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The creation of Ausyouth is an initiative that clearly picks up on the real-life needs of today's youth, an initiative that has the potential to foster the building blocks of a progressive caring society, and from a human rights perspective, it's an initiative that addresses some of Australia's obligations with respect to international instruments, to which we as a nation are committed.

Senator Scullion, distinguished guests and participants, can I begin by paying my acknowledgement to the Irukandjii Peoples, the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to their elders.  I would also like to thank the National Indigenous Environmental Health Forum, the conference organising group and Queensland Health for organising this event and for inviting me to address you.  And thank you to Shane for his opening words and introduction.

Let me begin by acknowledging and paying my respects to the Traditional Owners of the place upon which we sit and talk tonight. I honour your Elders that have come before us, those that are here tonight and I await in optimistic anticipation for those Elders who are yet to emerge.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land where we meet today, and pay my respects to their elders both past and present.

I begin today by thanking Granny Alice Yeatman for her warm welcome to Yarrabah and paying my respects to the Traditional Owners, on whose land we meet. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, distinguished guests.

I also acknowledge colleagues from government, and from non-government organisations, including from a wide range of churches and faith-based organisations.  And particularly can I acknowledge colleagues from the Australian Multicultural Foundation, Hass Dellal and Athalia Zwartz, and Professors Gary Bouma and Des Cahill, as the authors of the report we are receiving and launching today.

Exploring advancements in children’s rights and emerging themes from the Big Banter. A resource for human rights and wellbeing from Megan Mitchell.

The promotion of human rights and education go hand in hand. At the international level human rights education is an essential function of the work of the UN and its many agencies. And it is fundamental to the work of a National Human Rights Commission.

The Sydney Institute

Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

I hope that you are not expecting from me a speech full of stirring rhetoric, to inspire you before you settle into detailed and practical discussions throughout the rest of this conference.