Victorian Students' Parliamentary Program
Secondary Schools’ Parliamentary Convention
Monday 17 October 2016
Parliament House, Melbourne
“Equal Rights – Myth or Reality?”
Australian Human Rights Commission
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/
How are human rights protected in Australian law?
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/how-are-human-rights-protected-australian-law
Bill of rights
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_rights
A Bill of rights for Australia – But do we need it?
http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/ljf/app/&id=/a60da51d4c6b0a51ca2571a7002069a0
Does Australia need a bill of rights?
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/does-australia-need-a-bill-of-rights-2010092015jk5.html
Should Australia have a bill of rights?
https://www.family.org.au/105-publications/afa-journal/afa-journal-vol-30-no-1-2009/140should-australia-have-a-bill-of-rights
Australia need a bill of rights
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/11/26/comment-australia-needs-bill-rights
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Equal Rights Commission
http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/
Books - Issues in society series
A series of books with current articles, newspaper stories, etc. , exploring a diverse range of
information, facts and opinions about social issues. Available from Spinney Press as print or
digital editions. www.spinneypress.com.au
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Disability rights and awareness (2010) No. 316
Poverty and social exclusion (2011) No. 320
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Indigenous rights (2014). No.366
Same-sex marriage debate. (2013) No. 352
Sexual orientation and gender identity (2014) No. 378
Youth unemployment (2015) No. 387
The Global refugee crisis (2016) No.404
Our working future (2016) No.406
 Marriage Equality
Books
Cook, Rachel (2010) Closets are for clothes: a history of queer Australia. Black Dog Books
A book for young adults documenting gay and lesbian history in Australia. Includes fictionalised firstperson accounts.
Gough, Erin (2015) The Flywheel. Hardie-Egmont Books.
Set in an inner-city café, the heroine of is cranky, gay, 17 year-old , Delilah, who is trying to do too
much: run the café while her father is overseas, go to school, manage her friends and work out her
sexuality.
Levithan, David (2013) Two boys kissing. Knopf.
Backgrounding Craig and Harry’s attempt at the Guinness Word Record for kissing are linked
narratives about the varied experience of homosexuality—the highs and lows of relationships with
friends and family, and the varied hues of prejudice.
Web links
Australian Marriage Equality Website
http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Equality
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/lesbian-gay-bisexual-trans-and-intersex-equality-0
 Sex discrimination and Gender Identity
Workplace Learning Toolbox.
Teaching resources designed to provide young people and teachers with vital information about the
work environment, with a strong focus on the importance of good OHS practice. Also has
information about bullying and harassment.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/careers/work/Pages/teachers.
aspx
The gender pay gap: fact or fiction
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/gender_pay_gap_fact_fiction.pdf
Equality Rights Alliance http://www.equalityrightsalliance.org.au/
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights
Books
Atkins, Clare (2014) Nona & me. Black inc Books.
Award-winning young adult novel about Rosie, a white girl in year 10 at Nhulunbuy High School on
the Gove peninsula of Arnhem Land, who lives in the Yolngu community at Yirrkala. Nona, an
Aboriginal girl, has been her yapa, sister, but has only recently returned to Yirrkala. Set against the
background of John Howard’s Intervention, this novel explores issues of race relations as well as
friendship, kinship and country. It could be read in conjunction with Welcome to my Country by
Laklak Burarrwanga and family (Allen & Unwin, 2013) an introduction to the lives and history of the
Yolngu people of Bawaka, near Yirrkala.
Copland, Tessa (2010) You plus me equals us: stories of reconciliation NSW Reconciliation Council.
Interviews with indigenous and non-indigenous Australians active in reconciliation. Includes
activities and discussion starters.
Lawson, Sue (2015) Freedom Ride. Walker Books.
A historical novel based on actual events of the 1965 Freedom Ride, a milestone in Australian history
where a group of Sydney students set out across regional NSW to highlight Australia’s treatment of
Aboriginal people.
DVD
Freedom rides – 40 years on (2010) ReconciliACTION. DVD. In 2005, a new group retraced the steps
of the original Freedom Riders to see what had changed for indigenous peoples.
Vote Yes for Aborigines (2007) Ronin Films. DVD. A documentary about the 1967 referendum and
the fight for citizenship rights for Aboriginal peoples.
Remembered by heart (2014) Fremantle arts Centre Press.
A collection of personal accounts about growing up indigenous in Australia reflects a diverse range
of Aboriginal experiences from different times and different Aboriginal countries.
Web links
Reconciliation Australia
https://www.reconciliation.org.au/
National Museum website looking at the history of the Indigenous Rights movement in Australia.
http://indigenousrights.net.au/
Australian Human Rights Commission fact sheet
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/constitutional-reform-fact-sheet-recognisingaboriginal-torres-strait-islander-people
Mandatory sentencing and aboriginal and TSI people
http://aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/outlook4/davis.pdf
An interesting paper crossing a number of human rights issues and groups
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/racial-equality-myth-or-possibility-2012
 Rights for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds
Books
Aden, Abdi (2015) Shining: the story of a lucky man. HarperCollins.
The life story of Abdi, a Somali refugee who fled Mogadishu aged 15, and arrived in Melbourne a
year later with no English, no money and no family.
Do, Anh (2010) The happiest refugee. Allen & Unwin.
This best-selling memoir of comedian Anh Do’s family’s desperate escape from post-war Vietnam in
a small over-crowded boat to an uncertain future in the alien culture of Australia is a common one,
but told with a sharp eye for memorable detail and comedy in the darkest moments.
The key messages of Do’s biography are survival against the odds, hope and love.
Grant, Neil (2012) The Ink bridge. Allen & Unwin.
Omed, an Afghan boy, and an Australian boy, Hec, are without speech for different reasons, but they
find each other has courage in the face of loss.
The title is a metaphor for the building of the boys’ relationship and by implication for empathy
throughout humankind. Both boys are writers, worlds apart, though each constructing arches that
would join in the middle. It also references the Westgate Bridge which has significance to Hec.
Omed’s experiences in Afghanistan and his escape are quite harrowing.
Through my eyes series. Allen & Unwin.
Novels for young adults about children and young adults who live in conflict and war zones. Titles
are Shahana (Kashmir), Amina (Somalia) , Emilio (Mexico), Naveed (Afghanistan), Malini (Sri Lanka),
and Zafir (Syria)
Web links
Refugee Council of Australia
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/
UNHCR: the UN refugee agency
http://www.unhcr.org/
 Disability rights
Web links
Australian Human Rights Commission – Disability Rights
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights
People with Disability Australia website - students’ section
http://www.pwd.org.au/student-section/students-information.html
History of Disability Rights Movement in Australia
http://www.pwd.org.au/student-section/history-of-disability-rights-movement-in-australia.html
Disability Rights Movement
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_rights_movement
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Age discrimination
Web links
Survey of workers above 50
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-23/survey-of-older-workers-reveals-discrimination/6414560
In the modern workplace, age 50 is considered old
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/time-to-rectify-costly-age-discrimination-in-theworkforce-20160301-gn73jq.html
Over-qualified, over-experienced: report reveals systemic age discrimination
http://www.smh.com.au/national/overqualified-overexperienced-report-reveals-systemicage-discrimination-20160512-gotn0p.html
Here's Proof That Age Discrimination Is Widespread in the Job Market
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/here-s-proof-that-age-discrimination-iswidespread-in-the-job-market
Older Women Are Being Forced Out of the Workforce
https://hbr.org/2016/03/older-women-are-being-forced-out-of-the-workforce
 Children’s Rights
Anti-discrimination laws in Australia
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/disabilities_antidiscrimination_law.html
Children and discrimination
http://www.gmfc.org/en/action-within-the-movement/gmc-actions/actions-byimperatives/1-leave-no-child-out/past-actions/89-children-and-discrimination
Discrimination against youth voice
https://freechild.org/discrimination-against-youth-voice/
 Race discrimination
Racial discrimination in Australia
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/racial-discrimination-in-australia
Interactive: Race discrimination cases from Brits to Bolt
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/03/27/interactive-race-discrimination-casesbrits-bolt
Government found guilty over racial discrimination case at Canberra Hospital
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/government-found-guilty-over-racialdiscrimination-case-at-canberra-hospital-20150119-12tb4z.html
Muslims face racial discrimination, but don't have protection under act, report finds
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/muslims-face-racial-discriminationbut-dont-have-protection-under-act-report-finds-20151103-gkq8hw.html
 Social equality
Definition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_equality
Facts
http://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/social-equality.html
What is Social Equality?
http://www.innovateus.net/innopedia/what-social-equality
What do Australians think about Equality?
http://insidestory.org.au/what-do-australians-think-about-equality
 Religious belief discrimination
Definition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_discrimination
Freedom of Religion and Belief
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/rights-and-freedoms/projects/freedom-religion-andbelief
HREOCA – Religious freedom
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/hreoca-religious-freedom
Religious belief or activity in the workplace
http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/workplace-discrimination/type-ofdiscrimination/religious-belief-or-activity
Religion and the Racial Discrimination Act: Don't Muslims Also Deserve Protection?
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/02/25/4186872.htm