[grc] 2015 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Network Conference

[Indigenous Conference Services]

                                                                           NEWSLETTER
                                         2015 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Network Conference
                                                    Hilton Hotel Darwin, NT on 28th – 30th September
                                                          For further information visit the event website
                                                                  http://www.indigenousconferences.com/

After due deliberation, Indigenous Conference Services is pleased to announce successful papers accepted for presentation during the 2015 National Indigenous Men and Women’s Network Conference to be held at Hilton Hotel in Darwin, Northern Territory 
on September 28-30, 2015. Huge support in the Northern Territory government and throughout Australia, through the attendance of Honourable Chief Minister Adam Giles and the Honourable Bess Price, both of these conferences are to be the fore runner 
for the first ever World Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Conference which is now been scheduled for Adelaide, South Australia November next year.

Indigenous Conferences Services is now partnering with The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance (NATSIWA) which was established in 2009 to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women to have a strong and effective 
voice in the domestic and international policy advocacy process.

The overwhelming response of the Call for Papers clearly indicates the interests of organizations and individuals to improve Indigenous men’s wellbeing throughout this nation and the expectation of increase attendance from last year’s event which proved 
to be highly successful. More than 50 % of the accepted papers are from community-based organizations, wishing to share successes in programs implemented within their communities which goes with the philosophy of the conference in highlighting 
successful Indigenous initiatives from a community level. Registration numbers are filling fast; hence, we encourage anyone who wishes to attend the conference to register as soon as possible.

One of the featured guest speakers of the conference; the Hon. Bess Price will formally open the 2015 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Network Conference, she will be one of the main highlights of the event, with her empowering and inspirational 
message. 
In addition, this newsletter aims to provide you some insight of the accepted papers for presentation during the 2015 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Network Conference as follows: 
 	
Honourable Bess Price is the Minister for Local Government and Community Services, Minister for Housing, Minister for Parks and Wildlife, Minister for Men’s Policy, Minister for Women’s Policy and Minister for Statehood. Bess has a Bachelor of Applied 
Science in Aboriginal Community Management and Development from Curtin University. Bess was elected to the Northern Territory parliament in 2012, and was promoted to Cabinet in the portfolios of Community Services, Women’s Policy, Men’s Policy, Parks 
and Wildlife and Statehood in September 2013. Bess is not only an outspoken advocate for women, children and families in Aboriginal communities but across Australia, campaigning tirelessly for their protection from violence and sexual abuse. In 2014 she 
was nominated and won the Northern Territory Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership.

 	Honourable Adam Graham Giles is the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and Leader of the Country Liberal Party since March 2013. He became a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 2008, representing 
the electorate of Braitling. Giles is the first Indigenous Australian to become head of government in Australia. He is also the Minister for Tourism, Minister for Northern and Central Australia, Minister for Economic Development and Major Projects and Minister 
for Indigenous Affairs.

 	Peter Shine Clinical Associate Professor Peter Shine’s professional specialities are Aboriginal Health, Aboriginal Social Emotional Well Being, The Social Determinants of Aboriginal Health, The Social Determinants of Health and Health Promotion. He 
has been involved in Aboriginal health and social emotional wellbeing for many years. He is currently the Director of Aboriginal Health Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) and he wrote the NSLHD Aboriginal Health Services Plan 2013-2016, which is 
the very first Aboriginal Health Plan written for NSLHD. 

 	Matt Stubbs, Psychologist and Area Manager for the Interrelate Family Centre on the Central Coast and Hunter will be co-presenting with Stuart McMinn, a cultural man whose heritage comes from the Dharug and Waka Waka people. Stuart is the 
current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Liaison Worker for the Central Coast region at Interrelate Family Centres. Interrelate NSW will be presenting their paper entitled:’ A Services Journey to increasing the culturally appropriateness of a 
mainstream service’

 	 Helmut Rohde is the managing partner of Helmut Rohde + Partners – specialising in extreme environment architecture. Helmut has worked as a carpenter, teacher, researcher and designer in different cultures and environments from the Antarctic to 
the Arctic; including Aboriginal communities. He will be presenting a paper entitled, ‘Transformative Language is Essential for Indigenous Self-Determination’

 	Chris Krogh, Evaluation Contractor and Mark O’Bryan, Coordinator IJP Regional Youth Support Services will be presenting a paper entitled, “The learning is in the doing: preventing Indigenous youth detention”. Mark grew up on Gubbi Gubbi lands 
and Badtjala lands as a child and has a blood connection to the Gangulu and Darumbal people of Queensland.  

 	Dan Mitchell and David Francis are the Principal Aboriginal Consultant, Families SA, Country Operations of the Department for Education and Child Development. Dan is a member of the Kaurna/Narrunga nations in South Australia from the Yorke 
Peninsula. They will be presenting a paper entitled, The Role of the Principal Aboriginal Consultant in a Statutory Setting.

 	Harry Callaghan is the Aboriginal Team Advisor- Intensive Supervision Program, Department of Juvenile Justice since March 2013. He runs various programs such as; Daruma Booraay Puppet Program, Djabaan Marrung AOD Peer Education/Awareness 
program, Ghinni Ghinni Crime Prevention Program, Spirit-Mind-Body Youth Health Education Program.

 	Mark O’Bryan has worked in the community section for over 20 years from child care to youth intergeneration programs, worked for both Government and NGO’s, taught at TAFE NSW in the community section teaching Cert 4 in youth work and Cert 
4 community work.  Mark has a passion about young people ‘getting to better’ and believes that it is whole of community responsibility to assist that recovery process, through the way we think the way we act and the way we lead.

 	Stuart McMinn is the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Liaison Worker for the Central Coast region at Interrelate Family Centres. Stuart’s work comprises of developing and implementing many culturally appropriate programs 
designed to benefit and assist his local community. As part of his role Stuart sits on the NSW Men’s Health Executive and on Interrelates internal Aboriginal Advisory committee Kutanya. 

 	Dr Abigail Evans is an associate lecturer at both University of Wollongong and Griffith University, with a keen interest in teaching medical/midwifery students.  Abigail has also worked in women's health in a primary care setting and has a research 
interest in the advancement of Women's Health Care provision for indigenous, rural and remote Australians. 

 	Shelley Alvarez is a lawyer with the NT Legal Aid Indigenous Outreach Project and regularly travels to remote communities in the Top End providing legal advice, assistance and education.  Shelley completed her legal studies at the University of 
Western Sydney in 2009 and was admitted to practice as a Solicitor in 2010.  Shelley began her work as a lawyer at Macquarie Legal Centre in Parramatta NSW advising tenants on housing law.  She then moved to Darwin in 2012 to work for NAAJA in the 
Welfare Rights team, before joining NT Legal Aid in 2014.
 
Rebecca Wanganeen is the Community Liaison Officer with the Indigenous Outreach Project at NT Legal Aid. She works closely with the outreach solicitor in the planning and delivery of information sessions to Indigenous people from remote communities to 
ensure that people are aware of their rights and where to access legal assistance.
 
 	Tracy Currie is the Chief Executive Officer at The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance, which we have partnered with to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women to have a strong and effective voice in the 
domestic and international policy advocacy process.

 	Tammy Brooks works at The Principal Aboriginal Consultant, Office for Child Safety, Families SA. Tammy is passionate about Aboriginal Business and see’s the value in sharing her knowledge and experiences within the workplace and often share 
apart of herself in these as well as during training sessions I have also had, the opportunity to be involved at the policy area with the development of the Aboriginal Child Placement Principe, the development of a culturally appropriate Supervisors Handbook 
and Supervising Aboriginal Employees within Families SA.

 	Kathy Edwards is an Aboriginal woman from Queensland. Kathy works in Shine SA’s Close the Gap Team as an educator in the field of sexual health and relationships, with Aboriginal workers and community members in rural and remote Aboriginal 
communities in South Australia. The Yarning On – Aboriginal Sexual health Program targets rural and remote Aboriginal communities in South Australia.
 	
Bianca Mark is a Ngarrindjeri woman from South Australia. Bianca works in SHine SA as an educator in the field of sexual health and relationships, with Aboriginal workers and community members in rural and remote Aboriginal communities in South 
Australia. 
 
Patricia Occelli is the current CEO of Interrelate, Patricia regularly presents at organisational and community events, and conducts radio and television interviews (e.g., ABC Drive, Sunrise).  She has extensive experience in the design, delivery and leadership of 
human services in the government and non-government sector. 

It is so pleasing to see both government and non-government organizations participating in sharing of information on successful Indigenous men programs existing and being implemented all over Australia and encouraging inter-agency networking either 
at a local, state and national level. 

For further information on the speaker’s please visit our website: www.indigenousconferences.com

We encourage anyone interested in attending the conference to register early. We’ve structured our registration in such a way that will save organization's money while at the same time providing a great forum for frank and open discussion. To register or for 
further details, please visit the event’s website: www.indigenousconferences.com or email us at indigenousconferences at iinet.net.au
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