Observers of trends in New Zealand, Britain, Australia and the USA will have noticed an increase in economic, political and social divisions. The divisive 2023 election campaign, the Brexit referendum and the Trump v Biden Presidential race highlight the increased social tensions. My new book, “On the Brink: Reconnecting communities in an age of division”, explores the underlying causes of the increased polarisation and proposes solutions to move towards a more balanced way forward. The book is based on several years of interaction with leaders in business, government, the not for profit sector and indigenous organisations. “On the Brink” can be purchased from Amazon . Get your copy today.
Thank you for your support! I’m very pleased with the response to the new book “On the Brink”. The local media have covered it. I’ve had interest in several book reviews overseas as well as within New Zealand. Most recently I’ve been approached about doing a podcast in the US in March. So I will keep you updated on how that unfolds.
It seems that the book is speaking to an issue of the moment – a rejection of centralisation of power and a public desire for accountability of big institutions.
Wellington author, Roger Ellis, launched his new book to an appreciative Johnsonville audience of 40 people at St Johns Church Hall. He spoke for around 25 minutes about the growing divisions in societies both in New Zealand and overseas. He covered some of the underlying causes including the intertwined international economic, social and environmental crises.
Roger Ellis has more than 30 years experience in government, telecommunications, and community not for profit work. In his prepared comments he discussed the role of new technologies in making social divisions worse. He also focused on economic inequalities as an underlying driver of polarisation since the 1980s and 1990s. Mr Ellis discussed the growing level of debt, low productivity and lack of long term strategy – particularly for infrastructure investment in New Zealand.
The new book proposes some solutions to the challenges facing the country. He advocates a localist or distributist perspective emphasising shared values based on human dignity, community, and subsidiarity. Roger Ellis called for a devolution of power and resources to regions and local communities allowing for regional and local variations but building more participatory democracy.
Mr Ellis’s speech was followed by a lively question and answer session covering local government, regional empowerment, and examples of local community initiatives in lower socio-economic areas of Wellington. “On the Brink: Reconnecting communities in an age of division” is available for purchase from Amazon Australia in both e-kindle and paperback editions.
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