Safeguarding the Vulnerable in Conflict

Name: Safeguarding the Vulnerable in Conflict
Start: 2025-06-04T18:00:00+1000
End: 2025-06-04T19:30:00+1000
Location: Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre

Wed, 4 Jun, 6pm - 7:30pm AEST

Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre

sandy bay, australia

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University of Tasmania

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Event description

The 2025 Red Cross Oration

In a world increasingly defined by protracted crises and mass displacement, the urgent need to protect the safety, dignity and rights of vulnerable populations has never been more pressing. This year’s Red Cross Oration will tackle the challenges faced by individuals displaced by violence, the protection of human dignity under extreme circumstances, and the evolving role of global institutions in ensuring that these crises are met with meaningful solutions.

Hear from two globally recognised experts who are at the forefront of the fight to protect vulnerable populations in conflict. With experience in the courtroom, on the ground in crisis zones, and at the policy table, they will explore the complex challenges of safeguarding human dignity and holding perpetrators accountable in times of war.

This event is presented by the University of Tasmania and Australian Red Cross as part of the Island of Ideas public talks series.

The experts

Professor Kim Thuy Seelinger is the Director of the Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri and the former Special Adviser on Sexual Violence in Conflict to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. She is a leading voice in international criminal law and survivor-centred justice. Her work has shaped how sexual violence crimes are prosecuted and how global frameworks for protection are applied in practice.

Katrina Elliot Myerson is a humanitarian protection specialist with more than a decade of field experience across conflict and displacement settings. Her work with international organisations – including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Australian Red Cross - has focused on navigating and improving humanitarian access to vulnerable populations, working with communities to reduce the devastating impacts of conflict, and engaging armed actors to foster compliance with international humanitarian law. She brings deep insight into the everyday dilemmas of providing principled protection in volatile environments.

Attend online

Prefer to attend online? Secure your tickets here.

Pre-event refreshments

Head to the venue early and enjoy complimentary refreshments from 5.30pm.

Parking

Free parking is available at the venue.

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Find out more

Want to learn more about the University of Tasmania's Island of Ideas public talks series? Catch-up on past events, register for upcoming talks or get in touch with us via our Island of Ideas webpage.

Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

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University of Tasmania

1025 followers

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Welcome to the University of Tasmania

Changing the world is not simple. It takes thought, time, persistence, and insight. But most of all, it takes something extraordinary. So at the University of Tasmania, we’ve made the pursuit of the extraordinary a never-ending commitment. It influences everything we do. The way we teach. The way we research. The way we learn. And the way we live.

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Welcome to one of the world’s most spectacular natural environments. Framed by beaches, snowfields and wilderness, from our stunning island home in Tasmania we’re free to think on a bigger scale. Whether it’s in our teaching, research, or even student lifestyle, this unique landscape has prepared us to connect to the world. We’re also fortunate to be right in Tasmania’s vibrant cultural heart. From our MONA inspired arts boom to our established food, wine and coffee culture, Tasmania’s towns and cities are as cosmopolitan as anywhere in Australia. Friendly, vibrant and always changing, Tasmania’s as good a place to live, as it is to learn.

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Our ranking in the top two per cent of universities worldwide reflects our willingness to constantly challenge ourselves. We’ve never been afraid to take on the world – something we pass on to each of our more than 29,000 local, national and international students. Throughout their careers, this underpins the success of the 130,000 alumni we have spread across more than 120 countries.

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Our commitment to the extraordinary tells the world one thing. Wherever you’re from – and wherever you’re headed – at the University of Tasmania you have the opportunity to use education to become whoever or whatever you want.