwealth of Australia
Zafiria Stamboulidis – Commonwealth of Australia
- Civil Liberties and Digital Operations Consultant
Dimitris Tsalavos – Republic of Cyprus
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