Global Pathways 2019: Human Rights are as cool as surfing
"Human Rights are as cool as surfing" - Mr Dan Rogers, 2019.
Global Pathways is the annual professional networking event held by the QUT United Nations Student Association (QUT UNSA). In living out the association’s goal of shaping the next generation of global citizens, the event focuses on generating pathways and professional connections for student career opportunities beyond graduation. With the focus generally placed on global career paths, this year the speakers took an unintentional direction by encouraging the audience to look closer to home.
Key note speaker, Mr Dan Rogers began with the nights most notable line – “human rights are as cool as surfing”. As the Director of Caxton Legal Centre, Mr Rogers is a supporter of human rights for everyone across the world. By firstly commending the passion in the room, he drew the audience’s attention back to their own communities. While there are a range of large humanitarian issues on a global scale, domestic work is just as important. Human rights start in homes and local communities. Mr Rogers continued by encouraging the audience to focus future work on present human rights issues in Australia, including mental health, immigration and homelessness.
Like many legal professionals working internationally, Mr Rogers experienced sheer embarrassment when confronted by foreign diplomats regarding Australia’s current immigration detention policy. These policies convey a continuation of poor history of breaching numerous United Nations conventions including the right to liberty. Mr Rogers highlighted that students should aim to acquire relevant skills that can help make a difference.
The growth of the mental health wellness movement has changed how many people approach day-to-day mental wellness but also the way in which mental illnesses are approached. However, so much more is still needed to be achieved especially when considering Queensland legislation. Under the current Mental Health Act, mechanical restraints are still legally able to be used by medical professionals. It goes without saying the many possible breaches of human rights need to be reconsidered with patients being safeguarded from misuse.
Mr Rogers led the audience to his final point – homelessness. Currently, there are 16,000 people in Queensland without a fixed address. Of the clientele that the Caxton Legal Centre service, most are experiencing a state of homelessness.
This is the case across many other community legal centres. Often when a client is experiencing homelessness, they are experiencing a level of vulnerability that limits them from an adequate standard of access to legal, welfare and social security essentials.
The drafting and implementation of a Human Rights Bill in Queensland has been another passion of Mr Rogers. Having such legislation within Queensland will progressively create a cultural awareness of every person’s basic rights as a human being. For the homeless in the community, it will ensure better delivery of government services and development of law with appropriate safeguards. In turn, this implementation will create a challenge for lawyers. The onus lies with lawyers to use the Human Rights Act to better protect clients and efficiently litigate matters. In turn, this will also ensure a greater sense of purpose as lawyers with the use of this act.
Mr Rogers followed by saying that no one should be deterred from international aspirations. He would never discourage the incredible opportunities available to change human rights on a global scale. But human rights begin in the local community. They begin within us and our actions within our local community.
By doing what lawyers do best, making irrelevant things relevant, Mr Rogers related the ‘cool’ factor of surfing to human rights quite successfully.
While the panel discussion with Ian Learmonth, Benedict Coyne, Angela Romano and Rebecca Slater, did include much conversation around their work internationally, again, the focus came back to domestic work on human rights. When asked how they each balance volunteering within their busy careers, Ms Slater raised the pro bono program her job at King and Woods Mallesons encourages its employees to participate in. At any given time, Ms Slater has at least two pro bono matters on foot. Many other organisations have their own social responsibility programs. Ms Slater raised that through pro bono programs, she is improving her skills and becoming better at her job. Although we may not feel we have a choice in employer at the time of graduation, if you choose an employer or company that matches your ideals, volunteering and working on important matters will be available to you. As students and graduates we also have the opportunity to volunteer at community legal centres who service the most vulnerable in accessing their basic rights as a human.
Amongst the human rights discussion the room remained light hearted as the students were given a great laugh as the tables turned on the panel. When asked the common clerkship interview question ‘When have you overcome adversity?’, the panel was left speechless. After a moment to collect their thoughts, each panel member provided a brilliant response.
Ms Rebecca Slater lost her job at a London firm a week before Christmas. There was no time to ponder on the loss and instead had to put foot to pavement in finding her next position.
Mr Ian Learmonth was working in London at the onset of the global financial crisis began. Through this time he had to make the decision to lay off workers and stop the continuation of financial deals. Despite the tough choices, Mr Learmonth help the reinvention of the business and industry he was working in as they worked to stay a float during and after the financial crisis ended.
Angela Romano – As Dr Romano entered motherhood she realised how she had moved through life without making a conscious effort to create deep relationships with people. Ms Romano noticed when she needed motherhood support, her networks were not relevant. This enforced the need to network in all aspects of life not only professionally.
Mr Benedict Coyne was a member of a bike cycling team who rode across Australia. While the team procrastinated training in the lead up to the long ride, Mr Coyne compared the ridding struggles to working on the Human Rights Bill. Even with persistence, some tasks can be really difficult, but staying focused on the bigger picture is essential in reaching the finish line.
If you were to take anything from Global Pathways 2019, it would be to start your work in human rights right now. Start in your community. Acknowledge the humanitarian issues which are present in our country, your community and be a part of the change. Simply by volunteering and advocating, you can begin your part in the global implementation and continuation of basic human rights for everyone.
QUT UNSA expresses our sincere gratitude to each member who joined us for Global Pathways 2019. Each year this enriching networking evening grows and is only possible from the support we receive. Another thank you to our speakers of the evening who each provided their time to encourage and inform the future human rights advocates of Australia.
QUT UNSA's flagship annual Global Pathways networking night and its other events are made possible by our major sponsors BDO Australia, the QUT Guild and the QUT Business School.
Marketing & Publications Officer Samara Wendt is a third-year QUT Law and Psychology student.
