International expert on the rights of Indigenous peoples visits Boomanulla
The Elected Body with local community members took the opportunity to speak with Dr Albert K. Barume, Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, at Boomanulla Oval in April.
Dr Barume generously shared deep knowledge on the rights of Indigenous peoples, set in 25 years of working at national, regional and international levels. A national of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Barume was among the first lawyers to work on Indigenous peoples’ rights in the 1990s in Africa. As the Special Rapporteur, he promotes good practice, makes recommendations, reports on and addresses cases of human rights issues.
It was a rare opportunity to yarn on home soil with an expert about how we can apply international approaches locally. Dr Barume challenged the community to think about how we work together to build better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We came away with invaluable learnings about applying a human rights view to building equality and equity within the Canberra community. We commit to meeting Dr Barume’s challenge – collaborating more and using a human rights lens as we advocate for equal life outcomes, opportunities, and value as other members of the Canberra community.
