The Northern Territory Human Rights Awards were established in commemoration of former NT Anti-Discrimination Minister and human rights advocate Tony Fitzgerald. They are awarded to individuals and organisations for promoting human rights, equal opportunity, non-discrimination, diversity and equality. We are excited to announce that NAAJA and several members of its staff have been nominated for three out of the four awards offered in 2015.
Shahleena Musk, NAAJA’s Senior Youth Court solicitor, and James Parfitt, from Community Legal Education, have been nominated as individuals for the Youth Award and the Social Change Award respectively. Manager of our Law and Justice Section, Jared Sharp, has been nominated for the Fitzgerald Diversity Award for promoting and protecting the human rights of diverse communities in the NT.
NAAJA have also been shortlisted for the Youth and Social Change Awards in conjunction with the Indigenous Hip Hop Project (IHHP). Earlier this year NAAJA’s Community Legal Education Team and the IHHP worked with young people in Lajamanu, Maningrida and the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre to produce three music videos and two short films exploring the themes of respect, culture and law. The videos were made after a week of workshops facilitated by NAAJA and the IHHP in each location, and were aimed at providing youths with a creative means of exploring and learning about law and justice.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony held on the 10th December (United Nations Human Rights Day). NAAJA would like to congratulate all nominees as well as the Awards Committee for their work acknowledging important contributions to human rights made by individuals and organisations in the Top End.
Shahleena Musk and Jared Sharp
James Parfitt
IHHP Project Team
Media Contact:
Angelique Torr
08 8982 5136