Please join us for a discussion of the reasons for and against both (a) constitutional recognition of First peoples, and (b) the establishment of Indigenous sovereignty.

When: Tuesday July 14th, 6.30 – 8.30 pm

Where: Carpark under the Westpac Bank, 89-91 Boundary St, West End.

Our panelists:

Mark Yettica-Paulson

An Indigenous man from southeast Queensland and northeast NSW regions, Mark is a facilitator and presenter with wide-ranging experience in business, government, education and not-for-profit organisations. In 2009 he was recognised by The Australian as one of the top 100 emerging leaders in Australia and in 2011 he won ABC TV’s Strictly Speaking competition with a speech about having pride in our history and reclaiming a national identity for Australia’s Indigenous people. Currently Mark is the founding Director of The Yettica Group, which specialises in transformational conversation facilitation, social leadership and indigenous engagement. (Bio taken from Social Leadership Australia)

Gordon Chalmers

Gordon Chalmers (BA, JD) is an Associate Lecturer in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit at UQ. He has also worked in the government sector on Indigenous land tenure matters. Currently completing his PhD, Gordon is attempting to deconstruct the legal identity of the “Aboriginal Race of Australia” in Australian law, allowing for the possibility of both re-conceptualising and -addressing Indigenous efforts to once again normalize Aboriginal ontologies in Australia.

Darcy Burgin

Darcy is currently writing a Masters thesis in philosophy at UQ on the function of the human body in the constitution of experience. He has a keen interest in the necessary preconditions for the flourishing of an authentically democratic community and their being brought about in Australia. He will speak to the possibility and significance of a shared Australian narrative.

As always, all free / all welcome. Ample discussion time to follow panelists’ presentations.