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Program Notes

Having the opportunity to speak with Dr. Victoria Ann Hasson about the world of politics
from South Africa to the UK to Australia was a fascinating peek behind the veil of what
is similar worldwide and where the dramatic differences present themselves. Dr Hasson
spoke to her heart and soul commitment to helping women politicians to feel seen in
their experiences of navigating politics; seen in their experiences of trying to be a
soulful, connecting, and whole-hearted leader. Her hope is to enable women to feel
encouraged and supported and to know that their experiences genuinely matter - not
simply to people like Dr Hasson, but to society as a whole. Her approach to helping
women find their voice is rooted in articulating the truth of what it takes to deliver
democracy, to begin reshaping political society, innovating democracy, improving the
quality of democratic processes, and reimagining political leadership styles. I found her
approach of inquiry and investment one that will easily translate into the business world
and serve to help women to move from their greater power. I invite you to tune into this
powerful conversation about holding power to account in a way that allows everyone to
win.
What are the 3 things you want to speak about?
Why it matters that we care about politicians, what made me care about politicians in
the first place, and what I would like to say to any struggling politician.

Bio
I have been so fortunate to work in politics, in parliaments, and with politicians around
the globe for 14 years. I have entered some incredible democratic spaces at pivotal
moments in history, and I have observed the human impact of the political experience
amongst individuals charged with navigating it for all our sake. I started out being
interested in how democratic practices within the national parliament of South Africa
would be re-shaped at the end of apartheid, which was the focus of my PhD. The
majority of those entering the new parliament in 1994 had no experience of democracy
from the inside, and I was fascinated to realise that a person's experience of
democracy, which in this instance was one of exclusion, shapes their actions
irrespective of their current reality and experiences. Since then I have worked
internationally with politicians around the globe and I have come to realisation that all
politicians know their feelings do not matter, and should not matter, to the content of
their policy decisions. Yet, they still have them, and those feelings still play a role in
shaping the form democracy takes, and this form shapes political leadership culture.
Consequently, we may contemplate creating AI politicians to override this, but until this
happens I intend to spend the rest of my life helping us all to understand the reality of
how it feels to deliver democracy, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of
democratic processes and innovating democratic institutions.

Links

Website: www.victoriahasson.com
Preferred contact information: Email: victoria@silentmp.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-victoria-ann-hasson-80b21020/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaHasson