We need to talk
There’s no shortage of controversial issues in the headlines but we need better ways to discuss them. Just as importantly, we need to talk about the issues that get overlooked because they’re not clickbait material or they’re just ‘too hard’. Enter Ed Bachrach and The Inkling. Ed’s a philanthropist, businessman, and student of ideas who’s passionate about New Zealand’s contribution to the world. He engaged Resonance to create The Inkling.
A new kind of conversation:
We kicked off with a strategy project in 2020 examining the state of intellectual discourse in New Zealand. Through interviews with leading Kiwis and in-depth research, we identified strategic opportunities to help raise the calibre of public conversation, including a non-profit initiative to raise the standard of public debate. Out of this came the concept for The Inkling, a series of events that gathers leaders with diverse views. The Inkling brings them together for face-to-face, good faith conversations about hard issues, like the challenges of New Zealand’s changing age structure, and our foreign policy stance. It’s a refreshing change from the online shouting match that passes for public discourse these days.
Bringing it all together
From Ed’s initial concept of a carefully curated forum for discussion, Resonance worked to bring The Inkling to life. We developed the name, brand, and website, recruited an Advisory Panel of respected leaders, selected venues that represent The Inkling’s public good mission, developed the ethos that guides everything we do, researched and devised discussion topics, identified participants and moderators, created collateral, and prepared every detail of the events. We launched The Inkling in July 2022, and we’re three events in with gatherings at iconic venues like the Auckland Art Gallery and the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
The Inkling aims to inspire others to engage in similar good faith conversations in their work and their communities and the feedback we’ve received tells us it’s well underway to achieving this. We’re excited and privileged to be part of its story so far, and we look forward to continuing to serve this initiative and our nation.
“The Inkling is a serious effort at respectful conversation about big issues, with a range of people with varying views. A fun evening to boot.”
Shamubeel Eaqub, economist and commentator
“It was a unique opportunity to practice deep listening skills, hearing a wide range of views and engaging in debate in a secure, private confidential environment. Such endeavours provide an opportunity to encourage the cooperative bi partisan approach that we require as a country to tackle the existential issues we face in the 21st century.”
Associate Professor Susan St John, University of Auckland
“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.”
Hon. Peter Dunne
