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| Please note that the WSCF AP Human Rights Workshop has been rescheduled and will now occur between September 25-29, 2010. People will need to arrive September 24 and depart September 30. |
WORLD STUDENT CHRISTIAN FEDERATION ASIA PACIFIC (WSCF AP)
Human Rights Workshop – Indigenous Human Rights in Australia
and Climate Change displacement in the Pacific 2010
(Land and Human Rights)
Hosted by the Australia Student Christian Movement (ASCM)
Darwin/Alice Springs September 25-29, 2010
The Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM) is hosting the World Student Christian Federation Asia Pacific region Human Rights Workshop. The Workshop will be held in Alice Springs 25th – 29th September 2010. We are approaching various Church bodies for funding contributions.
The first half of the workshop will be structured around the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Through this lens participants will hear the stories of Indigenous Australians as well as look at the issues of colonisation, the stolen generation, discrimination, land take-over and the Northern Territory intervention.
The workshop will identify what indigenous human rights are and why Christians should be involved, particularly in the area of education and advocacy. It will then look at the context of Australia, looking at the history and contemporary situation in relation to Indigenous Human Rights, this will be done in the format of story-telling and listening. Participants will identify how these stories resonate with their own context and identify what HR abuses are occurring. The workshop will provide education on the issues facing indigenous Australians and advocacy tools for participants to utilise in returning home. The workshop will be structured around prayer and worship. It will be an important element of the workshop for participants to learn about Indigenous Australian culture and belief systems.
The second half of the workshop will focus on climate change and the devastating effects it is having on human rights in the Pacific. Climate change has a significant impact on the rights of indigenous people in the Pacific, already many people have been displaced and lost homes and livelihoods because of climate change. If climate change is not acted upon this displacement will continue and worsen. The workshop will give a brief introduction to the science and politics of climate change. It will then address the human rights issues that climate change poses, such as those that stem from loss of land/shelter, inability to produce food or continue livelihoods and the destruction of natural ecosystems (which support communities).
During the workshop there will be an exposure trip, a potential location for this is Santa Teresa, located approximately 80km or 1.5hrs drive from Alice Springs. Santa Teresa was originally a Catholic Mission, which reverted to Aboriginal freehold land with the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1972. It is now home to some 600 people, and a vibrant art community operating in conjunction with a spirituality centre; drawing together indigenous and catholic understandings.
The ASCM is asking your organisation for funding. At present there is a $5750 shortfall. The organizing committee has budgeted for 35 participants (15 international and 15 national, as well as 5 resource people). The conference will be open to anyone to attend, although extra participants will need to organise their own accommodation for any extra participants.
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