Former Federal Court Judge Murray Wilcox and CEO of the new National Indigenous Television Corporation, Pat Turner AM, will be among the high-profile keynote speakers when the Garma Key Forum begins on Saturday.
The Hon Murray Wilcox, who ruled in 2006 in favour of the Noongar people’s Native Title claim on the City of Perth and its surrounds, together with Pat Turner, and other Australian and Canadian Indigenous leaders will address a capacity audience during the Key Forum, titled Indigenous Health: Real solutions for a chronic problem.
Around 500 Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and decision-makers from the community, business and government, as well as educators and practitioners will attend the Forum, along with Indigenous people from New Zealand and Canada. The Forum will provide an opportunity for Indigenous communities and people working with them to share their success stories.
The three-day Forum is a central feature of the Garma Festival of Traditional Culture which is held annually near Nhulunbuy in north-east Arnhem Land.
A program of 15 workshops will be held during the Forum with topics spanning the importance of traditional midwifery, building cultural security into health delivery services, men’s health, addressing the social factors that lead to poor health, and substance abuse – detriments to quality of life.
The Garma Festival of Traditional Culture is an annual celebration of cultural traditions and practices, and is operated by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, a not-for-profit Aboriginal charitable organisation. It begins on Friday and runs until Tuesday, 7 August.
Visit www.cdu.edu.au/garma/ for the complete Garma Key Forum program.