Human Rights Oration: Dr Anita Heiss – 10 Dec 2015

The Human Rights Oration is an annual event hosted by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to recognise International Human Rights Day.

The Oration aims to highlight human rights issues as they apply to the everyday lives of citizens. Each year we invite prominent speakers in different fields to present their perspective on human rights.

Dr Anita Heiss presented the 2015 Human Rights Oration on 10 December at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. A video of Dr Heiss’s speech can be viewed below.

Dr Heiss is the author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles. She is a regular guest at writers’ festivals and travels internationally performing her work and lecturing on Indigenous literature.

Dr Heiss is an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador and a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. Anita is a role model for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and an Advocate for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence.

She is an Adjunct Professor with Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS and currently divides her time between writing, public speaking, MCing, and being a ‘creative disruptor’. Dr Heiss was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards.

Note: at 27:30 Dr Heiss screens a video from SOS BLAK AUSTRALIA.

The conclusion of Dr Heiss’s speech is unavailable due to technical issues. A short video about the Footpath Library was included in the final part of the speech.