January 26 or Invasion Day can be a heavy weight on the calendar for many First Nations people, while much of the country celebrate Australia Day and migrants gain citizenship Mob are reminded of the dispossession and ongoing colonisation at the hands of the British.
In the lead up to the day, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) will be hosting an all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander panel discussion touching on key justice issues affecting our people.
Today (January 24) at 12:45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time a panel of experts including activist and author Sissy Austin, Budj Bim World Heritage Ranger Tyson Lovett-Murray, and VALS community legal education officer Tarneen Onus Williams will discuss the criminal justice and child protection systems, reversing colonisation, and ending Aboriginal deaths in custody.
Last year’s Invasion Day webinar saw about 500 people attend the free event and this year panel moderator and VALS Chief Executive Nerita Waight says registrations have already reached up to 700 and encouraged anyone from the public to register while they still can, attend, and ask questions.
“VALS works really hard everyday campaigning around these issues so it’s a great opportunity for other organisations, community members and the general public to tune in and listen to some experts to voice their concerns and bounce ideas of each other,” VALS CEO Waight said.
Register for the online panel discussion here.
