Democracy, Citizenship and the Common Good: A Double Book Launch

Democracy, Citizenship and the Common Good: A Double Book Launch

What does it mean to be an equal citizen in a democracy? How can political institutions, civic participation and leadership better serve the common good?

Yindyamarra Nguluway invites you to an evening exploring these fundamental questions through the launch of two new books by Professor Dominic O'Sullivan and Professor Bede Harris.

While approaching democracy from different perspectives, both authors examine the relationship between citizenship, equality, political institutions and the responsibilities of the state. Their work raises important questions about how democracies can foster meaningful participation, protect human dignity and ensure that political power is exercised fairly and responsibly.

Drawing on questions of Indigenous rights, constitutional structures, civics education and political leadership, the books offer complementary perspectives on the challenges facing contemporary democracies and the possibilities for creating more inclusive, accountable and effective systems of government.

Join us for an evening of ideas and reflection on the future of democracy, the meaning of good citizenship and our shared responsibility for the common good.

Date: Tuesday 8 December 2026

Time: 6.30-8.30pm

Venue: Chambers Pavilion, Charles Sturt University's Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. 15 Blackall Street Barton ACT

About the books and their authors

Te Tiriti, Equality and the Future of New Zealand Democracy by Professor Dominic O'Sullivan.

Book will be launched by Distinguished Professor Stan Grant.

What does it mean for every citizen – Indigenous citizens as much as anyone  - to hold an equal share in the authority of the state?

Te Tiriti, Equality and the Future of New Zealand Democracy interprets the Treaty of Waitangi to develop the idea of the state as a republican commonwealth.

The republican ideal of ‘non-domination’ is set alongside commonwealth’s original meaning as the voluntary sharing of authority for the common wealth or the common good. The idea that the common good is in practice the good of everyone may resonate with Australian readers as alternative paths to Indigenous policy influence following the failure of the Voice referendum.

The book considers universal questions of how democracy may support, and constrain, post-colonial possibilities. It shows how and why culture and colonial context matter to fair policy outcomes and to whether government works democratically and equally well for Indigenous people as an essential complement to independent self-determination.

Cultivating Good Citizenship: Civics education, constitutional structures and political leadership by Professor Bede Harris.

Book will be launched by Professor Dominic O'Sullivan.

This book explores the concept of good citizenship, discussing how it can be nurtured as well as its implications for civics education, constitutional structures, and political leadership.  It begins by defining “good citizenship,” tracing the evolution of the concept from ancient times to the present, arguing that human dignity is the value upon which good citizenship is founded.

The book examines how voter disengagement is linked to shortcomings in civics education, particularly the failure to teach students the mechanics of a country’s constitution and the values underlying it. It discusses the role of constitutional design in enabling good citizenship to flourish, arguing that shortcomings in a constitution, such as an electoral system that does not accurately reflect votes in seats, inadequate human rights protection and the absence of mechanisms to ensure effective executive accountability diminish opportunities for the exercise of citizenship.

The book concludes by discussing how political leadership that prioritizes emotional appeals over reason and partisan interests over the public good erodes public confidence in political processes, but that responsibility for remedying this ultimately lies in the hands of voters themselves.