Attending the #ICV Annual Dinner, featuring Keynote Speaker: Prof Gillian Triggs, Former Pres. of the Australian Human Rights Commission. She addressed:‘Rising Islamophobia in a Post Truth World’.
Included in her speech were:

The importance of pushing back against tide of hate, and speaking truth to the hate emanating from government parties, like One Nation. 

The spate of Islamophobic acts, ranging from attacks against Yassmin Abdel Magied & Sam Dastyari through to the countless hundreds we don’t know, but are increasingly documented

The danger of giving platform to pundits spinning lies and hate. 

The 18C failed attempt to repellation. 

How this hatred for a faith based community began in many ways in a hallmark incident under the Howard government during which a ‘children overboard incident’ was concocted to divide the nation, leading to the formation of a brutal offshore detention program, premised on racial lines. 

Ensuring prohibition of speaking with hate in public 

The need to have a new debate on bill of rights to protects religious freedoms and freedom of speech 
A powerful and timely speech.

This dinner was also an opportunity to congratulate LidiaThorpe, the first Indigenous woman to be elected to Victorian Parliament. And kudos to her for starting a movement of #TheBlackGreens. 
A pivotal time in our political history, proving evolution in thought leadership, can and must happen. 
(And how excited is Richard !)

Pioneers, rebels and change-makers…

In fact Some of the female powerhouses in the country, who I met tonight, included: Lidia Thorpe MP (first Indigenous woman to be elected to Victorian Parliament); Prof. Gillian Triggs, former Pres. Australian Human Rights Commissioner; Maria Dimopolous, Consultant Superstar; Maha Sukkar (first female Muslim woman at Vic Pol) and Nina Springle MP, advocate for eliminating racism and promoting diversity. 

Plus countless others!
Nights like these affirm the doers from the dreamers, role models who inspire change with their tenacity.