Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Good afternoon. I’m Warwick Baird, Director of the Native Title Unit at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. What a great conference it has been so far. Thanks AIATSIS for a wonderful job, Lisa Strelein and all your colleagues thank you for all your hard work.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Good evening distinguished guests, my Indigenous brothers and sisters and non Indigenous friends. May I begin by acknowledging the Wurrundjeri People of the Kulin Nation on whose land we are meeting on tonight, and thank the dancers for cultural expression and your welcome to country. Thank you also to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Johnson for your introduction, and to La Trobe University for inviting me to present this year’s Hyllus Maris Memorial Lecture. May I also acknowledge Ms Lois Peeler and the other family members of Hyllus Maris who are with us tonight.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
We are on Aboriginal land – and as a mark of respect to the traditional owners of this country – I want to recognise their culture and their law because they are integral to what we now call Coogee.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
I thank Robyn Holder and Helen Watchirs for hosting this event and inviting me to speak. I also acknowledge my fellow speakers and distinguished guests.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Opening address to the 'Indigenous peoples and racism' Conference A Regional Meeting for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance by Dr William Jonas AM , Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner , Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 20 February 2001
Disability Rights
Over the last four years the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (the Commission) has played a key role in raising community awareness about the human rights Australians with a mental illness. The Commission, through its public inquiry process, brought into national focus how, amongst other things, people affected by mental illness frequently faced discrimination and stigmatisation based on ignorance, fear and inaccurate stereotypes.
Disability Rights
In the United States, 54 years ago today, Rosa Parks was arrested. Rosa Parks was a black woman, arrested for refusing to sit at the back of a bus. It's appalling to think this occurred. It's even more appalling that 54 years later in Australia, many people with disability can't even get on the bus.
Disability Rights
Thanks for the chance to speak with you today. As you might guess, in my role as Disability Discrimination Commissioner, I receive many invitations to speak at functions on the international day. One of the reasons I chose this invitation is because of the really important role that Local Government plays in the lives of all Australians. It deals with the issues that are in your face- and I know, because until two years ago I was a Councillor on Ku-Ring-Gai Council.
Disability Rights
It has been an extraordinary privilege to know Graeme and share in his work towards achieving a fair go for all members of Australian society and in particular for people with disabilities.
Disability Rights
I am not here to present South Australia's government as having achieved the last word in access and inclusion for people with disabilities, any more than this report itself seeks to claim that the task is finished.
Commission – General
I would like to begin this morning by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their elders past and present.
Commission – General
Just over a year ago the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission launched the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements National Inquiry into discrimination against people in same-sex relationships in the area of financial and work-related entitlements.
Rights and Freedoms
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with all of you, and sleep with some of you. As you will have noticed, Vinnies was good enough to let my eleven-year-old daughter Rachel join me as my guide tonight, and she'll be the only one getting any of my cuddles. The rest of you have to make your own arrangements.
Rights and Freedoms
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we stand, and pay my respects to their elders both past and present.
Rights and Freedoms
Firstly I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia's cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years.
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