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INVITATION TO CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA
INDIGENOUS CONFERENCE SERVICES
INVITATION TO CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA
 
2014 National Indigenous Women Conference               2014 National Indigenous Men’s Conference
Cairns 13- 15 October                                                                   Cairns on 13- 15 October
Indigenous Conference Services (ICS) is breaking new grounds with the establishment of the annual Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Conferences which was planned to be a yearly event sparking new interest from an unexpected vast number of Indigenous organizations from outside of Australia so much that international indigenous groups have shown keen interests in participating and registered for both the 2014 National Indigenous Men’s and Women’s Conferences in Cairns.  
As such, ICS has taken the initiative position to invite a maximum of six international First Nation’s speakers at this year’s national event. This is not to say that our First nation’s brothers and sisters from overseas are not able to register as delegates and participate; in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Plans have been formulated to make both the men’s and women’s conferences to become full blown international events. As such, expressions of interest are now being sought from community groups and individuals who would wish to be part of the organizing community however dates and venue for the 2015 World Indigenous Men’s Conference and the 2015 World Indigenous Women’s Conference has not been chosen at this point in time. Because of the federal government’s tough budgets, no funding will be sought from any funding bodies. The conferences will be self funded with the initial capital for the events coming from ICS itself. 
Moreover, we believe a perfect platform has been established with grass-roots communities being the driving force for both the 2014 National Indigenous Men’s and 2014 National Indigenous Women’s Conferences. To further encourage participation, a 25% discount on registration fees for the 2015 World Indigenous Men’s Conference and the 2015 World Indigenous Women’s Conference will be offered to delegates who attend this year’s event. We have many exciting guest speakers for the men’s and women’s conferences however we would like to highlight two great speakers to spark your interests. 
STEVE WIDDERS is one of the motivational speakers at the 2014 Indigenous Men’s Conference. Steve is a descendant of the Anaiwan /Kamiloaroi people of Northern NSW (Armidale/Moree). He was declared medically and legally blind by the late Professor Fred Hollows at age 35. Steve will share his personal story of how he overcame severe depression, mental anguish, isolation and even suicidal ideation due to the restrictions and limitations which come with a disability. Though blind, Steve sees himself as a Man of Vision and prefers to talk of his Ability rather than his Disability. He walked the Kokoda Track in 2011 to honour Aboriginal soldiers who fought there during WW2 and rode a tandem bicycle between Brisbane and Sydney to promote men’s health and well being. Steve is one of the 2013 NSW Senior’s Week Ambassador, a member of the NSW Disability Council, the NSW Police Advisory Council and the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC). 
Furthermore, one of the exciting guest speakers for the 2014 Indigenous HON. LINDA BURNEY Deputy Leader NSW Labour Party Shadow Minister, Family & Community Services; Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs New South Wales
 
Linda was elected Member for Canterbury in 2003, appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training in 2005, joined Cabinet as Minister for Fair Trading, Youth and Volunteering in 2007, promoted Minister for Community Services in 2008 and in 2009 she was appointed Minister for the State Plan as well as Minister for Women.  She was also the Coordinating Minister for the Department of Human Services: the umbrella agency for the portfolios of community services, housing, ageing, disability and home care, juvenile justice and Aboriginal Affairs.
 
Linda is the first Aboriginal Australian to be elected to the NSW Parliament and a proud member of the Wiradjuri Nation.  Her commitment to Indigenous issues spans more than 30 years. She began her career as a teacher in Western Sydney and spent many years working in education.  In 2002, her expertise was formally recognised when she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education from Charles Stuart University. Linda was the first Aboriginal graduate of this respected institution. 
 
Linda has represented Australia at various United Nations forums. She also held senior leadership positions in the non-government sector; she has served on a number of boards including SBS, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and the NSW Board of Studies.  Linda also accepted the invitation to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Western Sydney in 2003, and Chairman of the Natural Resources Advisory Council late in 2004 – positions she held until her appointment as a Cabinet Minister in 2007.  Linda was also an executive member of the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation,
 
INTERNATIONAL GUEST SPEAKER
 
HANNAH TAIT NEUFELD Banting Postdoctoral Research Fellow Indigenous Health Lab, Western University 
Canada
 
For the past 20 years, Hannah has worked internationally with Indigenous women and children on the revitalization of traditional foods and medicines in northeastern Brazil and central Java, Indonesia. In southern Ontario, Canada, she has also assisted in the creation of a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to providing agricultural, environmental and cultural programs to children and families, and was the director of community development programming with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
 
 
Her research interests in health inequalities continued as a Master’s student at the University of Manitoba, where she interviewed two generations of First Nation women about food acquisition patterns during pregnancy, local food security, and the cultural importance of traditional foods. Her dissertation expanded on these findings to examine how gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is understood in the context of present models of care and to explore First Nations and Métis women’s experiences with the condition of GDM itself through their relationships with food and interactions with health practitioners in an urban setting.
 
After completing her PhD, she accepted a position with the World Health Organization (WHO) based in Geneva, Switzerland, to work as part of a scientific team establishing evidence to support global guidelines on nutrition interventions. Her current position as a Banting Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Indigenous Health Lab at Western University has enriched her research focus as she considers how processes of environmental dispossession may have impacted the generational transference of traditional food knowledge.
 
Indigenous Conference Services is proud to host two great world conferences the 2014 World Indigenous Health Conference and the World Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference. Both conferences will be held in the heart of tropical Queensland, Australia at Cairns Pullman International Hotel, gate way to the Great Barrier Reef. We wish to extend a formal invitation to you and your organisation to take part in this extraordinary chance to present on a national and international stage. Each conference is designed to be an excellent tool in network building, information sharing and thought provoking discussions as well as aim to provide a culturally safe environment that people from all walks of life can participate in a frank and open forum. 
 
The 2014 World Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference is designed to be the largest international gathering of Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples with an interest in stopping Domestic Violence within Indigenous communities.  Our goal in hosting this conference is to highlight positive outcomes of various community programs that impacts Indigenous families on a day to day basis dealing with issues of domestic violence within our communities.
 
The 2014 World Indigenous Health Conference is based upon the principal belief that indigenous health must be approached from a holistic view, which encumbers body, mind and spirit; thus, leading to the fundamental rights of self-determination. The conference recognizes that treating our health must be done by treating the whole person, through mind, body, soul and culture. No matter what your culture is, if you are a First Nations person, statistics show, health, education or the justice system is monstrously weighted against indigenous people.  In today’s society, indigenous people have a varied lifestyle, ranging from inner-city to isolated communities.
 
For all the details about please visit the conference website http://www.indigenousconferences.com/ or send us an email at admin at indigenoushealth.net. To unsubscribe, please click reply and write UNSUBSCRIBE on subject line.
 
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http://www.indigenousconferences.com
 
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World Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference 2014
8-10 December 
World Indigenous Health Conference 2014
15th – 17thDecember