Australian Human Rights Commission:
A new website being launched today will bring together human rights advocates in an online network to share advice and best practice, and provide a one-stop-shop for information on international human rights treaties relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and member of the Steering Committee which has been overseeing development of the network, said the Indigenous Human Rights Network Australia (IHRNA) was a much-needed resource for Australians who advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ human rights.
“IHRNA fills a void for those people in the community who are working away persistently, and often on their own, to ensure that the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are given the prominence they deserve in the development of laws, programs and policies in Australia,” Commissioner Gooda said.
“Now, with the touch of a keyboard, network members will be able to contact experts for advice or make connections with mentors and other human rights advocates to share information and best practice approaches to protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ human rights.
“We’ve just had the first anniversary of the federal government’s formal support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and I can’t think of a better way to help people bring the Declaration alive and give it real application, than by enabling them to jump on a website and get the information they need to put the Declaration into practice.”
Information on IHRNA and the Steering Committee members can be found on the IHRNA website at www.ihrna.info to find out more or watch www.youtube.com/user/ihrna
