Opinion: Wealth inequality crashes a celebration of culture, art and innovation at SXSW Sydney

I speak about wealth inequality a lot. I’ve said it’s humanity’s greatest threat; that it prevents 10 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, that it drives the political extremes kicking the legs out from under our democracy and fuels the hellscape that is the public discourse in 2023. 

I’ve asked: why bother fixing climate for a future only a few of us can afford to live in?

The problem with these statements is that they’re too big. Especially that question. They’re too big for people to relate to and feel like they can change when they’re busy going about their lives, trying to pay their bills, trying to be happy, and maybe, just maybe, trying to get away on that holiday that seems harder and harder to save for every year (because it is). 

So when I saw wealth inequality in a bite sized chunk this month I was saddened, but also excited.