Cairns hosts the Third Australasian Indigenous Family Violence Policing Conference
Experts, health and wellbeing professionals and Indigenous elders joined police at the Australasian Indigenous Family Violence Policing Conference in Cairns in June.
More than 370 police, government, non-government and community representatives from across Australia and New Zealand, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea gathered to discuss solutions and improve responses to address domestic and family violence in Indigenous communities.
The theme for the 2019 conference was “sharing stories, protecting family, tracking our future.”
Speakers included:
- Professor Gracelyn Smallwood, current Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Central Queensland University. Professor Smallwood is a former NAIDOC person of the year and Order of Australia medal recipient with 45 years of experience in health and human rights advocacy. Professor Smallwood’s keynote speech addressed closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
- Karyn McCluskey, Chief Executive for Community Justice Scotland. Former head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Karyn’s team implemented innovative ways of addressing violence.
- Naomi Wenitong, singer/songwriter formerly of Shakaya and current lead in The Last Kinection. Cairns local Naomi’s music features messages of hope and survival, and she actively encourages young Indigenous people to embrace their culture.
- Dr Timothy White, Psychologist. Dr White has worked extensively with Far Northern Indigenous communities and currently runs Kapani Warrior, aimed at improving the future of indigenous men in remote communities.