Helen Clark, former New Zealand PM and now the U.N.’s development czar, has emerged as a front-runner in the race for U.N. secretary-general. See an interesting article by Colum Lynch about difficulties Helen may face that was published about her candidature in Foreign Policy: http://www.humanrightsvoices.
The Human Rights Centre, University of Padua (which I am associated with) has issued a call to apply for the International Joint Ph.D Programme in Human Rights, Society and Multi-level Governance.
The call for applications closes on 17 June 2016.
This is a three-year, interdisciplinary, joint doctoral programme managed by Universities in Australia, Croatia, Greece, and Italy, coordinated by the Human Rights Centre of the University of Padova (Italy).
The doctoral programme aims at forming researchers with a multi/interdisciplinary profile. The programme includes teaching, research and training in the area of human rights studies, covering the various legal, political, social, philosophical and economic approaches and methodologies, and different geographical areas. It ia appropriate for those interested in Human Rights Education.
The University of Padova will select five candidates for the new cycle, four of them with a full scholarship and one self-funded.
All the information about the P.hD Programme and the application process are available at the following section of the Human Rights Centre’s website.
(link: http://unipd-centrodirittiumani.it/en/attivita/Joint-PhD-Degree-Human-Rights-Society-and-Multi-level-Governance/981)
Human Rights Centre, University of Padua
Regional Archive ‘Pace Diritti Umani / Peace Human Rights’
Via Martiri della Libertà, 2 – 35137-IT Padova
Web: http://unipd-
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Attached is the interview I gave to SBS Radio at the conference:
Below is attached a copy of the paper “Relevance of Australian Immigration and multicultural Experience to Poland and Contemporary Europe that I presented at the Conference on “Immigration and Multiculturalism in XXI Century. The Case of Poland.” organised by Collegium Historicum, the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland on 17 February 2016.
John Paton Quin, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that Australia had carefully considered the recommendations received and consulted with domestic instances of government and civil society. The recommendations had focused on immigration and asylum seeker recommendations, the rights of indigenous Australians, gender, and the rights of people with disabilities. He outlined Australia’s responses to the recommendations and the reasoning that went behind accepting or rejecting them.
The Australian Human Rights Commission also spoke. – See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/
Today the Human Rights Council adopted outcomes of Universal Periodic Review of Australia after hearing further representations from the Australian government and AHRC. For more see:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/
In Vietnam the government has virtually prohibited the formation of independent political parties, labour unions and human rights organisations. However, the government allowed for open market economy to flourish and as a result the economy of Vietnam improved bringing benefits to its citizens. Where is the balance between civil liberties and freedoms and economic rights?
Please join us for the next Western Sydney Open Forum, titled ‘Open Markets and the Vietnamese Human Rights Dilemma’. The guest speakers on the night will be:
Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler and Dinh Tran, Registrar, Family Court of Australia who will share their insights into the current human rights situation in Vietnam.
The forum will be held on Wednesday 6 April on the Parramatta South campus of Western Sydney University, Building EA Room EA.G.18 with refreshments at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start.
Register your attendance at http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/equity_diversity/rsvp
More information on the guest speaker and the Open Fora series can be found at http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/open_fora
I look forward to seeing you on the night.
The links are listed below:
The podcast of the proceedings (as on The Sydney Institute’s website): http://thesydneyinstitute.com.
Dr Ozdowski’s address: 2016-03-11 AUSTRALIAN MULTICULTURALISM – ADDRESS TO THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE – Final
Today’s High Court decision entrenched the legal basis for off-shore processing of asylum seekers and this decision cannot be ignored. Central to the decision was a retrospective amendment to the Migration Act which was passed by the Australian Parliament shortly after the case was initiated and which validated the offshore processing of asylum seekers.
The High Court ruling threatens to inflict further damage to already traumatized 267 people, including up to 80 children, who are currently in Australia but are at risk of being transferred to Nauru following the High Court’s decision. Most of these people were reportedly brought to Australia from Nauru to receive medical treatment and are in a fragile physical and mental state. The group includes more than 12 women and at least one child who have allegedly suffered sexual assault or harassment while in Nauru. The group also includes 37 children born in Australia.
I am particularly concerned that implementation of the High Court decision and sending these children to Nauru could contravene Australia’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Australia is signatory to this convention and children, regardless of their legal status, have the right to be treated as children first and foremost, and the best interests of the child takes precedence over migration management or administrative considerations. For more see my 2004 report at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/asylum-seekers-and-refugees/projects/last-resort-report-national-inquiry-children
It is time to exercise compassion. I therefore urge the Australian Government to refrain from transferring all concerned individuals to Nauru.https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/asylum-seekers-and-refugees/projects/last-resort-report-national-inquiry-children
I was delighted to be appointed in the Australia Day Honours list as a Member of the Order of Australia for “for significant service to the community, particularly to human rights education, social justice and multiculturalism, and as an academic”. Thank you very much for many kind wishes and congratulations I have received. In fact, I am thrilled and all wonderful, unanticipated emails and telephone calls have really enriched the whole AM experience.
While I am grateful and honoured personally, more important to me is that this award acknowledges the importance of human rights and multicultural Australia and all those who toil to advance these ideals. So my particular thanks go to all who have worked with me on human rights education, and in particular to members of the Australian Council for Human Rights Education http://www.humanrightseducationaustralia.com/about.php and to those who have helped me to organise past six International Human Rights Education conferences http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/equity_diversity/equity_and_diversity/conferences/international_human_rights_education_conferences.
Thank you also to my co-workers on the Australian Multicultural Council (https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/australian-multicultural-council) and to all who worked to advance Australia as just and fair multicultural society with opportunities open to all.
Honours such as these carry with them humbling obligations which I will pursue with renewed energy in all my endeavours.