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Article by Oliver Ramsay | Published March 9, 2011

Rights at the Round Table – Youth Forum on Human Rights

A man addresses the audience at the Rights at the Round Table Event

On 10th December 2010, Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) staged one of the few events to be held around Australia celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

As thousands flocked to Federation Square for the arrival of Oprah Winfrey, around 30 or so gathered at Signal Youth Space to participate in a cooperative forum, discussing the contemporary issues in human rights that persist for an eclectic mix of Australians. Guest speakers included Robbie Thorpe, Akoch Manheim and Diane Sisely, however the forum was most captivated by the experiences of young speakers Tyrone Bean of Australia’s First Nations and Emmanuel Majok who is a newly arrived Sudanese Australian. Accompanying the forum was an exhibition of human rights photography, which can be viewed here.

The discussion concluded in a draft proposal of a national human rights bill, compiled by the group, to be sent to the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, as well as a musical performance by Hip-hop R&B group Massive. The music continued the next day with “Rights by the River – Multicultural Music Festival”. The event succeeded in celebrating Melbourne’s cultural diversity through music with hip-hop and krump performers.