Speakers representing indigenous people throughout Australia and across the globe will be featured at the Global Survival and Indigenous Rights Conference, to be hosted by Friends of the Earth (FoE) on November 20-22 in Maribyrnong, Melbourne.
The conference, a follow-up to the Gathering in Solidarity with Indigenous People and the Earth, held in 1997, will focus on Aboriginal land management practices and how non-indigenous people can work with indigenous people, explained Kasia Gabrys, one of the conference organisers.
The conference "will also assist Australians and the international community to plan and implement a sustainable use of land and embrace social justice for indigenous people", Gabrys said.
Speakers will include Elizabeth King, an elder of the KerrupJmara people of western Victoria, who has initiated court action against the Australian government for attempted genocide; Murandoo Yanner, chairperson of the Carpentaria Land Council; and Wadjularbinna from the Gulf country in northern Queensland, on the campaign against the Century Zinc mining project.
Aunty Dorothy Shaw and Aunt Veronica Brodie will give an update on the state of the Kumarangk (Hindmarsh Island) bridge campaign in South Australia and Jillian Marsh will speak about the Beverley uranium mine in that state.
International speakers include Nnimmo Bassey and Oronto Douglas from the Environmental Rights Action group based in Benin City, southern Nigeria. Their research has revealed that up to 80% of human rights abuses relate back to environmental degradation on traditional lands.
Ricardo Navarre from El Salvador, winner of the 1995 Goldman environment prize; speakers from Costa Rica, Chile, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Paraguay, and indigenous North Americans; as well as people from Scandinavia and Mediterranean countries will also attend.
The conference will be held at Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong, Melbourne. The cost for waged workers and non-government organisation employees is $100 (or $35 per day); unwaged $40 ($15 per day); and government and industry representatives $500 ($200 per day). Phone FoE on (03) 9419 8700, fax (03) 94162081 or check the web site at <http://www.foe.org.au>.