Melbourne Speakers
Waleed Aly, Writer/Lecturer
Waleed Aly is a lecturer in politics at Monash University, working primarily within the Global Terrorism Research Centre. Previously, he was a board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria.. He is frequently sought for comment by media outlets across Australia and has contributed regularly to The Australian, The Australian Financial Review and The Age. His first book, People Like Us, was published in 2007.
Melbourne, 13 November, 2008: Chicago 10
Corinne Grant, Comedian
Corinne Grant is a comedian, writer and performer best known for her work on The Glasshouse and Rove Live. She was a member of Actors For Refugees and has lent her skills as an actor, comedian and MC to various human rights organisations and groups over a number of years. She has been a proud member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance since 1996.
Melbourne, 13 November, 2008: Chicago 10
Anthony Kelly, Activist/Nonviolence Trainer
Anthony Kelly has been an activist and nonviolence trainer for almost 20 years within Australian social justice and peace movements. He organised human rights observer teams for the large protests against the World Economic Forum in 2000 and the G20 meeting in 2007. Anthony works for Peace Brigades International (PBI), which provides nonviolent protective accompaniment to threatened activists around the world and is currently a trainer with PBI's Indonesia Project.
Melbourne, 13 November, 2008: Chicago 10
Luke Cornelius, Assistant Commissioner
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius leads the Ethical Standards Department and the Licensing Services Division of the Victoria Police. Luke is an advocate for ethical leadership and the delivery of policing services in ways which are grounded in human rights, display respect and accord dignity to all and which enhance social cohesion.
Luke has been awarded the National Medal, the Police Overseas Service Medal and the United Nations Medal for service in East Timor. He has also been awarded a Commissioner's commendation for outstanding service while serving with UNTAET.
Melbourne, 13 November, 2008: Chicago 10
Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia
Tim Costello is recognised as one of Australia's leading voices on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. He has been Chief Executive of World Vision Australia since 2004 and has played a prominent role in the Make Poverty History campaign. In April 2008, he chaired the Strengthening Communities, Supporting Families and Social Inclusion Committee of the Australian Government's 2020 Summit in Canberra.
Melbourne, 14 November, 2008: Trade
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Kicking It
Trent McCarthy, comedian
Trent is a comedian, emcee and human rights advocate. A regular in the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Melbourne Fringe, his recent sell-out shows include Who is Abdul Smith? (2008), Turning Sudanese (2008) and Confessions of a Talkback Junkie (2007). Trent is also the creator of The Whitelion Bailout, an annual event that sees comedians and actors dress as police to 'lock-up' 100 business leaders, raising $700,000 in the past three years to support young people at risk and in detention.
Melbourne Closing Night, 23 November, 2008: Kicking It & The Days & The Hours
Rod Hopping, Heritage HM Film Distribution
Rod Hopping and his wife Jo established Heritage HM Film Distribution in 2004. The company was born out of a love for movies and a belief that the power of a great story can potentially instigate change in our world. Heritage HM focuses on films that inspire life and encourage the human spirit. Movies Change People. People Change The World.
Melbourne, 14 November, 2008: Trade
Dr. Simon Bradshaw, Coordinator, Australian Tibet Council
Dr. Simon Bradshaw is the Campaign Coordinator for the Australia Tibet Council. He has previously worked on environment and development projects in Australia, India and on his home island of Guernsey. In 2007 he completed a four-year research project on the traditional relationship between the land and people of Tibet. Simon now campaigns full-time for the human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: The Unwinking Gaze
Anna Saulwick, Get Up Action in Australia
Anna Saulwick is the Justice, Rights and Democracy Campaigner for GetUp! Action for Australia. She is a trained lawyer with a background in human rights, social justice and public law. Anna's work with GetUp! has ranged across issues as diverse as human rights in Tibet, paid parental leave and reform of the immigration detention centre.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: The Unwinking Gaze
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Australian Greens
Sarah Hanson-Young successfully ran for the Senate in the 2007 federal election, taking her seat as South Australia's first ever Greens Senator on July 1, 2008. Sarah is the youngest person ever elected to the Senate, and the youngest woman elected in the Federal Parliament's history. Prior to entering Parliament, Senator Hanson-Young worked in the fields of human rights and community activism, including a four-year stint as SA/NT Campaign Manager for Amnesty InternationalAustralia.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: The Unwinking Gaze
Professor Yuki Tanaka
Yuki Tanaka is Research Professor of History at the Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University. In 2008 he has been Visiting Professor at Birkbeck College, The University of London and the Sir Ninian Stephen Visiting Scholar at the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law. Professor Tanaka is an acknowledged international expert on the history of Japanese war crimes during World War II. His two books Japan’s Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During World War II and the US Occupation (2002) and Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II (1996) both remain seminal works in English. The latter volume provided extensive background material for a BBC documentary series entitled ‘Horror in the East’ produced in 2000. Professor Tanaka’s most recent book Sorano Senso-Shi (A History of Aerial Warfare) has been published in Japan in 2008 to critical acclaim.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Behind Forgotten Eyes
Claire Harris, Barrister
Claire Harris, a Melbourne barrister, worked for several years at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, in The Hague. She was on the prosecution team in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. She subsequently acted as a consultant to the International Criminal Court. Her practice continues to include human rights related cases. In 2006 she appeared for Amnesty InternationalAustralia to make submissions on human rights issues in the trial of Jack Thomas on terrorism-related charges.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Behind Forgotten Eyes
Liz King
Liz King has previously worked as a barrister in the Children's Court in Melbourne and as a government solicitor advising on various public law issues. She has worked for the International Humanitarian Law Department of the Australian Red Cross, (Victorian Division) and has co-lectured in International Humanitarian Law and International Law at Monash and Victoria Universities. In recent times she has conducted postgraduate research on the due process norm within war crimes law enforcement. Liz is the current chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Behind Forgotten Eyes
Martin Dingle Wall, Producer/Actor, The Nothing Men
Martin Dingle Wall is an actor, writer and artist. In 2001, Martin became a household name as Flynn Saunders in Home & Away and was nominated as 'Best New Talent' at the Logies in 2002. In 2007, Martin established Alchemy Film Productions with Mark Fitzpatrick with the aim of creating tales of universal relevance.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: The Nothing Men
Mark Fitzpatrick, Writer/Director, The Nothing Men
Mark graduated from the prestigious Sydney Acting School. He has worked alongside such actors as Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Jackie Chan. He has performed in over 40 plays in Australia and written and directed several theatrical productions. The Nothing Men is Mark's directorial feature debut.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: The Nothing Men
Vincent Lamberti, Director, Intervention
Vincent Lamberti is a filmmaker and composer. Originally from Melbourne, he grew up bi-culturally, his home life characterised by his southern Italian roots while learning to be an 'Australian' at school. Since 2005, Vincent has been living in Alice Springs, and although his vocation takes him around Australia, he focuses primarily on his work with Aboriginal Town Camp communities in the Central Desert.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Screen Dreaming - Indigenous Stories Session
Chloe Hooper, Writer
Chloe Hooper's first novel, A Child's Book of True Crime, became a New York Times 'Notable Book'. Her writings on the Palm Island death in custody won a Walkey Award and was shortlisted for the Amnesty Awards. She has recently published The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island about this case.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Screen Dreaming - Indigenous Stories Session
Frank Hytten
Frank Hytten has been an activist, trainer and consultant for over 30 years. His work has been primarily with people who find themselves confronted by a whole gamut of issues including neglect, abuse and poverty. Over the last 7 years he has worked with community activist organizations focused on facilitating greater understanding and acceptance of the meanings of "reconciliation" among non-indigenous people - in particular as this term is understood by Indigenous people. Frank is currently CEO of Reconciliation Victoria.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Screen Dreaming - Indigenous Stories Session
Tobin Saunders, Performer
Tobin Saunders is a freelance performer, writer, actor, choreographer and dancer, who has appeared at Mardi Gras Parades and Belvoir St Theatre. Tobin is now working solo with his famous Vanessa Wagner character and appears in the media as a social commentator and contemporary icon.
Melbourne, 21 November, 2008: Jerusalem is Proud to Present
Rodney Croome, Activist
Rodney Croome is a long-time Australian gay rights advocate. He fronted the successful campaign for the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in Tasmania and is currenttly a prominent advocate for marriage equality. In 2003 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his work on behalf of the LGBT community.
Melbourne, 21 November, 2008: Jerusalem is Proud to Present
Emeretta Cross, Tuvaluan Resident
Emeretta Cross was born on Ocean Island, an island in the central Pacific basin, next to the Republics of Kiribati and Tuvalu. She has been campaigining on the issue of climate refugees and the impact of climate change on the Pacific nations with Make Poverty History.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: An Uncertain Future
Lisa Jackson, maker of The Greatest Silence
Lisa Jackson has been involved in documentary filmmaking for over 30 years. Her work has brought her many awards including three Emmy nominations, two Emmy awards and four CINE Golden Eagles. Lisa has flown all the way from New York to join us at this year's Human Rights Arts and Film Festival.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Forum: Filmmaking as a Human Rights Tool
Lulu Mitshabu, Caritas Australia
Lulu Mitshabu was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and migrated to Australia in June 1991. She holds a Masters degree in International Develepment and Community Development. She joined Caritas Australia in April 2000 and subsequently became Programs Officer for Caritas' Africa and Latin America programs.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo
Deb Bryant, Western Region Centre Against Sexual Assault
Deb Bryant is the Executive Officer of the Western Region Centre Against Sexual Assault and is on the board of the Domestic Violence Resource Centre, is the Victorian representative on the National Association for Services Against Sexual Violence, and is on the VicHealth Violence Against Women Advisory Committee.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo
Nicola Henry, Lecturer
Nicola Henry is a lecturer in Legal Studies in the School of Social Sciences at La Trobe University. She has a Masters in Political Science from the University of Canterbury (NZ) and a PhD in Criminology from the University of Melbourne. Her PhD examined the prosecution of rape at international war crimes trials.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo
Julian Burnside, QC
Julian Burnside, QC is a commercial barrister based in Melbourne. He is President of Liberty Victoria, and has acted pro bono in many human rights cases, most famously in the Tampa litigation. He is the author of Word Watching and Watching Brief. In 2004, he was elected as Living National Treasurer.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: USA vs Al-Arian
Rob Stary, Principal, Robert Stary and Associates
Rob Stary is Principle of Robert Stary and Associates, one of Melbourne's leading criminal law firms. Over the years, he has represented participants in the S11 and G20 protests, and "Jihad" Jack Thomas. A former Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria and President of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, he recently represented the defendants in R v Benbrika.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: USA vs Al-Arian
Nasya Bahfen
Nasya Bahfen lectures in the School of Applied Communication at RMIT and works regularly in the newsrooms of ABC Radio Australia and SBS Radio. Her teaching and research interests include radio journalism, Islam and the media, and the use of the internet by young Muslims. Nasya is a committee member of the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: USA vs Al-Arian
George Halkias, 2008 Homeless World Cup, Australian Coach
While working for The Big Issue in 2004, George Halkias volunteered to set up the Street Socceroos Program which aimed to use football as a vehicle to assist homeless people improve their psychological and physical well-being. He coached Australian representative teams at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Homeless World Cups. In 2006, George headed the successful bid for Melbourne to stage the 2008 Homeless World Cup. George will again coach the Australian team at this event.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Kicking It
Helen Szoke, Chief Conciliator/Cief Executive Officer
Helen Szoke - Chief Conciliator/Chief Executive Officer
Dr Helen Szoke is the Chief Conciliator and Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission and has held this position since December 2004. She has previously held positions relating to management, community development, organisational development and regulation in the education and health sectors.
Dr Szoke has extensive experience in regulation, management, policy and research in the health sector. She spent some time working in the area of consumer advocacy and working with community groups, including serving as a local city councilor. She is a former Chair of Women's Health Victoria, a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council Licensing Committee and a former member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Key Centre for Women's Health. Dr Szoke has postgraduate qualifications in public policy.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Kicking It
Ben Schokman
Ben Schokman is the Senior Human Rights Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Resource Centre. The Centre undertakes and supports a wide range of activities aimed at promoting and protecting human rights through the practice of law. Ben's work includes case work, litigation, law reform at both the domestic and international levels, including providing written and oral submissions to a range of United Nations human rights bodies on Australia's compliance with its international obligations.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Human Rights: What The Hell Are They
Priyanga Hettiarachi
Priyanga Hettiarachi is a graduate of the Universities of Oxford and Melbourne. He presently heads a legal team at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Previously, as a policy officer in Victoria he was responsible for advising the Premier on enacting and implementing the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, for which he won an award in 2006. As a barrister working in London, he has advised on the UK equivalent. He has also has written several articles on human rights.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Human Rights: What The Hell Are They
Martin Flanagan
Martin Flanagan is a storyteller, journalist, poet, author and public speaker. Described as "a legend of Australian journalism" in TIME magazine in 2003 after his last book, The Game In Time of War, he was born in Tasmania in 1955 and graduated in law from the University of Tasmania in 1975. He is the author of eight books including The Call, an imaginative re-construction of the life of the founder of Australian football, Tom Wills.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Human Rights & Sport
Matt Norman
Matt Norman has been making films since 2000, and before that was best known to Australian audiences on the TV shows Blue Heelers, Neighbours and Stingers. His breakthrough came with the production of the critically-acclaimed Salute, a film about Matt's uncle Peter Norman and his role in the events of the 1968 Olympic Games and the famous Black Power protest. Matt is currently in negotiations to direct and produce 1968, a drama-based version of the same events.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Human Rights & Sport
Nick Hatzoglou
Nick’s key role with the Australian Football League and Football Victoria is to bring Australian Football opportunities closer to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. He combines experience gained within the multicuiltural sector, local government and Cricket Victoria with his love of sport. Nick acknowledges the role sport plays in developing community harmony and believes Australian Football can play a vital role in developing peoples understanding of each other. His formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Event Management. Nick is a husband to Suzan and has 4 sons under the age of 10.
Melbourne, 15 November, 2008: Human Rights & Sport
Claire Davie
Claire Davie is the author of the food blog Melbourne Gastronome. In her writings, Claire muses about Melbourne restaurants, cafes and bars as well as her occasional forays into the kitchen. In her non-foodie capacity, Claire works as a lawyer in a city law firm and is keenly interested in human rights and international law issues.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Bite Into Human Rights:Food and Human Rights
Jeff Atkinson
Jeff Atkinson has extensive experience as a policy advisor and advocate with non-government organizations. He is currently Coordinator of Oxfam Australia's advocacy work on trade, agriculture and climate change. Jeff is the author of two books and numerous papers on the effects of trade liberalization on poorer countries, and has written extensively on other development issues, including the interaction between mining companies and communities.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Bite Into Human Rights:Food and Human Rights
Shanaka Fernando
Shanaka Fernando is the founder of the not-for-profit restaurant chain Lentil as Anything. Named Australia's Local Hero in 2007, Shanaka Fernando has demonstrated how an enterprise can be operated on a socially responsible basis and still be popular with the public. Since its founding it has expanded into five sites which provide social support and hospitality training to over one hundred newly-arrived migrants and refugees. The policy of "no set prices" is a social experiment that encourages people to have an internal conversation with their conscience and their ethics.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Bite Into Human Rights:Food and Human Rights
Cathy Maguire
Cathy Maguire, currently Mentor Chef at the Asylum Seekers' Resource Centre Catering Service, was previously Head Chef at Soulmama in St Kilda, and a regular guest chef on Channel Ten's Ready Steady Cook and Good Morning Australia. She also appeared on SBS' Food Lover's Guide.
Melbourne, 16 November, 2008: Bite Into Human Rights:Food and Human Rights
Steve Warne
Steve Warne is the Factual Development Manager at Film Victoria and an AIDC Board Director. Film Victoria is a State Government film, television and new media investment agency. Previously he was Director of Production for Time-Warner's 'new media' division in Paris (Warner Interactive Entertainment), where he project managed CD-ROM development. Before this, he was a documentary television Writer/Producer in Sydney.
Most recently, with Don Featherstone Productions, he worked on ABC and SBS arts biographies about leading performers, painters, and writers. Steve post-production supervised a major ABC business series for David Flatman Productions and has worked as a Writer/Researcher for ABC Documentaries. He's been a Producer/Director with the ABC's flagship investigative program, 4 CORNERS and was second in charge of SBS's prime-time international affairs program, DATELINE. Examples of Steve's television credits are: FIJI ARMS (on the military coups), THE DAYLIGHT MOON (on poet Les Murray), THE COMPETITORS: OVERSEAS AND UNDERSOLD (on international business) and GENE SHEARS (on genetic engineering).
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Open Channel: New Developments in Filmmaking and Human Rights Culture
Andrew Apostola
Andrew Apostola is one of Australia's leading cross media producers. With Simon Goodrich, he is the co-founder of both the Portable Film Festival and Portable Content, the independent digital studio behind the festival that specialises in innovative cross platform projects, ideas and business models, incorporating web applications, video sharing tools, and socially networked interfaces. He is a resident mentor for the Laboratory for Advanced Media Production (LAMP), Australia's pre-eminent cross media workshop initiative, which develops new interactive offerings for Australia's largest media organisations including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Ninemsn. He also developed the Portable Screen Academy, an incubator and training academy for emerging interactive creatives that now has major presence in Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Prior to working in the online space, Andrew worked as a manager and producer for a range of community broadcasters and media providers and is well known for successfully launching the Student Youth Network alongside Portable Content co-founder Simon Goodrich in Melbourne in 2003.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Open Channel: New Developments in Filmmaking and Human Rights Culture
Elise West
Elise West is a Coordinator at Open Channel, where she also teaches. She lived and worked in Latin America for several years, making stories for film and television. Her dual interest in film and human rights began on a dig with Guatemala’s Forensic Anthropology Institute, excavating clandestine graves from that country’s civil war. Her last documentary premiered at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival. She is currently completing an MA. Her latest film The Siege has just been nominated for two AFI’s.
Melbourne, 23 November, 2008: Open Channel: New Developments in Filmmaking and Human Rights Culture
Dee McLachlan
Melbourne-based Dee McLachlan has been making films for 30 years, and is perhaps best known as the Writer/Director for 2007 film The Jammed, which lifted the lid on the global phenomenon of human trafficking, and won Best Film, Best Script, and Best Music at the IF (Inside Film 2007). Dee settled in Australia in 1999 after moving from South Africa, where she ran a the small film company through South African Broadcasting Corportation for South Sotho and Zulu (language) channels.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Australian Writer's Guild: Storytelling and the Human Rights Film
Solrun Hoaas
Solrun Hoaas worked as a teacher, academic and journalist, then began filming in Okinawa in 1978, a turning point in her career. She has since written, produced and directed several documentaries, including Sacred Vandals (Okinawa Film Festival, Tokyo, 2008), Green Tea and Cherry Ripe, Pyongyang Diaries (International Forum, Berlin, and Amnesty Film Festival, Holland, 1998) and the feature film, Aya. In 2001 she completed Rushing to Sunshine, which reflects changes in South Korea in the wake of Kim Dae-jung's 'sunshine policy'. The film premiered at Insa Art Space in Seoul in the exhibition 'Three Sunshine Perspectives on North and South Korea'. The two documentaries from North and South Korea were invited to Chungmuro International Film Festival, Seoul, in 2007. Her films are found in Australia on www.roninfilms.com.au and in the US on www.cinemaguild.com and www.frif.com.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Australian Writer's Guild: Storytelling and the Human Rights Film
Steve Thomas
Steve Thomas’ work as an independent, documentary writer, director and producer includes: Black Man’s Houses (1992) and Harold (1994) – two award-winning documentaries examining black-white history, The Hillmen – A Soccer Fable (1996) – the misadventures of a junior soccer team and AFI Award winner for Best TV Documentary, Least Said, Soonest Mended (2000) - an adoption story about Steve’s own family which won a UNAA Media Peace Award, Welcome to Woomera (2004) - explores Australia’s famous ‘Rocket Town’, more recently infamous for its refugee detention centre, and his most recent film Hope (2007) – the story of SIEV X survivor Amal Basry, which featured at MIFF, HRAFF and released in cinemas nationally. Steve currently lectures in documentary at the Victorian College of the Arts Film & TV School.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Australian Writer's Guild: Storytelling and the Human Rights Film
Ian Darling
Ian Darling is an award winning documentary filmmaker with Shark Island Productions. His director and producer credits include The Oasis, In The Company of Actors, Alone Across Australia and Woodstock for Capitalists. He is founder and Chair of the Documentary Australia Foundation, Shark Island Foundation and The Caledonia Foundation. He is also Chair of the Sydney Theatre Company and the STC Foundation.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Filmmaking as a Human Rights Tool
Emily Rose, Amnesty International Australia.
Emily originally joined Amnesty International in 2000 in the UK and was initially involved in student activism running a University group and then going on to become Chair of the Student Action Network for AIUK. During this period, Emily was also a member of the Activism sub-committee of the AIUK Board and volunteered in the Education and Student Team at the UK Human Rights Action Centre.
When Emily moved to Australia in 2006, she volunteered in the Victorian Action Centre, becoming involved with the Youth Network. Following a period of employment with Amnesty International Australia (AIA), as the Victorian Candle Day Coordinator, organising events and activism opportunities for groups, schools and individuals in the state.
Emily is currently the Convenor of AIA's Inner South Local Group and member of the Victorian Youth Action Network. The Youth Action Network has recently collaborated with other youth activists in the Asia Pacific Region to produce a short film celebrating the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for its 60th Anniversary on Dec 10, 2008.
Melbourne, 22 November, 2008: Filmmaking as a Human Rights Tool