I write to pay my tribute to Bob Hawke, the 23th Prime Minister of Australia, who has played a pivotal role in advancing and defining Australian multiculturalism. Between 1987 and 1996 I have had the privilege of working under the leadership of Professor Peter Shergold in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) created by Prime Minister Hawke in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

OMA was responsible for development of a range of multicultural policies and programs. In particular, I wish to acknowledge Hawke’s Government adoption of the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia and of the Access and Equity policies. Hawke’s government made federal policies and programs more reflective of Australia’s diversity.

My thoughts are with his family at this time.

Vale Bob Hawke.

I am pleased to say that WSU sponsored International Conferences on Human Rights Education have won an international acknowledgement. I was informed recently that I, as ICHRE Foundation Convener and Series Coordinator, have been nominated as a potential recipient of the 2019 Tällberg / Eliasson Global Leadership Prize. The Tällberg / Eliasson Global Leadership Prize is given annually to outstanding leaders from any country and any discipline whose work is global in application, based on universal values, innovative, optimistic and courageous. An international jury will review the nominations in mid-August and select the people who, in their judgment, best exemplify the types of leaders needed today.

Last Saturday 4th May 2019 I have delivered an Occasional Address at a graduation ceremony at The University of New England in Armidale. It is almost like a full circle. In March 1976 we arrived here, with my wife Hanna and son Adam, to take up my Commonwealth Ph.D. Scholarship! It was beginning of my professional life in Australia. Time flies!

For my speech see: UNE Graduation 2019 – Occasional Address

The video can be accessed here: UNE Graduation 2019

Affinity Intercultural Foundation invites you and your partners to attend Affinity’s annual NSW Parliament Friendship and Dialogue Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Thursday, 23 May from 4:00pm in the Strangers’ Lounge, NSW Parliament House.

Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset to break the fast that occurs during Ramadan, and is a symbol of friendship, understanding and social harmony. Affinity’s annual Iftar dinner aims to foster positive relationships between the Australian Muslim community and our non-Muslim counterparts. Through the simple act of sharing a meal, Muslim and non-Muslim guests will have the opportunity to learn from one another and strengthen connections and friendships.

The dress code is business attire. To RSVP, please register your attendance by clicking here before 5pm Friday, 16th of May.

Vice Chancellor Barney Glover today announced that Western Sydney University has been ranked 1st in the world for addressing gender equality, and 2nd for reducing inequalities promoting inclusive and equitable quality education, in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings released today.

Overall we achieved a ranking of 11th – placing the University in the top 20 universities worldwide, and the highest ranked university in Australia.

The University Impact Rankings are a new initiative by the highly-influential Times Higher Education (THE) organisation, which measured more than 450 universities from 76 nations for their social, ecological and economic impact and commitment to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs). Western is one of a small group of Australian universities that became a signatory to supporting these goals.

In addition to its world-leading scores for SDG 5 Gender Equality and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, Western Sydney University also ranked 13th globally for SDG 4 Quality Education, and 34th for SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals.

These results recognise the University as a world leader when it comes to reducing inequalities by providing access to higher education and also in promoting gender equality.

Available for download now, this report represents the third in a series of yearly reports produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace covering SDG16, which measures peace, justice and strong institutions.

Focusing on SDG16+ this report investigates currently available data, and alternative sources for use as proxies to track progress toward the achievement of Goal 16 and Goal 16+.

In the report, discover how only four of the forty-four measurable SDG16 and SDG16+ indicators have data for the 163 countries covered by IEP’s research, and why even highly developed nations will struggle to collect all the necessary indicators for the SDGs.

Download this report by clicking on the link below.

Download the free report

I extend my warm invitation to attend the Western Sydney University Open Forum on Human Rights in South East Asia to be held tomorrow on 26 March at Female Orphan School at Parramatta Campus starting at 5.30 for 6.00 PM. Our speakers include Sister Patricia Fox, recently deported from the Philippines for her human rights work and Mr Chris Hayes MP, Chief opposition Whip in Federal parliament and human rights advocate.

All interested are most welcome!

My deepest condolences go to the Muslim community of Christchurch in New Zealand. My thoughts are with the victims and their families and friends of this terrible terrorist crime against people who were praying in peace.

Racial and religious hate have no place in the world. Violent attack on one religious group is an attack against all religions.

We need to do more to increase understanding and respect between diverse communities. Also more community education is needed to eliminate the abhorrent hate crimes.

RIP!

News Release

GENEVA (5 March 2019) – States must step up measures to protect freedom of religion or belief, a UN human rights expert said today, citing concerns about the increasing use of anti-blasphemy laws and the imposition of draconian criminal penalties for expressing an opinion about religion.

“The increasing application of limits on freedom of expression, including new legal and extra-legal limitations by State and non-State actors, is having a concerning impact on freedom of religion or belief, globally,” Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression are closely interrelated and mutually reinforcing rights when exercised within the legal framework established by international human rights law. Consequently, where we observe abuses of one right, we are likely to see the stage being set for abuses of the other,” he said.

In his report to the Council, Shaheed presented examples of restrictions on freedom of expression, including public order measures, anti-blasphemy, anti-proselytising and anti-apostasy laws, as well as policies to combat religious hatred and extremism.

. Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010. Bibi was reportedly accused of defiling the cup meant for her Muslim colleagues after drinking water from the vessel, on the grounds that as a Christian she was ‘unclean’ and forbidden to use the same utensils as Muslims.
. Ashraf Fayadh, Palestinian poet and artist, who was sentenced to death in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for apostasy in 2015, after which an appeals court commuted the sentence to eight years in prison and 800 lashes. He was accused of apostasy because he allegedly questioned religion and promoted atheism through his poetry. Mr. Fayadh remains a prisoner of conscience, detained for the mere peaceful expression of his opinion.
· “Pussy Riot”, the Russian feminist punk rock protest group which briefly performed (and filmed itself performing) a song deemed critical of the authorities on 21 February 2012 in the restricted part where the altar is located in Moscow’s largest Russian Orthodox Church. Members of the band were arrested and criminally charged with hooliganism.
· Adoption of an amendment to Nepal’s penal code in 2017, which criminalises ‘hurting of religious sentiment” and religious conversion.

Shaheed said that nearly 70 States have anti-blasphemy laws, with 30 States also carrying anti-apostasy laws. In some jurisdictions, either or both of these laws may provide for the use of the death penalty.

“There has been a revival of anti-blasphemy and anti-apostasy laws, a proliferation of, and increasing reliance on, public order laws to limit expression deemed to be offensive to religious or belief communities, along with increasing investments in strategies that combat expression which incites persons to discrimination, hostility or violence against persons on the basis of religion or belief,” said the Special Rapporteur. At the same time, he welcomed that some countries have recently repealed their former anti-blasphemy laws.

Shaheed urged States developing strategies to tackle the issues to be guided by international initiatives like the Rabat Plan of Action, which seek to operationalise States’ obligations to respond to any promotion of religious hatred. He also stressed that the Beirut Declaration on “Faith for Rights” was a source of important guidance and inspiration for action.

ENDS

Mr. Ahmed Shaheed (Maldives) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016. Mr. Shaheed is a Visiting Professor at Essex University, UK; a former member of the Maldivian presidential Commission Investigating Corruption; and a foreign policy advisor to the President of the Maldives. He was Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to sign and ratify all nine international human rights Conventions and to implement them in law and practice.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

For inquiries and media requests: Ms Vanessa Asensio Perez (+41 79 444 6129 / vasensioperez@ohchr.org ) or write to freedomofreligion@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Mr. Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.

Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org

Today we are celebrating a significant win for human rights – the Queensland Human Rights Act passed through parliament.

This means that 23 vital human rights including freedom of association and freedom of expression, the right to education and the right to humane treatment in detention, will be better protected in Queensland law.

The Queensland Human Rights Act will have practical and enormous educational impact in Queensland. It will help to ensure that values like fairness, equality, respect and compassion – are reflected in government policies and services.  It will also require government to properly consider and comply with human rights and it will give people and communities power to hold government to account.   Queensland is now the third Australian jurisdiction with a Human Rights Act or Charter. Let’s hope that we will have a federal Human Rights Act soon.