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University marks Sorry Day

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Words
Zuleika Henderson
Published
21 May 2008
Southern Cross University will be celebrating Reconciliation Week with a range of activities tomorrow (May 22) followed by a keynote address to commemorate National Sorry Day on Monday, May 26.

The activities at the Coffs Harbour and Lismore campuses will include ceremonies, bush tucker barbecues and film screenings, while the keynote address will be delivered by Indigenous lawyer and lecturer at Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Dr Loretta Kelly, on Monday at the Whitebrook Theatre, Lismore.

Entitled ‘Towards reconciliation - sorry business and the role of a treaty in reconciling Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’, the address will focus on the formal recognition of Indigenous people as the first Australians.

Gnibi course co-ordinator and member of the Southern Cross University Indigenous Events Committee (SCUIEC) Marcelle Townsend-Cross said that Dr Kelly’s speech would discuss the significance of a treaty for Australia’s Indigenous population.

“We are looking forward to hearing the thoughts of someone of Dr Kelly’s experience on the future for reconciliation,” said Ms Townsend-Cross.

“She will be examining the importance of a treaty for reconciliation at both the socio-political and inter-personal levels.

“The address will be of interest to all at the University and to the community in general.”

Dr Kelly is a Gumbaynggirr and Dungutti woman from the North Coast of NSW.

Her doctoral thesis was in the area of native title mediation, and she is particularly interested in how these tools can be used as processes of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The address will be held in the Whitebrook Theatre, Lismore campus (Y2.04), on Monday 26 May from 12pm. It will also be available after the address on the website www.scu.edu.au/scunews

For enquiries on the keynote address on Monday 26 May, contact Leearna Williams on (02) 6620 3955.

Program for Thursday, May 22
Lismore campus
9.30am: Morning tea and welcome to country
10am: Talking circle
12pm: Barbecue lunch
12.45pm: Group discussion

Monday, May 26, Coffs Harbour campus:
12.30pm: Welcome to country and flag raising
1pm: Activities including bush tucker barbecue, close the gap petition, healing hands calico activity and screening of film ‘The Apology’.