Learning through Listening
Opening plenary session of 5th SNAICC National Conference - For Our Children: Living and Learning Together
Opening plenary session of 5th SNAICC National Conference - For Our Children: Living and Learning Together
It’s fantastic to be amongst so many people committed to the wellbeing of Australia’s children. I’m thrilled to have been invited today by Prue Warrilow, Brian Babington and Families Australia and feel honoured to deliver the Berry Street Childhood Institute Families Australia Oration as my first speaking engagement as inaugural National Children’s Commissioner.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people of the Cairns region on whose land we gather today. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
I would like to begin by paying my respects to the Dharawal people, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today. I am a Gangulu man from Central Queensland. Gangulu country takes in what is known as the Dawson Valley area and extends to just east of the Carnarvon Gorge. So, as is our practice, can I pass on from the Gangulu peoples to the Dharawal peoples our greetings and acknowledgements for your continued resilience and determination to keep your culture alive and thriving over the last 220 years?
I am a Gangulu man from Central Queensland. Gangulu country takes in what is known as the Dawson Valley area and extends to just east of the Carnarvon Gorge.
I am a Gangulu person from the Dawson Valley in Central Queensland and when I speak to my Elders, they ask me to pass on my salutations to the Traditional Owners of the land I visit for their continued fight for their country and their culture.
RECENT announcements notwithstanding, there's no getting around the fact that young people in South Australia are being detained in overcrowded and outdated conditions in breach of Australia's human rights obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Moving forward - from 'practical reconciliation' to social justice Speech by Dr William Jonas AM, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Moving Forward: Achieving reparations for the stolen generations University of New South...
From the moment Australia was colonised Indigenous peoples have suffered discrimination at the hands of a legal system imported into this land. Not only were our own laws cast aside, but the new laws discriminated against us - and did so because of our race. In 1997, while there has been movement away from former policies of assimilation, removal and protection, the dominant legal system still discriminates against us.
The ultimate conclusion that the Commission has reached in the submission is that the Commonwealth government's response to the recommendations of Bringing them home to date has been inadequate and inappropriate. The Commission particularly notes that the government's submission to this inquiry constitutes a fresh response to many of the recommendations of Bringing them home, which rejects several recommendations of the report on the basis of flawed arguments and poor reasoning.
International law deals with many matters of importance to everyday life: access to the water of rivers for navigation, irrigation and drinking; transport by sea and air; environmental protection; the arrest and extradition of those accused or convicted of crimes. International law provides protection in international life and locally.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people peoples, the traditional owners and custodians of the land where we are gathered today, and pay my respects to their elders. I would also like to thank the members of the National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council for providing me with the opportunity to speak today and acknowledge my distinguished fellow speakers and panel members.
I would like to acknowledge the Anaiwan people as the traditional owners of this country, and to thank the University of New England for the honour of presenting the 1994 Frank Archibald memorial lecture.
We're here today for the launch of two reports: a report on social justice and another report on native title. These reports are to be launched by their author, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Social Justice Commissioner, Dr William Jonas.
This is a rare event for the Human Rights Commission - a media conference convened by the President with other Commissioners. I can recall it occurring only once before in the Commission's history. The fact that we are doing this today reflects the seriousness of the issue we are discussing.
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