Recent Initiatives
Afropreneurs Summit Australia 2023
On Saturday 16 September, Western Sydney University's Social Justice Network hosted the inaugural Sydney edition of Afropreneurs Summit Australia at the Peter Shergold Building in Parramatta City.
This event showcased an array of African Australian entrepreneurs from a diverse range of disciplines, including keynote speaker, Alfred Chidembo. Alfred presented 'Embracing the Ubuntu philosophy in entrepreneurship', and spoke to the unique positionality of African Australian entrepreneurs in creating supportive community networks, and the unlimited potential of pursuing interconnectedness.
As well as enhancing networking, the Summit provided a platform for African Australian business leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing African entrepreneurs in Australia.
Lucy Lin, the Entrepreneur in Residence at Launch Pad, delivered an opening speech on the importance of supporting diversity in entrepreneurship, connecting with others and building partnerships within communities, and embracing entrepreneurship as an avenue for wealth creation, social impact, and career development. She also shared her impactful work with leading the Women and Multicultural Program, which offers free monthly entrepreneurship training programs to students and members of the community.
The Summit facilitated a number of panels, including 'Social Entrepreneurship & Community Collaboration' featuring Noel Zihabamwe and Daniel Gobena from the African Australian Advocacy Centre (AAAC). The AAAC was integral to organizing the Social Justice Network's previous event, "From Recommendations to Action: Local responses to the UN-WGEPAD preliminary report". The panel discussion further elaborated on how these events can be utilised to develop collaborative pathways for promoting and sustaining vibrant African Australian communities.
If you are interested in entrepreneurship, you can view recordings from the Summit that were streamed live to the Australian Multicultural Media Centre Facebook page.
From Recommendations to Action: Local responses to the UN-WGEPAD preliminary report
From Recommendations to Action: Local responses to the UN-WGEPAD preliminary report
On Friday 11 August, Western Sydney University’s Social Justice Network hosted this event in partnership with the African Australian Advocacy Centre. It brought together key experts from academia, community organisations, and local government services who are working with African diaspora communities in Greater Western Sydney (GWS) to critically consider what the report means for ongoing local community action. The presence and contributions of these experts was highly impactful in exploring co-created solutions and strategies to a) translate the high-level recommendations to local plans of action, and b) lobby all levels of government to begin to respond meaningfully to the preliminary recommendations.
Speakers & Panel Members
- Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University
- Mr Noel Yandamutso Zihabamwe, Chairperson, African Australian Advocacy Centre
- Prof Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, Pro Vice-Chancellor Engagement & Advancement, Western Sydney University
- Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Chair, United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (UN-WGEPAD)
- A/Prof Kathomi Gatwiri, Research & Policy Advisor, African Australian Advocacy Centre | Southern Cross University
- Dr Alfred Mupenzi, Lecturer, Excelsia College
- Dr Sarah Williams, Member, African Australian Advocacy Centre | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
- A/Prof Olayide Ogunsiji, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University
- Dr Alanna Kamp, Challenging Racism Project, Western Sydney University
- Dr Virginia Mapedzahama, Diversity Council Australia
- Ms Kirsten Keith, Human Rights Consultant, Executive Committee Advisor & Lawyer, African Australian Advocacy Centre
- Dr Atem Dau Atem, Community Development Evaluation Officer, STARTTS
- Mrs Delphine Uwamwezi Yandamutso, Founding Member & Board Member, African Australian Advocacy Centre | Vice-Chairperson, FRCA Inc.
- Mr Daniel Gobena, Co-founder & Secretary, African Australian Advocacy Centre | Manager, MECA
- Prof Brian Stout, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Pro Vice-Chancellor Humanities, Arts & Social Science Cluster, Western Sydney University
Recordings of the discussions are available through the links below:
Part 1 | Welcome & Opening Address
Part 2 | Key Speakers & Panel Discussion
Part 3 | Closing Remarks – African Australian Advocacy Centre Geneva Visit & Where to from here?
The original recording of Dr Barbara Reynolds’ speech can be found here.
Exploring the Voice to Parliament Referendum: Panel Discussion
On 18 July, the Social Justice Network hosted Exploring the Voice to Parliament Referendum: Panel Discussion at the Bankstown City Campus. The event included a screening of the Opening Keynote at the 2023 Universities Australia Conference by Professor Megan Davis, an informative and thought-provoking talk about Aboriginal history and colonisation and was followed by a panel discussion led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership), Professor Michelle Trudgett. Professor Trudgett was joined on the panel by Western Sydney University academic and professional staff members, as well as a student ambassador. Details of the panel members are included below:
A recording of the event is available here.
I encourage you to look at the growing collection of resources on this subject on the Library webpage.
Exploring The Voice to Parliament Referendum: Panel Member Biographies
| Professor Michelle Trudgett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership, Western Sydney University | Professor Michelle Trudgett is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership at Western Sydney University. Prior to this role she held the position Pro Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Strategy and Consultation at Western Sydney University. She is an eminent higher education leader who has also held senior positions at the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University. Professor Trudgett’s significant contributions to the sector have been recognised through several awards including the highly prestigious National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year Award, the Neville Bonner Award for Teaching Excellence, and the University of New England Distinguished Alumni Award. Professor Trudgett currently serves as the Chair of the Universities Australia Deputy/Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Committee. She has also provided leadership to the Australian Research Council as the Chair of the Indigenous committee that advised on the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and the Engagement and Impact (EI)Review. She is also proud to serve as a Board Member on the GO Foundation. Professor Trudgett has been a Chief Investigator (CI) on four Australian Research Council grants, three as the lead CI, which equate to $4,189,000 in funding. She has developed an international reputation as a leading Indigenous Australian scholar whose research provides considerable insight into Indigenous participation in higher education, with a specific focus on the postgraduate sector. Professor Trudgett is currently leading two ARC projects - one will reshape the way universities currently 'do business' with Indigenous Australians through focusing on Indigenous leadership and governance in higher education, whilst the other investigates how the sector can best support and develop Indigenous early career researchers. Professor Trudgett is a recognised strategic thinker who adopts a highly collegial approach to achieve positive outcomes for the higher education sector. She is particularly passionate about leading strategic initiatives that empower Indigenous people and communities. |
| Adrian Atkins, Student Success Officer, Badanami Centre | A descendant of the Anaiwan nation. Bibliophile, free-thinker, and self-funded historian with a broad range of research interests ranging from mercenaries, missionaries, and misfits i.e., the historiography of the Aboriginal tent embassy circa 1972-Present; and the history of the conceptualization and construction of the Aboriginal nation-state. |
Jess Oehm, Student Ambassador | Jess Oehm is a proud Ngunawal, Wedge Tail Eagle Woman from Yass with links to Edgerton Station. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Business with a major in Human Resource Management. She currently works at Gilbert + Tobin and has just concluded a clerkship with the Bar Association in which she shadowed Judges of the Land and Environment, District and Supreme Courts. As a First Nations person, Jess is excited to participate in this event to provide a young indigenous voice. Jess aims to educate the community on this issue to allow the general public to understand the impacts the voice will have. |
| Professor Susan Page, Director of Indigenous Learning and Teaching, Western Sydney University | Professor Susan Page is an Aboriginal Australian academic whose research focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experience of learning and academic work in higher education and student learning in Indigenous Studies. Susan has held several leadership positions, including Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) and Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney, Head of the Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University and she has led a university-wide Indigenous graduate attribute project at UTS. Susan’s current role is Director of Indigenous Learning and Teaching at Western Sydney University. Susan has collaborated on several competitive research grants, has received a national award for Excellence in Teaching (Neville Bonner Award) and is well-published in the area of Indigenous Higher Education. From 2015-2018 Susan was elected Director of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium, and she is currently an appointed Indigenous representative for the Universities Australia Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Committee. Susan recently co-edited a special edition of the journal Higher Education Research and Development, O tatou reo, Na domoda, Kuruwilang birad: Indigenous voices in higher education. In 2020 Susan worked with an amazing multidisciplinary team to develop her first micro-credential, Supervising Indigenous Higher Degree Research. |
| Professor Catherine Renshaw, Associate Dean, Research, School of Law, Western Sydney University | Professor Catherine Renshaw is Associate Dean of Research in the School of Law at the Western Sydney University. She teaches and researches in the field of human rights law. Catherine has been a Visiting Scholar at the Regulatory Institutions Network, Centre for International Governance and Justice, Australian National University, and acts as an advisor to several human rights NGOs in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region. Catherine completed her law degree at the University of New South Wales, her Master of Laws at the University of Sydney and her PhD at the University of Sydney. Catherine is admitted to practice as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia. She has practiced as a solicitor for major law firms in Sydney and Newcastle and for the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales. Catherine's research focuses on the theory and practice of human rights, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. She undertakes comparative studies of regional human rights systems and has published numerous articles about the legitimacy and potential of Southeast Asia's regional human rights body, - the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission of Human Rights. One of Catherine’s recent books, Human Rights and Participatory Politics in Southeast Asia (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019) considers what purchase the discourse of 'human rights and democracy' has at the regional level in Southeast Asia. Catherine writes and publishes a great deal about Myanmar and its failed transition to constitutional democracy. She is part of the Australia-Myanmar Constitutional Democracy Project, with colleagues from the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the National University of Singapore, and the Australian National University. She has written about the Asian experience of Transitional Justice. Catherine's work on domestic human rights issues in Australia includes a focus on the rights of older persons, and research on the structure and powers of institutions designed to promote and protect human rights, such as the Australian Human Rights Commission. |
Queerstories x WSU: 15 April 2023
On 15 April 2023, WSU Social Justice Network and Rainbow Western hosted the inaugural Queerstories x WSU – a national LGBTQIA+ storytelling evening at our Parramatta City campus. The night consisted of celebrating the culture and creativity of the LGBTQIA+ community within WSU, one true story at a time.
The event featured Queerstories founder and host, Maeve Marsden, and six storytellers from Western Sydney University, each sharing their story – the story they want to tell, but are never asked to. Queerstories celebrates the unexpected tales of pride, prejudice, resilience and resistance.
To find out more about Queerstories, head to Queerstories - Maeve Marsden to listen to past stories on their podcast or find out about their upcoming events.
Forcibly Displaced Peoples Network – Queer Displacements Conference: 22-23 February 2023
The Social Justice Network are proud to have supported the 2023 Queer Displacements Conference that took place in February 2023 at our Parramatta City campus.
The Forcibly Displaced Peoples Network hosted the Queer Displacements conference, which was the first conference in the Asia Pacific designed to clearly focus protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people.
The conference created to champion voices and experiences of LGBTIQ+ with theme related - Leadership, Partnership and Belonging, and provided space for awareness raising, solidarity, building alliances and engaging the whole of society in ensuring justice, protection and solutions for LGBTIQ+ people.
Age Friendly Universities
On Monday, 31 October, the inaugural Age-Friendly Universities Workshop took place virtual and in-person while supported by the Western Sydney University’s Social Justice Network, the University of Queensland Ageing Mind Initiative and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
The Age-Friendly Workshop featured keynote delivered by Professor Stephen Birch, discussing ‘How age and ageing need to be reconceptualised for the Decade of Healthy Ageing.’ Presentations addressing key areas of concern facing the ageing population, including attracting older students to universities, promoting age inclusivity, and fighting ageism, whilst concluding with the development of a roadmap for action.
Guest Speakers | Presentation |
Professor Stephen Birch | Professor Stephen Birch - Age Friendly Universities Presentation |
Dr Peta Cook | Peta Cook - Age-Friendly Clarence Report |
Jed Montayre | Jed Montayre_the Making of Age-Friendly Universities_A Scoping Review |
Professor Catherine Renshaw | Professor Catherine Renshaw - Age Friendly Universities Presentation |
Sophie Griffiths - Undergraduate student | Sophie Griffiths_The Value of AFU - A Student Perspective_2022 |
Q&A session with guest speaker Professor Cirecie West-Olatunji: Cultural Marginalization, Historical Trauma, and the Need for Environmental Justice
Guest speaker Professor Cirecie West-Olatunji held a Q&A on Thursday, 13 October hosted by Western Sydney University’s Social Justice Network, School of Humanities and Communications Arts, and the Institute for Culture and Society.
Discussing how cultural marginalization has contributed to historical trauma for minoritized communities in various societies. Professor West-Olatunji presented examples of how systemically oppressed groups are disproportionately experience environmental challenges under-investigated and poorly addressed within their social systems, with questions from a panel of Western Sydney University representatives, Professor West-Olatunji will concluded with exemplars of global solutions.
Ukraine Ambassador to Australia Q&A
On 1 September 2022 Western were delighted to host the Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, Mr. Vasyl Myroshnychenko, for a Q&A session that focused on the current state of Ukraine and provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and hear from the Ambassador.
YouTube – https://youtu.be/ZOlOsTf1Krs
Co-creating cultures of Safety & Inclusion Co Creating Cultures of Safety and Inclusion
The first panel critically discussed the recent results of the National Student Safety Survey and its findings that those most at risk of harassment and assault are those that are marginalised. The panel was representative of both academics and the community for wider involvement in the discussion.
Social Justice Network Launch
The inaugural launch of Western’s Social Justice Network was an opportunity to connect and celebrate the incredible array of social justice work undertaken at Western. Not only that, but establish, identify and foster new opportunities for partnerships that will contribute to improving social justice outcomes in society.
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