Queensland Human Rights Commission in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Social service

Queensland Human Rights Commission

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 1300 130 670

Address: 53 Albert St 4000 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au

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25.01.2022 The Australian Human Rights Commissions Respect @ Work report released earlier this year stated: "As the 2018 National Survey revealed, almost two in five women (39%) and just over one in four men (26%) have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were more likely to have experienced workplace sexual harassment than people who are non-Indigenous (53% and 32% respectively). Sexual harassment is not a... womens issue: it is a societal issue, which every Australian, and every Australian workplace, can contribute to addressing. Workplace sexual harassment is not inevitable. It is not acceptable. It is preventable." Sexual harassment is prohibited by Queenslands Anti-Discrimination Act, and is unlawful anywhere it happens - but if youre at work, your employer is obligated to take steps to make sure your workplace is free of this type of behaviour. Sexual harassment doesnt have to be repeated to be against the law. You can find out more about what the law says about sexual harassment on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/your-rights/sexual-harassment, or read the full Respect @ Work report from AHRC at https://humanrights.gov.au//respectwork-sexual-harassment-.

25.01.2022 "These sorts of tricky balancing exercises really need to be thrashed out in the community at a local level, to respect that right to self-determination." Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall spoke to ABC Far North this morning on Indigenous communities in lockdown under the federal Biosecurity Act. You can listen at https://www.abc.net.au//progr/breakfast/breakfast/12274576 (from 40:15 to hear Yarrabah Mayor Ross Andrews, followed by the Commissioner at 46...:20) or read the article at https://www.abc.net.au//yarrabah-indigenous-commu/12290722. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit has been receiving enquiries from across Queensland about the impacts of the COVID-19 response on communities. If youve got questions or would like to talk to them, you can find their details on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/contactus.

25.01.2022 Seleena Blackey, 17, said National Sorry Day meant more than just an apology. To her family, it was recognition. "It is really important to our family, my mums and my dads [families] were affected by the Stolen Generations," she said. "Were Kalkadoon, so come from the Mount Isa region, and my grandfathers mother was taken from here and put on Palm Island.... "[Its] the same with my dads grandmother, she was taken from here as well and put on Palm Island." https://www.abc.net.au//national-sorry-day-from-m/12283140

24.01.2022 The Commission is very concerned to see the names and photos of two young women accused of breaching COVID restrictions published by media outlets this week. Weve already heard today from members of the African community today who are beginning to experience a backlash - abusive text messages, social media harassment, and concerns for their physical safety. In the words of our Commissioner, Scott McDougall: ... I understand that people are frustrated and angry and fearful of another wave of infections. We can be angry at individuals for disregarding the rules, for being dishonest or reckless or putting other people at risk. But we cannot allow this to create a second wave of COVID-related racial hostility. The actions of just two people cannot and should not be used as an excuse to harass or abuse an entire community the vast majority of which has, like the rest of Queensland, tried to comply with the rules, says Mr McDougall. We need to take care of ourselves and each other and prioritise the safety of our communities. We are stronger together. Our full media statement is available at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/media/. If youve experienced harassment or abuse, you can report it to us online at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/complaints/report-racism or call our enquiry line to discuss your complaint options: 1300 130 670.

23.01.2022 Applications are now open for our Indigenous Graduate Program 2021 intake. The program is aimed at building human rights capability among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates in Queensland. It provides a graduates with a unique opportunity to work with us over 18 months. We look for graduates who are excellent communicators, innovative, resourceful and willing to challenge the status quo.... If youre an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander tertiary graduate who has graduated since 1 January 2018 we encourage you to apply. There are three positions available in this intake, based in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville. For more info or to apply head to our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/work-with-us. [Image is part of Guided Protection, an artwork by Quandamooka Nunukal woman Casey Coolwell, commissioned by the QHRC last year. This section of the work is a combination of overlapping protection shields filled with geometric patterns in the Commissions colours - gold, orange, red, navy, and blue.]

23.01.2022 As of yesterday, weve resumed offering face to face training for delivery in your workplace. Back in March, as pandemic-related restrictions set in, we suspended all face to face training and events, in line with public health directives. Now restrictions are easing, were pleased to be able to offer face to face training in your workplace once more. Our training packages are available to view at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/training/our-training-courses or you can talk to ...our team about training thats tailored to the specific needs of your business or organisation. To discuss your training needs with our team, email them at [email protected]. Our public training and events schedule remains suspended for now, but weve extended our free webinar program across July and August - the schedule and online registration is available at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/training/webinars. Want to keep up with training news? The latest of our training bulletins went out yesterday with all this information and more - you can read the most recent edition or subscribe to updates on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/subscribe-to-updates.

23.01.2022 Today is Indigenous Literacy Day, celebrating the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is holding a national virtual celebration of First Nations language today on their Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/IndigenousLiteracy. Tune in at 12.30pm to join long-time supporter Archie Roach and ILF Ambassadors Jessica Mauboy, Andy Griffiths, Shelley Ware, Anita Heiss, Natalie Ahmat, Gregg Dreise, Jared Thomas, Al...ison Lester, Josh Pyke, and co-patron June Oscar AO who will be sharing their insights and stories of community engagement. And Jessica Mauboy will sing a stunning rendition of My Island Home. The production is designed to be a highly visual event to inspire broader Australia about the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples first languages and why learning in language is important. Kids and community members from Tiwi Islands and Jilkminggan in the Northern Territory and Bidyadanga in Western Australia share their stories and the value of language, and Cheryl Lardy reads Yu sabi densdensbad? (Can You Dance?) in Kriol. [Image is from the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and is a photo of two young First Nations children grinning at the camera. Across the bottom of the photo is a blue rectangle with Youtube vitrual event at 12.30pm in white text. Underneath that is an orange panel with Indigenous Literacy Day 2 September 2020 in white text. The ILF logo is in white in the bottom right corner of the photo.]

23.01.2022 Today is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Childrens Day, a day to celebrate First Nations children and their strengths, resilience and connection to culture. It is an opportunity for us to show our support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as learn about the crucial impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. This years theme is "We are the Elders of tomorrow, hear our voice...." COVID means that celebrations will be a little different this year, but SNAICC have put together some great resources to help you celebrate no matter where you are, including activities, videos, and lots of information about today and why its important. You can find it online at https://aboriginalchildrensday.com.au/resources/. #NATSIChildrensDay2020 #EldersOfTomorrow #StrongInCulture

22.01.2022 It’s Human Rights Month and today’s right in focus is property rights. This is protected by section 24 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act and means that: - You can own things like a house, car or phone. - The government can’t take away your things unless the law says they can for example, laws that ban owning certain weapons or types of animals.... Many people hear ‘property’ and immediately think of homes or land, but the right extends much more broadly than that. This right hasn’t often arisen, either here or in other states and territories where it’s protected under law, but it has been considered in cases where administrators are appointed to take control of the financial affairs of people with impaired decision-making capacity, for example. There’s more information on our website at https://buff.ly/35RiHPP. [Image: an illustration a backpack and a mobile phone sit on an orange and white background. The backpack is aqua, navy and gold, and the phone is aqua and navy. In a gold rectangle across the image white text reads: Property rights. Underneath that navy text reads: Section 24 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019. At the bottom of the tile is the QHRC logo on the left, and the #HRM2020 hashtag and Commission website (www.qhrc.qld.gov.au) on the right.]

22.01.2022 Today’s right in focus for #HRM2020 is taking part in public life. This right is protected by section 23 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act and means that: - You can vote if you are 18 or older and live in Queensland. - You can apply to work in government. - You can be elected to government.... The name of this right, ‘taking part in public life’, can sometimes be confused to mean the right to a social life or the right to do things in public, but what it actually refers to is the right to vote and be elected, and to have access to the public service. In practical terms, it also includes things like taking part in government consultations with the community, and being able to attend and ask questions at council meetings or community forums. Protecting the right to vote through the Human Rights Act doesn’t broaden the eligibility criteria for voting already set out in Queensland law that is, you still need to be over 18 years of age, a resident of Queensland, and enrolled to vote, in order to cast a ballot in state or local government elections. See our website for more information: https://buff.ly/2UMzfli [Image: an illustration of person voting sits on a blue and white background. They have short dark blue hair and are wearing navy pants and a white shirt. They’re casting a ballot by putting it in a box that says ‘vote’. In a navy blue rectangle across the image white text reads: Right to take part in public life. Underneath that navy text reads: Section 23 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019. At the bottom of the tile is the QHRC logo on the left, and the #HRM2020 hashtag and Commission website (www.qhrc.qld.gov.au) on the right.]

21.01.2022 Today were launching a new online tool to help people report incidents of racial abuse, discrimination and vilification: https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/complaints/report-racism. We know only small numbers of people who experience racism go on to make complaints to bodies like ours. This can be for many reasons, including not knowing how to complain or who to, whats covered or not by law, or not knowing the name of the person responsible. ... This tool aims to make it easier for people to still let us know about their experiences and to have those experiences recorded, for those who cant or dont want to pursue a formal complaint. Its not part of our complaints process, but it will help us gather information about the real size and scale of the issues facing the community. It will also mean people who dont know the name of the person responsible for the act particularly common for acts of racial abuse which happen in public places, for example are able to lodge a report. People will also be able to make reports anonymously. And, for the first time, bystanders or people who witness these incidents will be able to report them to us. Under the Anti-Discrimination Act, only those who are targeted by racial abuse or vilification are able to lodge formal complaints. Allowing bystanders to record and report what theyve witnessed is an important way of broadening the information we capture, giving us a more accurate picture of peoples experiences. The information we collect will be used in our training and education programs, in our submissions and other advocacy work, and help us demonstrate the reality of peoples everyday experiences of racism and discrimination. We cant fight what we cant see. In order to be able to combat racism, we have to see it, and we have to count it. You can help us do that. [Image is a photo of two young women sitting in front of a laptop on a table. The young woman on the left is wearing red lipstick and has dark brown hair; only part of her face is visible. The young woman on the right wears a black head scarf, a black and white striped shirt, a denim jacket, and hoop earrings, and appears to be pointing to the laptop screen. There is a dark blue triangle which cuts across the photo with white writing on it that says "Have you experienced racist abuse or discrimination? Report it to the Queensland Human Rights Commission at qhrc.qld.gov.au." The QHRC logo is in the bottom left corner.]

21.01.2022 It’s Human Rights Month and today’s right in focus is the right to privacy and reputation. This right is protected by section 25 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act and means that: - You can keep your life private. - The government can’t share information about you, or come into your home or search you or your bag, unless you say they can. - There are times when the law says your information can be shared, or your home or bag can be searched.... - The government can’t say things about you that aren’t true or make you look bad. - The government can’t interfere with your family life or home unless the law says they can for example, if police have a warrant to search your house, or orders to protect victims of family violence. This right is a large one and its protections extend broadly. It protects personal information and data collection, as you’d expect, but also extends to a person’s private life more broadly. This means it protects people against interference with their physical and mental integrity including their appearance, clothing, gender, and sexuality and interestingly, also their home. As with all the rights under the Act, the right to privacy can be limited if that limitation is reasonable and justifiable for example, in the ACT this right was tested by a man released on bail with a condition he submit to urine testing for illicit drug use. The man argued this was a breach of his right to privacy; while the Court found that bail conditions of this nature did limit people’s right to privacy, and that there was a danger of them being enforced in a way that was unfairly oppressive, it also found that in this particular case the limitation was reasonable and justifiable. More info on our fact sheet at https://buff.ly/3lNpfV9 [Image: an illustration of a form, an envelope, and a padlock sits on a red and white background. In a gold rectangle across the image white text reads: Right to privacy and reputation. Underneath that navy text reads: Section 25 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019. At the bottom of the tile is the QHRC logo on the left, and the #HRM2020 hashtag and Commission website (www.qhrc.qld.gov.au) on the right.]

20.01.2022 Are you an advocate in a community organisation supporting people engaging with health, disability, education or community services, or in their interactions with state government or local councils? Weve got a new training session on offer just for you. Our Human Rights Act for community advocates training is an advanced module that builds on introductory training. Its of three hours duration and participants will learn to use the Human Rights Act to advocate on behalf o...f their clients, including: - which organisations have responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 2019: - to identify when situations may limit a persons human rights; - to assess whether less restrictive measures are reasonably available to improve the circumstances of their client; - what options and remedies may be available to achieve better human rights outcomes for their client; - to plan for engaging with a public entity to advocate on behalf of their client; - to use the language of the Act to communicate with the public entity and advocate on behalf of their client. Were taking expressions of interest for this training so fill it out here if youre interested and one of trainers will be in touch to discuss options: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx If youd like more info on what the training involves, or would like to talk about tailored training for your workplace, you can get in touch with our training team at [email protected]. Also, this went out in our monthly training email bulletin so if you want to be the first to hear the news, you can sign up for any of our bulletins on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/subscribe-to-updates. [Image is a photograph of a wheelchair on a dark wooden floor. A teal triangle sits across the top left corner of the photo, with New training on offer: Queenslands Human Rights Act for community advocates in white text. The QHRC logo is in white in the bottom left corner of the image.]

20.01.2022 The Queensland Human Rights Commission acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and recognises their culture, history, diversity and their deep connection to the land, waters and seas of Queensland and the Torres Strait. We acknowledge that the Commissions offices are on lands of the traditional owners of the Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns areas and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. Its National... Reconciliation Week, and you can join in the launch by virtually acknowledging country wherever you might be - you can look it up on the AIATSIS map at https://aiatsis.gov.au//a/aiatsis-map-indigenous-australia. To find out more ways to get involved in #NRW2020, visit https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au//20-ways-to-be-in-this-/. #InThisTogether2020 [Image is a photo of mountains at sunset. Theres person sitting on a mountain in the foreground, looking out at the rest of the range. Across the photo is a gold triangle with our acknowledgement of country as in our post above, in white text. The QHRC logo is in the bottom left corner of the image.]

19.01.2022 To celebrate Disability Action Week 2020, our friends at QDN and their partners CSIA and Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors are inviting you to attend a free virtual forum for everyone. Mind the gap: bridging the disability digital divide will bring together people with disability, providers, businesses and services to have a conversation that will drive change. Register now to be part of the conversation. #digitalinclusion ... @communityservicesindustryalliance https://qdn.org.au/home/whats-on/mind-the-gap-event/ See more

19.01.2022 We know theres been a spike in racism and discrimination in recent months as a result of the spread of misinformation that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. Its part of the reason we launched our new racism reporting tool last month, and its why were supporting the new Unite Against Racism toolkit released this week by the Queensland Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs. The Unite Against Racism Call to Action Toolkit aims to bring Quee...nslanders together to promote positive messages about diversity and inclusion. This toolkit contains key messages, links and hashtags as well as ready-made assets for use in print, digital and social media channels to encourage a call to action to all Queenslanders to stand together and reinforce Queensland as a diverse, harmonious and inclusive place to live. The toolkit is available from the DLGRMA website at https://www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au//o/unite-against-racism.html - and dont forget if youve experienced or witnessed racism you can report it to us online at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/complaints/report-racism.

18.01.2022 Are you between 15-34 years old and passionate about shaping a future that works for 100% of humanity? Sign up to request to become a speaker at the Peace Day 2020 Global Youth Assembly, 19-21 September. The UN is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts. Will we emerge stronger and better equipped to work together? Or will dis...trust and isolation grow further? From 19-21 September 2020, young leaders from all over the world will come together, online and on-site, to take counsel on how we can turn the crisis of the pandemic into an opportunity for global renewal. The Youth Assembly will focus on the burning question: "How can we meet the needs of all - within the means of the planet? The conclusions from the Youth Assembly will be handed over to the UN, on the international day of Peace, 21 September 2020. If you want to become a delegate to the Assembly, you can sign up at https://www.peaceday2020.com/become-a-peaceday-delegate/

18.01.2022 The Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa Bill, which would formally recognise traditional adoption practices in the Torres Strait, was introduced to Queensland Parliament last week by Cynthia Lui, Member for Cook and the first Torres Strait Islander elected to any Australian parliament: "Today, I speak in my cultural truth that children who are raised under this practice deserve only love, respect, dignity and acceptance, and the questions about who they are and where they come from ...are irrelevant. This practice ensures that the childs cultural right is treated with the utmost respect and dignity they deserve." The bill will go before the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Committee for inquiry. More information, including the statement of compatibility with human rights, is available on the parliament website at https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au//current-inquir/MOKK2020. Submissions are due by 5pm on Friday 31 July.

18.01.2022 Earlier this year, the right to peaceful assembly and the public’s right to freedom of movement were considered in court, when the Attorney-General sought a court order to stop a planned sit-in protest on Brisbane’s Story Bridge. The protest organisers had planned an indefinite shutdown of the Bridge in support of asylum seekers being detained at a facility nearby. The Supreme Court granted an injunction to stop the protest after considering the balancing of rights, including... the need for essential services to use the bridge, but made it clear the orders were targeted to this particular protest and the circumstances surrounding it. More information about peaceful assembly and freedom of association is also available on our fact sheet at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au//right-to-peaceful-assembly-an. [Image: text-based tile which reads: Did you know the Queensland Supreme Court considered the right to peaceful assembly earlier this year in a case involving a planned sit-in protest? The text is white and is in an aqua box. Gold rectangles sit behind some of the words. A big navy question mark is off to the right and the background of the image is red and white. At the bottom is the QHRC logo on the left, and the #HRM2020 hashtag and Commission website (www.qhrc.qld.gov.au) on the right.]

17.01.2022 Notice of exemption application: Leidos Australia Pty Ltd has applied to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for an exemption under section 113 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 to allow it to discriminate on the basis of race in work related matters in order to comply with US security regulations. The application has been set down for a public hearing at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza 2, 66 Eagle Street (Cnr Elizabeth and Creek S...treets) Brisbane, on Wednesday 11 November 2020 commencing at 10am. Anyone interested who wishes to make submissions, and/or appear at the hearing, is to notify the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission of their intention, by advising the Industrial Registrar in writing by email at [email protected] by no later than 4pm on 23 September 2020. A copy of the application and affidavit can be accessed from the QIRC website at https://www.qirc.qld.gov.au//d/files/2020_ad63_notice.pdf.

17.01.2022 As part of marking National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Childrens Day earlier this week were looking at some of the important issues for First Nations children in Queensland. The age of criminal responsibility is a really important one. Currently, children as young as 10 can be - and are - arrested, tried, and imprisoned. Queensland detains more 10 to 13 year olds than any other state; at least 60% are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. In 2018, the... Guardian reported that Indigenous children are 30 times more likely to be sent to prison than any other Queenslander (https://www.theguardian.com//amnesty-urges-queensland-to-r). Imprisoned children are less likely to finish school or find employment and more likely to go on to become chronic offenders as adults. A Queensland Family and Child Commission report in 2017 found a child locked up before the age of 14 was three times more likely become a serial adult offender than a child locked up after they turned 14 (https://www.qfcc.qld.gov.au//minimum-age-criminal-responsi). The Queensland Human Rights Commission is proud to support the #RaiseTheAge campaign, calling on governments across the country to raise the age at which children can be arrested or locked up from 10 to 14 years, in line with United Nations treaty bodies recommendations to Australia. The campaign is being supported by a broad range of medical, legal and community organisations, including the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, the Australian Indigenous Doctorss Association, the Public Health Association, Amnesty International, Mission Australia, and many more. You can read about why this campaign is important at https://www.raisetheage.org.au/, or our submission to the Council of Attorneys-General on this issue which you can download from our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/resources/submissions.

16.01.2022 With the renewed focus on racial equality following Black Lives Matter and COVID-related racism this year, our friends at the Australian Human Rights Commission have relaunched their Racism. It Stops With Me campaign. The campaign aims to provide people and organisations with the tools and resources to learn about racism and to help challenge it in all its forms. You can find more on the campaign website, including how to respond to racism and to be a good ally, and resourc...es for your school or workplace, at https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/. [Image is a photo from the Racism. It Stops With Me toolkit. In the foreground is a woman sitting at a table. She is dressed all in black, with light brown hair tied back from her face, and brown eyes. She is wearing peacock father earrings and a matching pendant on a gold necklace. She has a coffee cup on the table in front of her and is speaking - she looks to be ticking things off on her fingers. Behind her is another table featuring two women talking. They are out of focus but one is wearing a pale pink headscarf, the other is dressed in black and has black hair. The background is green foliage. In the bottom left corner of the photo is "If you witness it, speak up!" in white text. The red and black campaign logo is in a square in the bottom right corner.]

16.01.2022 Need information on your rights in a language other than English? We have info on our website in Arabic, Filipino, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese available to read or download as a fact sheet from our website - and they all include instructions for translating any of the pages on our site using the BrowseAloud plugin too. You can check it out at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/yo/information-in-your-language. [Image is a gold rectangle with nine speech bubbles scattered across it in slightly different sizes. Inside the speech bubbles are the names of the languages our translated fact sheets are available in. Some speech bubbles are light blue with dark blue text, and the others are white with orange text.]

16.01.2022 Did you know we have an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group? We convened the first meeting of the group earlier this year and they have already provided invaluable advice and support for our team. Chaired by Uncle Mick Gooda and made up of members from the Torres Strait to southwest Queensland, the group is able to share with us the experiences of a wide range of First Nations communities, to support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit within the ...Commission, and to help guide our work to make it as real and relevant to First Nations Queenslanders as possible. Each and every Advisory Group member has a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, and the Commission is grateful to have them all on board. You can find our more on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au//our-aboriginal-and-torres-str. [Image is part of Guided Protection, an artwork by Quandamooka Nunukal woman Casey Coolwell, commissioned by the QHRC last year. This section of the work is a combination of overlapping protection shields filled with geometric patterns in the Commissions colours - gold, orange, red, navy, and blue.]

16.01.2022 Yesterday our Townsville team were involved in a youth consultation organised by Multicultural Affairs, Queensland Government, and were absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm, activism and intelligence in the room. Thanks to all the young people who attended and shared your thoughts about issues including multiculturalism, racism, unemployment, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement with us. Were hoping to be able to facilitate a youth human rights forum in Townsville... later in the year so hope to see some of you again soon! [Image: a photo of five people facing the camera and all smiling, standing (socially distanced!) in a room with pale grey carpet and grey walls. From left to right: Our Regional Manager Anne (with a short blonde bob and glasses, wearing a black suit and black shirt), Nkosana (short black hair, glasses, wearing a dark blue suit and pale green shirt), Ramla (wearing a black top and pants with a blush pink head scarf), Minister for Multicultural Affairs Stirling Hinchliffe MP (short grey hair, wearing black pants and a pale shirt), and Nadia (all in black with a pale pink head scarf).]

16.01.2022 Dont forget, applications for the first intake of our new Indigenous Graduate Program are due in by Friday next week, 12 June 2020. There are positions available for tertiary graduates of any discipline in Rockhampton and Townsville, and for a law graduate in Brisbane. More information, including position descriptions, is available on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/work-with-us.... [Image is a photo of a beach. The water is pale blue and very calm. It is a clear day and the sky is also pale blue. There is a large crop of red rock close to the water. A young man is climbing along the top of it, wearing red shorts, a yellow cap, and a black shirt with the Aboriginal flag on the front. The photo is overlaid with an orange triangle with Indigenous Graduate Program: Applications for 2020 program now open in white text, with the link to apply underneath it. The QHRC logo in white is at the bottom left corner.]

14.01.2022 The Australian Human Rights Commission has released new guidelines today on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID-19, to assist health care, disability services and support workers take a human rights-based approach to decision-making during the pandemic. More information, along with the guidelines themselves, are available on the AHRC website at https://humanrights.gov.au//new-guidelines-rights-people-d. [Image is a photo of a person using hand sanitiser out of a clear portable pump bottle. They are wearing a silver watch and a dark blue button up shirt with short sleeves. They are only visible shoulders to waist, and the background is out of focus.]

14.01.2022 "What can Australia learn from the Aboriginal-led response to the pandemic? Dr Denniss said the success of Indigenous communities response to the pandemic showed that Indigenous policy should start by listening to communities, and giving them power over policy design." https://www.sbs.com.au//why-are-aboriginal-communities-bet

13.01.2022 Did you know our face to face training program has resumed? Sessions have been scheduled in Brisbane and Cairns starting this month as part of a staged return to in-person training delivery. Spaces are limited to allow us to comply with COVIDsafe workplace guidelines, so get in quick to secure your place. Schedule and registration available through our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/training/register-for-training. ... [Image is a photo of several light bulbs of different shapes and sizes, suspended on cables. The wall in the background is dark brick; the floor and ceiling arent visible. There are four light bulbs visible, all with a warm golden light and hanging from black cables with black fittings. Across the bottom left of the photo is an orange triangle with Face to face training has resumed: check the schedule and register at qhrc.qld.gov.au/training in white text. The QHRC logo is in white at the bottom left of the image.]

13.01.2022 Over a third of the submissions made to our racism reporting tool since we launched it last month have been from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Have an experience you want to share with us? You can let us know at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/complaints/report-racism.

13.01.2022 It’s Human Rights Month and today’s right in focus is the protection of families and children. This right is protected by section 26 of Queensland’s Human Rights Act and means that: - Families are important, and the government has an obligation to protect families. - Children have special protection because of their age. The government must use special measures to protect children....Continue reading

13.01.2022 Queensland made history last night, becoming the first jurisdiction in Australia to ban conversion therapy. The bill passed by state parliament last night takes a strong stance against sexuality and gender identity conversion therapy, for which there is a large body of evidence of psychological harm. It is critical that young people who are diverse in sexuality or gender identity hear a strong message that they are not broken or disordered. The legislation also strengthe...ns Queenslands commitment to health equity for First Nations people by requiring every Hospital and Health Service to have a strategy for achieving health equity and having one or more First Nations people on the Board as members in each region. In our submissions to the Committee inquiry we also strongly supported these efforts to address institutional barriers to health equity for First Nations people in the public health system. See more

10.01.2022 A new campaign has launched this week to strengthen Queenslands laws on racial and religious vilification. The campaign, #BetterLaws4SafeQld, is being run by the Cohesive Communities Coalition. We are proud to be a member of this coalition, but sad a campaign like this is necessary. Queensland is richly diverse, and the coalition represents over 20 ethnic and religious communities. They are calling for changes to the law which would address the gap in current protections, ...the under-utilisation of the existing offence, the display and distribution of hate symbols or hate material, and low rates of reporting and community confidence. The changes the coalition are seeking are outlined in a paper which can be downloaded from the campaign website at https://betterlawsforsafeqld.com.au/our-call-for-change/. They are also discussed in this ABC piece about the campaign: https://www.abc.net.au//racist-hate-crimes-amid-p/12660174. You can follow the campaign on Facebook at Better Laws for Safe QLD, or find out how you can get involved at https://betterlawsforsafeqld.com.au/. [Image is a photo of an adult and child with their backs to the camera. Both are wearing white, and the child also wears a gold sash around their waist and what looks to be a gold patterned skirt under a long sleeved white tunic. The child has black hair in a braid pinned up on their head and is holding the arm of the adult. The adult has both hands behind their back, holding one wrist with their other hand. Both adult and child are wearing woven bracelets on their right wrists. Across the top We support the #BetterLaws4SafeQld campaign in white text on a magenta background. Along the bottom in the same colours is because everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome. The campaign website address is at the bottom in pale blue text. In the bottom left of the image is the campaign logo, a stylised outline of Queensland in white, orange and pale blue.]

10.01.2022 "I grew up with a strong and rich culture, and one part of that is language. I believe that language and culture is interconnected, so as Im raising Jarrah, I find its really important to teach him the language. I want him to know language stronger than I did growing up." It was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Childrens Day yesterday and this years theme is "We are the Elders of tomorrow, hear our voice". Here is Jarrahs voice - one of a growing number of Kuku Yal...anji speakers. Tahlia is a Kuku Yalanji woman from far north Queensland who is working hard to make sure her son grows up connected to language and culture. Her video is just one of many real life stories on the Queensland Family and Child Commission YouTube channel, which you can check out at https://www.youtube.com/c/QueenslandFamilyandChildCo/videos. Kuku Yalanji is spoken by more than 500 residents of the far north. You can find out mmore and download and English - Kuku Yalanji dictionary at https://www.wujalwujalcouncil.qld.gov.au/community/language/. The importance of maintaining, protecting and developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages is emphasised by Queenslands Human Rights Act which came into effect on 1 January this year - section 28 of the Act protects the cultural rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including kinship ties, connection to lands and waters, traditional knowledge and practices, and languages, among other things. You can find our more on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au//cultural-rights-of-aboriginal. #NATSIChildrensDay2020 #EldersOfTomorrow #StrongInCulture [Image: a still shot from the video. Tahlia and her husband Corey are sitting on an orange, yellow and grey couch. Tahlia has short dark hair and a blue shirt on. Corey has short dark hair, a short beard, and is wearing a black shirt. Both of them are facing their son Jarrah, who is standing on the couch between them. He is wearing a dark blue shirt and grey shorts, and is smiling at his mother.]

09.01.2022 Today we celebrate Mabo Day, and honour Eddie Koiki Mabo and the landmark High Court ruling which bears his name. After a decade-long fight for official recognition of his peoples ownership of Mer Island in the Torres Strait, the High Court ruled in favour of his claim on this day in 1992, rejecting the myth of terra nullius and laying the foundations for Native Title. The Commission, in partnership with QPAC, have held the Mabo Oration as a biennial event since 2005, to h...elp commemorate this important day for Australias First Nations peoples. Last year the oration was delivered by Luke Pearson, CEO and founder of IndigenousX. You can find a link to the video, a transcript of the oration, and some downloadable posters featuring quotes from last years oration on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au//for-aboriginal-a/mabo-oration #MaboDay #MaboDay2020 [Image: This poster contains a quote from the 2019 Mabo Oration, delivered by Luke Pearson: "He fought for his truth, a truth that he never lost sight of, and the truth that belongs to all Indigenous peoples - a very simple, but very profound truth: that this is our land. We are the sovereign peoples of this land. Our sovereignty was never ceded." The text is white on a blue triangle, which sits over a photo of Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. The photo has been taken from a distance. The island is green and mountainous with some visible buildings at one end. The water surrounding the island is bright turquoise and there are some clouds in the sky above it.]

09.01.2022 Its #WearItPurple Day, when we don something purple to show our support for and acceptance of rainbow young people. This year is the 10th anniversary of whats become an international movement to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive spaces for young LGBTIQ+ folk, and the theme is We are the change! Find out more at the WIP website at https://www.wearitpurple.org/ [Image is a purple square with a stylised person waving a progress pride flag - the traditional ...rainbow flag with the white, pink and light blue of the transgender flag and additional brown and black stripes to represent people of colour. Happy WIP Day! is written in white text in the upper right corner, with Change: celebrating 10 years! in the bottom right corner. Across the bottom of the frame are the website address and social handles for Wear It Purple, in purple text on a white background.] See more

09.01.2022 Our new advocacy guide, "Human rights and discrimination: a guide for our mob" is now available on our website. The guide has been developed by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit here at the Commission for First Nations people and their advocates, and contains info on Queenslands human rights and anti-discrimination laws, and how to make complaints. The guide is available on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au//for-abori/a-guide-for-our-mob - and if you... need to talk to the Unit their details are on our website too, at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/contactus. [Image is the front cover of the Human rights and discrimination: a guide for our mob resource. It is a photo of a beach. The water is pale blue and very calm. It is a clear day and the sky is also pale blue. There is a large crop of red rock close to the water. A young man is climbing along the top of it, wearing red shorts, a yellow cap, and a black shirt with the Aboriginal flag on the front. The title of the guide, Human rights and discrimination: a guide for our mob, is in white text across the top of the photo. The QHRC logo is at the bottom.]

08.01.2022 New Closing the Gap targets were released yesterday. Its encouraging to see a refreshed commitment to reducing the appalling levels of disadvantage many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still face, and to see that community have been involved in identifying priorities and setting these new targets - now we need action to make them a reality. Our full statement is available on our website at https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/about-us/media/

07.01.2022 Are you 16-24 years old and living in the Townsville area? Multicultural Affairs Queensland is keen to hear from young people of all backgrounds as well as anyone who works closely with them about attitudes towards multiculturalism including: sentiments at a time of rising racism and unemployment impacts of the new COVID-19 environment... the Black Lives Matter movement. Well be there on the day and wed love you to join us and share your thoughts and experiences in a safe space. The session includes lunch, a panel presentation and round table discussions. Your input can help shape a Queensland that is welcoming and inclusive of everyone. Register to attend before Friday 21 August at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/youth-consultation-attitude

07.01.2022 A new report out today has found that over three quarters of news and current affairs presenters on Australian television are of Anglo-Celtic background. Just 6 per cent are from an Indigenous or non-European background, despite the fact that these groups account for about a quarter of the Australian population. The Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories? report is the first comprehensive picture of who tells, frames and produces stories in Australian television news and curr...ent affairs. It details the experience and the extent of inclusion and representation of culturally diverse news and current affairs presenters, commentators and reporters. It is also the first forensic examination of how our media treats cultural diversity at the workplace level. You can read the full report from Media Diversity Australia at https://www.mediadiversityaustralia.org/research/.

07.01.2022 After the usual July celebrations were postponed due to the pandemic, NAIDOC Week will be held from 8-15 November this year. [Image is from the National NAIDOC facebook page. It is a dark blue rectangle with a faint pattern of flowing lines and dots. On the right side is a black circle with Celebrating NAIDOC Week in white text around the edge. Inside the circle is a stylised human figure in white, against a background of red, green, blue and yellow dots in a circular patterns. To the left of the circle are the words Always was, always will be (which is the NAIDOC Week theme for 2020), with 8 - 15 Nov 2020 in smaller letters underneath. The #NAIDOC2020 hashtag is in yellow text at the bottom.]

07.01.2022 Today is Australian South Sea Islanders National Recognition Day, marking the anniversary of a 1994 Commonwealth Government declaration which officially recognised the Australian South Sea Islanders as a distinct cultural group. Formal recognition at state level did not take place until September 2000, when the Queensland Government also acknowledged the past injustices suffered by Australian South Sea Islanders, and the significant contributions they had made to the economic..., cultural and social development of Queensland. Between 1863 and 1904, an estimated 55,000 to 63,000 South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia to work as indentured labourers for sugar cane and cotton farms in Queensland and New South Wales. These labourers were called Kanakas (meaning man in Hawaiian) and came from some 80 Pacific Islands, primarily Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The majority were kidnapped, forced, or deceived into coming, in a practice called blackbirding (blackbird being another word for slave). The Australian Human Rights Commissions publication Australian South Sea Islanders: A century of race discrimination under Australian law was first published in 2003 and is still available to read online at https://humanrights.gov.au//australian-south-sea-islanders.

06.01.2022 "As Queenslanders assemble tomorrow to exercise their right to express solidarity and sorrow for the ruthless killing of US citizen, George Floyd, many will also be reflecting on the treatment before the law of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland. The statistics are stark and are not improving. Aboriginal deaths in custody continue to occur because there are scandalously disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal children, women, and men detained within a ...criminal justice system which habitually repeats patterns of policing established under past policies of dispossession and protection. Since the Royal Commission into Deaths in Custody delivered its findings in 1991, numerous inquiries including those by the Australian Law Reform Commission in 2018 and the Queensland Productivity Commission in 2019 have added to the list of recommendations to address the problem of over-representation. And yet the incarceration rates continue to rise. Now is not the time for another inquiry. It is the time for governments in Australia to commit to a genuine, power-sharing partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to find solutions that place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Queenslanders equal before the law." - Scott McDougall, Queensland Human Rights Commissioner

02.01.2022 The Queensland Human Rights Commission exists to combat discrimination in the community, to resolve complaints about discrimination, and to promote human rights and a fair and inclusive Queensland. Human rights include the right to freedom of expression, but this right is not absolute, and is limited when your expression vilifies others, incites hatred or violence, or encourages discrimination against them. Given this, any posts which contain discriminatory or offensive comments based on race, religion, gender identity, age, or any of the other attributes contained within the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (which you can find at www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/your-rights/discrimination-law) will be hidden or deleted. Please keep comments family-friendly and avoid insulting other users. Users who repeatedly ignore these guidelines may be blocked.

02.01.2022 This is one of the most common questions we’re asked about the Act. While there is no explicit right to housing included, interference with someone’s home is in fact covered by section 25, the right to privacy and reputation. Under this section, the Act specifies that someone’s ‘privacy, family, home or correspondence’ cannot be ‘unlawfully or arbitrarily interfered with’ so it does not guarantee the right to housing for those who do not currently have a home, but it does ...offer some protection for people in housing. We’ve been working with a social housing provider during 2020 on a pilot model to help them review their policies, practices and services for compatibility with human rights. As part of the ongoing training and development being undertaken with their team we’ve heard about some of the changes in the way they operate because of the Human Rights Act, including cases like this one: One of the tenants being supported by the housing provider was sentenced to a short prison term. The provider discovered that the tenant’s young child was being cared for by a family member in the property without a formal tenancy arrangement. Under law, this meant they could terminate the tenancy because of the extended absence of the mother and rent arrears that would accrue but staff were particularly aware of the tenant’s human rights as well as those of her child, and instead of terminating the tenancy, the woman was connected with a support service while inside, and everyone involved worked together to find a solution. Other family members temporarily covered the rent so that the property would be there for the mother when she was released from prison, and her child had stability and care. Many women leaving prison find themselves homeless, even though most are incarcerated for less than three months. This is just one example of how an awareness of human rights and a willingness to think creatively about solutions can lead to what are potentially life-changing outcomes. [Image: an aqua and gold speech bubble sits on a red and white background. Inside it is white text that reads why is there no right to housing under the Human Rights Act? At the bottom of the tile is the QHRC logo on the left, and the #HRM2020 hashtag and Commission website (www.qhrc.qld.gov.au) on the right.]