Thank you to all of our colleagues, supporters and friends who joined us for the 2021 Social Justice Dinner (reimagined!).
Over 200 people gathered in satellite events across the country to celebrate a shared commitment to social justice and human rights, and tuned in at 8pm for an interactive program of speeches and presentations.
The program was hosted by broadcaster extraordinaire Julian Morrow at the Giant Dwarf studio in Redfern, and featured live-crosses to a number of events throughout the city.
Yvonne Weldon, Chair of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, started the evening by welcoming us to Country – urging us to not only recognise the traditional owners of the land on which we gathered, but reflect on the struggle of Australia’s First Nations people for justice.
In his speech, PIAC CEO, Jonathon Hunyor, reflected on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on disadvantaged and marginalised communities.
‘Although we liked to say that we were ‘all in this together’, the truth was that some were more in it than others,’ he said.
2019 Human Rights Medallist Rosemary Kayess delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking speech, challenging the way that we understand disability and how we need to change our thinking and our actions to create a more inclusive world.
‘The challenge for those of us engaged in public policy and law is to recognise the diversity of the human condition and reflect this in our laws, policies and practice, and not through ‘special treatment’ of those outside the outdated norms,’ she said.
PIAC Chair Rebecca Gilsenan paid tribute to PIAC’s many supporters, friends and allies and thanked Major Sponsors The Law Society of NSW and MinterEllison, and Supporting Sponsors Lawcover and Macquarie Group.
The event was tweeted live at #PIACdinner21.