International Spotlight Shines on Indigenous Governance

Media Release - Australian Indigenous Governance Institute

Australia’s peak Indigenous Governance organisation, the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute (AIGI), has announced the first ever International Indigenous Governance Conference (IIGC) will go live from Brisbane this December.

The inaugural conference is set to attract global attention, with a powerhouse line-up of 30 international and Australian speakers.

The high-profile presenters include Karen Diver, a former appointee of USA President Obama as the Special Assistant for Native American Affairs; Mick Gooda, the First Nations Advisor to the Queensland Minister for Housing and Public Works; Megan Minoka Hill, from Harvard University and a Program Director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development; and Dr Robert Joseph, a Maori Barrister and Solicitor of the New Zealand High Court, amongst other high-profile Indigenous advocates.

Presented in a virtual format, AIGI hosts the IIGC 2020 with partners Reconciliation Australia and the BHP Foundation.

AIGI CEO Michelle Deshong said the international conference provided First Nations Peoples all over the world, and anyone interested in Indigenous Governance, with a valuable opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking.

“For thousands of years, the world’s oldest continuous living culture has been making decisions that benefit the whole community,” she said.

“The success of today’s organisations’ lies in the continual evolution of culturally informed governance solutions.”

The theme of the 2020 inaugural conference is “Self-Determination through Self-Governance” with these topics to be explored along with similar critical areas of Indigenous Governance including Treaties-Development and Innovation, Indigenous Woman in Governance, Innovation and New Knowledge, Nation Building and Succession Planning.

The AIGI originally planned the IIGC for earlier in 2020, however the COVID-19 lockdown meant the conference had to be rescheduled.

AIGI COO Ivan Ingram said the co-hosts felt it was important that the conference still go ahead, but pivot to a virtual format to ensure personal safety and to work around the international restrictions still in place.

“While COVID put a pause on a number of things globally, our Governance did not,” he said.

“It has adapted and shaped over time to respond and meet challenges such as these presented by 2020, and we should take the opportunity to share these and not be beholden to physical constraints when we have the technology to adjust.”

The IIGC features two jam-packed days of governance presentations and panel discussions, plus six interactive workshops on 2-3 December 2020.

“Australian godfather of Indigenous Comedy” Sean Choolburra will also provide lunch-time entertainment on day two, and has partnered with the IIGC to deliver a series of side-splitting promotional videos in the lead up to the Conference.

The AIGI has also announced there are six free scholarships on offer to attend the two-day 2020 IIGC; three for adults and another three scholarships for those under 25 years of age.

“We want to make the Conference as accessible as possible, and provide the opportunity to participate, particularly our young people to engage in these important discussions,” Mr Ingram said.

Applications for the six free IIGC scholarships will close on November 19, 2020.

Those wishing to purchase tickets for the IIGC 2020 can register at https://hopin.com/events/iigc.

For more information, or to gain access to IIGC media assets, please contact the Branding and Communications team at AIGI.

Sean Choolburra promotional videos can also be provided by the AIGI, or viewed here.

Media Contact

Jodie Hill

AIGI

Branding and Communications Manager

communications@aigi.com.au