How Kaurna People have Revived Language: The Role of the Churches - Gerhard Rüdiger

Recalling Bonhoeffer’s metaphor for the role of the church in society, to “throw a spoke into the wheel” and not only care for the wounded under the wheel, this session looks at the Kaurna Language revival in South Australia and the key role of the Christian churches.

Gerhard Rüdiger grew up in Frankfurt Germany where he studied Christian Community Education and Protestant Theology. He worked with Ecumenical and intercultural exchange programs in Germany and overseas partner churches. Coming to Australia in 2006 he found himself being called upon to assist the local Aboriginal Kaurna Community in their Language revival programs, based at the University of Adelaide and liaised with church agencies in Australia and Germany.