The Answer Is Human Rights | Darwin seminar

Human rights are an important part of our everyday lives. So much so, that we often take them for granted. But in a rapidly changing world, how much is at stake for Australians in terms of safety, freedom, equality and justice?  

With growing concerns around social cohesion, the right to peaceful protest, housing affordability, economic inequality, and the impact of climate change and digital technologies, how can human rights help us solve the challenging issues of our times?  

Join some of Australia’s leading human rights advocates as they explore the issues facing people in the Northern Territory and the human rights strategies we can use to build a better and safer Australia where everyone can feel they belong. 

This seminar is for anyone who cares about Australia’s and the Northern Territory's future, and about keeping our democracy healthy and strong including:

• Workers in the legal, justice, government and civil society sectors

• Students of law, politics, business and culture

The seminar is presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission in partnership with the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission.

The Answer is Human Rights national seminar series is part of the AHRC’s 40 Years program.

Read the media release about this seminar.  

Participation 

• This is a FREE event, but places are limited 

• Attendees are encouraged to register prior to the event 

• Refreshments will be available for purchase from the venue.

Panel 

• Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss

• Australian Human Rights Commission Chief Executive Leanne Smith

• NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam

• NT Children’s Commissioner Shahleena Musk

• NAAJA CEO Ben Grimes

Content 

• How human rights make our communities safer and fairer   

• Proposals for an Australian Human Rights Act

• Proposals to strengthen Australia’s anti-discrimination laws

• Proposals for solutions to address a range of key local issues

Accessibility 

• The venue has accessible entry and accessible restrooms.

• Please let us know if you have any specific needs in relation to accessibility during the registration process. 

Speakers 

Leanne Smith | Chief Executive, AHRC 

Leanne is an international human rights lawyer. She has worked in the Australian judicial system and as an Australian diplomat. Before joining the Commission, she was Executive Director of the Whitlam Institute between 2017-2021. For over a decade, Leanne worked in various roles for the United Nations, where she led work on protection of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence, protection of women and children, community engagement and peacebuilding. Leanne also served with the UN in the field including in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Katie Kiss | Race Discrimination Commissioner, AHRC

Katie is a proud Kaanju and Birri/Widi woman who grew up in Rockhampton, Central Queensland, on the lands of the Darumbal People. Katie has spent her career committed to advancing the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Katie has previously worked as the Executive Director of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body supporting Queensland's Path to Treaty, Chief of Staff to the Queensland Minister for Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, and a Senior Advisor to the Queensland Deputy Premier. Before taking the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner role, Katie spent 8 years at the Australian Human Rights Commission as Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Team.

Jeswynn Yogaratnam | NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner

Jeswynn Yogaratnam is the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and Principal Community Visitor with over two decades’ experience across law, government, academia, and for purpose missions. He candidly describes his work as dwelling in the alchemy of healing broken systems. Shaped by his lived experience as “the other,” he works to dismantle structural inequities and is currently leading landmark positive duty reforms, shifting organisations from reactive compliance to proactive cultural change.

His vision is for equity to be an operational outcome, not aspirational. Outside the regulatory arena, he applies the regulatory design mindset to more creative pursuits -gastronomic cooking odysseys and designing bespoke menswear using hand-printed textiles from remote community art centres - proof that good systems, like good tailoring, are all about fit.

Shahleena Musk | NT Children’s Commissioner

Shahleena is a Larrakia woman from Darwin and is the current Children’s Commissioner in the Office of the Children’s Commissioner Northern Territory. She has over two decades experience working in legal, policy and advocacy roles with a focus on child rights and youth justice. Shahleena gained her legal qualifications in the Northern Territory and has been admitted as a legal practitioner in the Supreme Courts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Victoria. She has worked as a human rights and youth justice advocate, criminal lawyer, and prosecutor; and has extensive experience in policy development, project delivery, law reform, and strategic research. Specific to her role as Commissioner, Shahleena brings a wealth of skills and experience having worked to improve legal and policy outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities for more than 20 years.

Ben Grimes | NAAJA CEO

Ben was previously the CEO of Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation (ARDS) overseeing a period of organisational growth and the development of innovative new programs, including a first language mediation service and a remote law and justice group.

Prior to his time at ARDS, Ben was a lecturer in law at Charles Darwin University where he spearheaded the Indigenous pre-law program which led to a noticeable increase in Indigenous law students in the Northern Territory. Ben was a senior manager at the Aboriginal Interpreter Service, where he managed 400 staff and developed the court interpreting system used in the Northern Territory. Ben in the past also worked as a criminal lawyer with NAAJA, was a member of the NT Mental Health Review Tribunal and spent several years doing linguistic work in eastern Indonesia. Ben is a long-term Territorian who has spent most of his career working with Aboriginal groups across the Northern Territory and supporting Aboriginal community control.

Enquires 

For more information about this event or how to participate, please contact us at: 40Years@humanrights.gov.au 

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