As part of the Visioning Another World: The G20 People's Summit, a three-day festival of symposiums, idea sharing, art, creative activities, education and action, day one will include discussion panels and workshops on topics pertaining to austerity, food security, democracy, the environment and feminism.

The People's Summit will begin with a discussion at the Colossus Reception Hall, led by John Quiggin, on the topic of austerity, the G20 and growth.

John Quiggin is a professor of economics at the University of Queensland, author of many books and a proficient blogger. For many years he wrote a column for the Australian Financial Review and currently writes for Jacobin magazine.

In the early afternoon, Stephen Keim and Chris Butler will be speaking at the Uniting Church in Vulture Street, West End, on the attacks on civil liberties and democracy; spatial politics; and the rights to the city.

Mr Keim is a barrister notable for his strongly principled, tough and controversial actions in various court cases. He is a recipient of the Human Rights Medal, awarded to him by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2009.

Mr Butler researches in the areas of law and social theory, urban governance and critical approaches to state power. His book Henri Lefebvre: Spatial Politics, Everyday Life and the Right to the City has been recently published by Routledge.

Later in the afternoon, Samantha Castro will lead a discussion on feminism and patriarchy. She is the co-founder of WikiLeaks Australian Citizens Alliance (WACA), the oldest support campaign for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in Australia. She holds a BA in media and a master's in professional communication. Her speciality is in global media and the war on terror.