Online
Confab Connection
Small-group sessions of up to 12 people for virtual participation in a commons in the cloud.
Talk it over
Workshoppers of the Commons
Real people. Real issues.
A local place to think together about public issues, with structure, care, and practical focus.
These small group sessions are designed to build understanding across divergent viewpoints. Active participation in civic debate is not solely the remit of elected representatives.
We design and convene workshops that bring together people with different views to work through the issues of our time.
Formats
Conversation at human scale, across the lines that might ordinarily divide
Over a meal
Table Talk
Revolution is not a dinner party. Sitting down as strangers who disagree might inspire one.
Partnered walk
Footpath Forum
Some say conversation flows better when you're walking side by side.
Next up
When Governments Share Information
If sharing data could prevent harm but also carry consequences you oppose, what should you do?
We’ll explore cross-border information sharing, accountability, and safeguards through the lens of the Bali 9 case.
Cross-border law enforcement depends on cooperation between governments. Information sharing can support investigations, build capability, and strengthen working relationships that facilitate efforts to disrupt organised crime, including drug trafficking.
Australia opposes the death penalty.
What responsibilities apply when one government shares information with another that may use it within a legal system that imposes punishments the first government opposes? What safeguards, limits, or accountability mechanisms should exist in those situations?
In 2005, nine Australians were arrested in Bali for attempting to smuggle drugs to Australia. In 2015, two were executed in Indonesia. The Australian Federal Police shared information with the Indonesian National Police that proved to be pivotal in making the arrest.
We will also look at contemporary parallels where cooperation is contested, including tensions in the United States over immigration enforcement requests and local restrictions on cooperation. For contrast, we will also test the same principles in private contexts, where consent is often bundled and downstream use is difficult to audit.
This workshop invites participants to decide whether the Australian Federal Police were legally and morally justified in sharing their information with the Indonesian National Police. Should safeguards have been made or conditions been imposed? Who is accountable for the decision to share and for downstream consequences? What should be done when cooperation is lawful but values conflict?
Workshop plan
Preparation
1 hour
Participation options
90 mins12
2 hrs8
1 hr3
Goals
- Establish a shared factual baseline before discussion begins
- Surface competing principles around inter-governmental information sharing
- Test positions that attempt to balance or prioritise crime prevention and human rights commitments
Outputs
- An understanding of a different perspective
- Participant reflections on what shifted or held
- Open questions for further thought
- Recognition of shared or opposing values
Up next
Hold the whistle
The sociology of whistleblowing in an age of institutional distrust
You can't say that
The free speech cops are on patrol
Inherited power structures
An examination of accountability limits on privilege and power
Philanthropic influence
Orchestrating a field that promotes and resources the implementation of technocratic, superficially pre-political ‘best process’
In the direction of truth
The incentives behind overclaiming, and the civic cost of neutralising it.
Data centre mania
Where is the demand for AI coming from and what priority is given to its public resource requirements?
Nationalising the AI labs
What mechanisms exist to moderate governance of frontier labs where their technology is used in critical national security contexts?
Internalising private equity externalities
Debt-amplified fragility and profit-pressure dynamics bring externalised social welfare risks and liabilities.
FAQs
What is Workshoppers of the Commons?
Workshoppers of the Commons is a civic conversation project for real-life discussion about public life. People come together to listen and talk, and develop principles for collective action to handle the issues and opportunities we have in common.
Do I need to be an expert to join?
No, but experts and newcomers to the topic are welcome. If you accept The Principles, you're welcome to participate.
Each topic is introduced with a brief containing a concise outline of the key issue that you can consider before you attend. Supporting materials in a range of formats are also provided if you'd like to go a bit deeper.
How are workshops curated?
EOIs are used to create a constructive mix across viewpoints, familiarity, and communication styles. This is a composition process, rather than an assessment of credentials.
How does it work?
Register to participate in the format you prefer. We will use your details to find you a group or walking partner that might intrigue you or challenge your thoughts on the subject.
You'll receive a brief with some introductory materials that you might want to consider in preparing for the workshop along with details of where you'll meet (for those on the footpath, we also suggest walking route that you might like to use).
At the workshop, you'll receive prompts to guide the conversation.
Afterwards, you're welcome to add your reflections to the workshop debrief. You can keep your notes private or share them with others who have participated. We use AI to depersonalise them and write up an analysis of where the consensus or contrarian thoughts arise.
Who can participate?
You must be over 18 and accept The Principles.
Can I attend with a friend?
Your feedback on this approach is welcome. For now, everyone is welcome to participate, but allocation to a workshop is generated by the responses given in the EOIs, which may mean that friends are invited to join different workshops. The goal is to create groups that might not ordinarily exchange thoughts.
If you think this is a terrible design, DMs are open. Please could we ask that you give it a try our way before you lock down your opinion.
Elinor Ostrom showed that people can govern the ‘commons’ through shared rules and values, rather than markets or top-down authority. Workshoppers of the Commons is where we practice Elinor's legacy: convening groups to take opportunities and problems into spaces that invite civic engagement.