Dr Helen Szoke

Recent Speaker

Race Discrimination Commissioner

August 29, 2012

11.30am - 1.30pm

"An agenda for racial equality in Australia"

National Gallery of AustraliaDue to renovations this event will be held at Gandel hall at the National Gallery of Australia DIRECTIONS FROM PRESS CLUB HERE
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We hear a lot of talk today about racism, about cultural diversity, about cultural sensitivity, about multiculturalism.    Yet, we know that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience systemic and institutional racism, as is evidenced by their educational, health and employment outcomes.    Historically, we also know that successive waves of immigrant communities have encountered various forms of racial discrimination as they settle in Australia. We know that matters of race play a role in the heated asylum seeker debate.   Though there is much good and well intentioned work being done to address racial issues in Australia today, these initiatives can run the risk of operating in isolation from one another, of attempting to solve one area while another flounders.    It is time that we looked holistically at racial inequality in Australia. We must consider the entire picture – as a nation striving to establish what it needs to do to realise racial equality.    Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Helen Szoke, will look at the benefits of addressing racism, of realising, promoting and building on our strengths as a country that was developed through migration - one that also has a rich cultural history defined by our Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We hear a lot of talk today about racism, about cultural diversity, about cultural sensitivity, about multiculturalism. 

Yet, we know that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience systemic and institutional racism, as is evidenced by their educational, health and employment outcomes. 

Historically, we also know that successive waves of immigrant communities have encountered various forms of racial discrimination as they settle in Australia. We know that matters of race play a role in the heated asylum seeker debate.

Though there is much good and well intentioned work being done to address racial issues in Australia today, these initiatives can run the risk of operating in isolation from one another, of attempting to solve one area while another flounders. 

It is time that we looked holistically at racial inequality in Australia. We must consider the entire picture – as a nation striving to establish what it needs to do to realise racial equality. 

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Helen Szoke, will look at the benefits of addressing racism, of realising, promoting and building on our strengths as a country that was developed through migration - one that also has a rich cultural history defined by our Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Helen Szoke was appointed as Australia’s full time Race Discrimination Commissioner on 5th September 2011 for a five year term.

Up until her appointment, Helen Szoke was the Commissioner with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and worked with the Commission from 2004 until August 2011. During this period she managed the expansion of the Commission’s functions under the Charter of Human Rights Act and the modernisation of the Equal Opportunity Act in that state.

She is currently Co-Chair of Play by the Rules, a Board Member of Multicultural Arts Victoria and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for International Mental Health, School of Population Health University of Melbourne. 

Helen has previously held positions relating to management, community development, organizational development and regulation in the education and health sectors.

She has held various other Statutory and Directors positions including the Adult Migrant Education Services, National Health and Medical Research Licensing Committee, Consumers Health Forum, the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Key Centre for Women’s Health, Women’s Health Victoria and various community agencies. She also served one term as a local city councillor.

Helen is a Patron of New Beginnings which is an NGO set up to deal with peaceful conflict resolution with a focus on people of African Descent.

She is also Patron of the Australian Arabic Women's Foundation Inc, which aims to empower, encourage and support women from Arabic backgrounds to become independent.

In 2011, Helen was awarded the Law Institute of Victoria Paul Baker Award for contribution to Human Rights.

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