The ACTU Virtual Organising Conference is being held from 16 to 20 November 2020. The Conference is bringing together the Indigenous Conference, Youth Conference and Organising Conference — all of which were planned for 2020 — into one big action-packed conference over five days.
FSU First Nation members passionate about organising for change on issues affecting First Nation workers and communities, have an exciting opportunity to be part of an FSU delegation to attend this year’s organising conference.
The FSU is Seeking expressions of interest from our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members who would like to attend as part of our delegation to the conference. If this is you then send us a short email outlining why you want to be part of our delegation, send your expression of interest to fsuinfo@fsunion.org.au.
All expressions of interest need to reach us by 5pm, Friday 23 October.
If you are a First Nation member and want to be kept up to date on the conference outcomes, email us at fsuinfo@fsunion.org.au advising you want to receive updates.
About the Conference
The Conference will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Biannual ACTU Indigenous Conference. There will be some exciting First Nations workshops, panels and speakers.
The first day of the conference will be a dedicated space for First Nations union members and First Nations officials to contribute to matters with an Indigenous lens and set priorities on First Nations matters.
From the second day forward, the focus on First Nations workers will continue, where all conference participants have the opportunity to attend workshops and panels in this stream, and there is the exciting Young First Nation Union Women Driving Change plenary.
Workshops in the First Nations stream open to all conference participants will include:
- Don’t Just Tick the Box – The benefits of mapping and organising First Nations members, and identifying and recruiting First Nations workers.
- Deadly Shares – A workshop on cultural protocols and practices, and how to set up culturally safe spaces to support your First Nations members and workers.
- Strength in Numbers – A look back on the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Trade Union Movement to celebrate what we have achieved.
- A Democratic Process to Self-Determination – A look inside the operations of unions who systematically elect and involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members in decision making and the overall work of the union.
- Always Was, Always Will Be – Ending the decimation of cultural heritage sites for multi-national profits and for infrastructure that can be built elsewhere.
- Australia’s Black Lives Matter – Taking a sincere look at Aboriginal deaths in custody and how unions can influence and use their power to bring justice to families and communities mourning the loss of a preventable death.
- Voice. Treaty. Truth. – A look at the success of the FNWA’s Voice. Treaty. Truth. Advocacy Course, and how you can participate.
There’ll also be a special lunchtime event dedicated to looking back at the past 20 years of First Nations people’s struggle and the supporting role that the union movement has played.
I can’t wait to hear from you.
In Unity,
Julia Angrisano
