Poetry is an art form that touches the heart and stimulates the mind. Poetry has the power to heal.

Join us for 'Voices against racism: A poetry event', which marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Experience an hour of powerful poetry shared by our UTS community, as we unite to foster empathy, inclusion, and activism through the power of words.

This session will include live poetry, interactive art work, and the opportunity to sign up to the UTS Cultural Diversity and Anti-Racism (CDAR) Action Plan research project, dedicated to amplifying the voices of culturally and racially marginalised staff and students.

This event is co-hosted by the UTS Multicultural Women's Network and the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.

Poets

Graham Akhurst is an Aboriginal writer and academic from the Kokomini of Northern Queensland. He is the Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges at UTS and the author of Borderland , published by UWAP.

Suzy Monzer is a journalist and poet at Media Diversity and a UTS Bachelor in Communications (Journalism) and Law graduate. She has worked at Nine, SBS, and Central Coast News. Suzy champions diversity for racial and Indigenous justice and is an activist and artist, engaging in panels and poetry on identity, racism, and inequality.

Anne Casey has worked for 30 years as a journalist, media communications director and legal author. Anne's work is widely published, ranking in The Irish Times' Most-Read and winning awards, including the American Writers Review Prize and the Henry Lawson Prize. Anne’s doctoral work at UTS explores decolonising lost histories through poetics of resistance. 

Christine Afoa is from Bankstown with family from Lalomalava and Lotofagā in Sāmoa. She has written for Cordite Poetry Review, Redroom Poetry, and Sweatshop Women under the mentorship of Australia's first-ever Pasifika novelist, Winnie Dunn. Her poetry will be featured in 'One Ocean, Many Waves' until March 24th at Shopfront ArtsLab Gallery.

Bernadette Kirwan is a teacher and a multi-platform content creator. She is also the author of Recovery Through Poetry; a self-published collection of poems that explores the trauma and later recovery that comes as a consequence of a traumatic childhood. As a survivor of child abuse, she seeks to empower other survivors on their journey to recovery. She also has a passion for educating and entertaining the world about her Irish and Palestinian heritage, by introducing everyone to their rich and vast cultures.

MC/Host

Dr Elaine Laforteza is the Equity and Diversity Project Officer (Cultural Diversity) at UTS. Elaine’s work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and community media, and she authored the book The Somatechnics of Whiteness and Race. Elaine hosts SBS’s award-winning podcast, My Bilingual Family, and is also an emerging playwright.