Indigenous Conference Services in cooperation with MEES (Australia) launches the 2014 National Indigenous Women Conference to be held in Cairns on the 13th – 15th October, 2014. The overwhelming response of the Call for Papers clearly indicates the interests of organizations and individuals working in Indigenous Women’s services to improve the Indigenous women’s wellbeing throughout this nation.
Within a few weeks of first publishing the event, we’ve received abstract submissions both from every states and territories in Australia and from overseas. Registration numbers are also filling fast; hence, we encourage anyone who wishes to attend the conference to register as soon as possible. More than 80 % of the submitted papers are from community based organizations, wishing to share successes in programs implemented within their communities.
One of the featured speakers is MS. CHERI YAVU-KAMA-HARATHUNIAN. Cheri is a traditional Australian Aboriginal woman of the Terabalang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng and Kabbi Kabbi peoples. Ms Yavu-Kama-Harathunian received a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science in Indigenous and Community Health and a Certificate in Small Business Development. Cheri has more than 40 years of professional experience in Governance and Management in health, child care, education, social/criminal justice. She is a Director on the Board of IWC Ltd Bundaberg. Her portfolio covers the Spiritual and Social Services where her focus is to staff and clients and their families. She’s also the Director of Lonweigh Aboriginal Corporation 2004-2014; a Director of the Bunya Mountains Elders Council 2013-2016; and Director Indigenous Business Institute. In 2013, she was awarded the International Professional of the year Award by World Wide Who’s Who.
Furthermore, the conference also lined up several international Indigenous speakers from New Zealand, Canada and USA. MS. BERNADETTE L. PIZZEY was born November, 1960 in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Bernadette is Metis. She grew up in a German/Irish home and her biological father is Cree. She has a Social Welfare Certificate, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, and is currently completing her fourth year of the Bachelors in Social Work Degree at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. She recently published her first book, “Traveling Truths: Highway Memoirs” (2013) and is working on her second book, “Traveling Truths: Bus People”.
In addition to the featured speakers and after due deliberation, the following presenters and their respective papers had been accepted for presentation during the 2014 National Indigenous Women’s Conference:
-MS. JOANNE BORG is the SNAICC Resource Service Project Officer. Joanne Borg was born and has lived on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne all of her life. Her mother’s family are originally from the Biripi nation (Taree NSW), and her father is of Maltese origin. Jo has worked within legal, child and family welfare, and the health sector of the Victorian Aboriginal community since 1987. She has also worked in government for DHS and the Victorian Child Safety Commissioner. Jo’s passion is to improve the wellness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as the broader community.
-MS. ELIZABETH COOPER is from Canada. She holds a Masters degree in Native Studies from the University of Manitoba and is currently pursuing a PhD in Community Health Sciences. She has worked internationally within the field of Community Based Research focusing on Indigenous health research and knowledge exchange.
-MS LLYR OTTO is a registered nurse with over twenty years experience is a wide range of nursing fields. Llyr holds a Bachelor of Health Science Nursing, a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health Leadership and is currently undertaking a Masters of Health with a specialisation in Leadership. She has undertaken senior management roles in Public, Private and Not for Profit sectors and her current role of Clinical Risk Manager for the Whiddon Group entails addressing areas of Clinical Governance in The Whiddon Group Aged Care Services. She has a longstanding professional and personal commitment to providing opportunity for Indigenous women to become leaders in all aspects of healthcare.
-MS. LINDA EVANS is a Midwife of 17 years and Registered nurse for 28 years. She is employed by Qld Health in Toowoomba to provide midwifery care to A&TSI women as part of the federally funded Closing the Gap initiative and is currently the A&TSI Clinical Midwifery and Child Health and Lactation Consultant. Linda’s nursing and midwifery career has been varied with time teaching nursing at SQIT, co-writing Cert IV courses in Maternal and Child Health and Chronic Disease for Health workers. Linda has recently completed her Masters of Advanced Health Practice specialising in Primary Health care and Community in 2013.
It is so pleasing to see both government and non-government organizations participating in choosing the agenda and as delegates as well. For after all, this conference is about sharing of information on successful Indigenous women programs existing and being implemented all over Australia and encouraging inter-agency networking either at a local, state and national level.
To register or for further details, please visit the event’s website: www.indigenousconferences.com or email at admin@indigenoushealth.net
