Truth telling & Indigenous history must be the starting point of any form of cross-cultural dialogue which has a view to inform local and global thinking on the shared and different perspectives of First Peoples, migrants and refugees.
Australia’s First Peoples, who spoke over 250 languages prior to European colonisation in the late 18th century, have had continuous custodianship of Australia for more than 50,000 years.
Today, migrant, refugee and Indigenous communities are an integral part of the diverse social, cultural and economic fabric of contemporary Australian society, with parallels and differences between the ideas and experiences of marginalisation, home and belonging and cultural traditions.
Yet, in Australia, there remains very limited intercultural or knowledge exchange between these First Peoples and immigrant communities. This panel of six women from different Indigenous, immigrant and refugee backgrounds will examine parallels and differences across ideas and experiences of loss and displacement.
The conversation will acknowledge that Indigenous subjectivities must be the starting point of any form of cross-cultural dialogue which has a view to inform local and global thinking on the shared and different perspectives of First Peoples, migrants and refugees.
Panellists:
Dr Jackie Huggins AM, Co-Chair, National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Australia
Antoinette Braybook, CEO, Djirra, Australia
Nova Peris OAM, Olympian and public figure, Australia
Tasneem Chopra, author, consultant, activist, Australia
Nyadol Nyuon, lawyer, advocate and commentator, Australia
Uieta Kaufusi, Tongan Association of Canberra and Queanbeyan and Harmony Alliance, Australia
Chair: Maria Dimopoulos, Harmony Alliance
