Water Justice In Australia and The Pacific Symposium

Nyikina Man Nelson follows the River to its source on Ngarinyin Country. Manning Creek, Ngarinyin Country. Lachie Carracher. Supplied by Minority Rights Group.

Western Sydney University and Minority Rights Group International

host water justice symposium

Western Sydney University and Minority Rights Group International (MRG) hosted the Water Justice in Australia and The Pacific Symposium on Friday, 13 October at the Parramatta City campus.

The event launched the Focus on Water - Minority and Indigenous Trends 2023 Report by MRG, which features global case studies and contributions from Indigenous knowledge keepers and minority group activists as well as the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Water.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Nyikina Warrwa Elder Professor Anne Poelina, Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council; Co-Chair of Indigenous Studies, Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, and Mr Sandy Sur, water music practitioner from Vanuatu and Director of Leweton Cultural Experience, an organisation devoted to the ancient customs of the Islands of Gaua and Mere Lava, who discussed their contributions to the report in relation to Australia and The Pacific.

The event included a Darug Yarning with Western Sydney University Elder on Campus Chris Tobin as well as a Yarning with D’harawal Traditional Descendants and Knowledge Holders Circle, including Elders Aunty Fran Bodkin and Uncle Gavin Andrews. It also featured an open conversation about water justice and rights globally, with researchers, students, Traditional Owners and Custodians, and partners across western Sydney and beyond.

Professor Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Director of Indigenous Research at Western Sydney University, who delivered the opening remarks, said the University was pleased to partner with MRG, an international non-government organisation.

“The symposium will bring together leading experts and provide an important platform for discussion and engagement around a human rights-based approach to water policy and governance, highlighting minority and Indigenous voices,” said Professor Bodkin-Andrews.

“It will also be an opportunity to share the leading research and initiatives Western Sydney University is delivering in relation to climate change, water security and Indigenous leadership.”

For the second consecutive year, Western Sydney University has been ranked number one in the world for its social, ecological, and economic impact in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings.

The University through its Sustainability and Resilience Decadal Strategy is focused on revitalising partnerships based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, including embracing Indigenous Knowledges for pathways to sustainability and Caring for Country.

Minority Rights Group International is an international human rights organisation, headquartered in London, with offices in Budapest and Kampala. The organisation's mission statement is to secure rights for ethnic, national, religious, linguistic minorities, and indigenous peoples around the world.

For more information about the Minority and Indigenous Trends 2023 – Focus on water report visit the Minority Rights Group website.