Tom Calma

Last updated

Professor
Tom Calma
AO FAA FASSA
Tom Calma.jpg
Calma in 2008
6th Chancellor of the University of Canberra
In office
1 January 2014 –2023

Thomas Edwin Calma, AO FAA FASSA (born 1953), is an Aboriginal Australian human rights and social justice campaigner, and 2023 senior Australian of the Year. He was the sixth chancellor of the University of Canberra (2014-2023), after two years as deputy chancellor. Calma was the second Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to hold the position of chancellor of any Australian university.

Contents

Calma has been involved in Indigenous affairs at a local, community, state, national and international level and worked in the public sector focusing on rural and remote Australia, health, mental health and suicide prevention, education, justice reinvestment, research, reconciliation and economic development. Calma's 2005 Social Justice Report – focusing on Indigenous health equality – was the catalyst for the Close the Gap campaign.

Calma served as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner from 2004 to 2010 and as Race Discrimination Commissioner from 2004 until 2009 at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

In 2012 he was awarded an Order of Australia, Officer of the General Division, in recognition of his work as an inspirational advocate for human rights and social justice and distinguished service to the Indigenous community, and in 2013 was named Australian of the Year for the ACT.

On 30 October 2019, Calma was announced as a co-chair on the Senior Advisory Group of the "Indigenous voice to government", convened by Ken Wyatt.

Life

Calma was born in 1953 in Darwin, Northern Territory. [1]

He is an elder of the Kungarakan people and member of the Iwaidja people, [1] whose traditional lands are south-west of Darwin and on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory. [2]

Career

Between 1995 and 2002 Calma represented Australia's education and training interests as a senior diplomat in India and Vietnam; in 2003, he served as senior adviser for Indigenous Affairs to Philip Ruddock, then Minister of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. [3]

He has been co-chair of Reconciliation Australia since before 2005. [4]

Calma served as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2004 to 2010 and as the Race Discrimination Commissioner from 2004 until 2009. [5] [6] During this time the Social Justice Report 2005 [7] called on Australian governments to commit to achieving equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the areas of health and life expectancy within a generation (25 years) and advocated embedding a social determinants philosophy into public policy around health, education, employment, housing and behaviours in order to address Indigenous inequality gaps. This report laid the foundation for the Close the Gap campaign, a collaboration of some 40 Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian health and human rights peak bodies and groups. Calma founded the Close the Gap Steering Committee for Indigenous Health Equality in 2006 and was its inaugural chairperson. He retired as co-chair of the steering committee in 2010. [8]

In 2008, Calma delivered the formal response to the government's National Apology to the Stolen Generations [9] and since 2009 has been involved with the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation [10] (ALNF) and he currently holds the post of co-chair.

Since March 2010 Calma has been the Federal Government-appointed National Coordinator, Tackling Indigenous Smoking. [11]

Calma was instrumental in the establishment of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, [12] the development of the inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy, [13] and the promotion of Justice Reinvestment. Calma was one of the first proponents of "justice reinvestment" in Australia, introducing the concept in the Social Justice Report 2009. [14]

He also Chairs the not-for-profit organisation Ninti One Ltd, [15] is the former chair the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation [15] and patron and chair of the Poche Centres for Indigenous Health Network. [16] [17]

Calma joined the University of Canberra Council on 21 October 2008 and on 1 January 2012 he was appointed Deputy Chancellor of the University of Canberra. Calma took up his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Canberra on 1 January 2014, [18] and was installed at a ceremony held at the National Press Club on 20 February 2014. Calma is the first Indigenous male to hold the position of Chancellor of an Australian university. Pat O'Shane was the first female. [19]

Calma was appointed Professor with the University of Sydney's Medical School to chair the Poche Indigenous Health Network on 1 January 2015.[ citation needed ]

Among his other roles, he has been a White Ribbon Ambassador since 2005, [20] Patron of Wakakirri [21] since 2009 and Patron of the Media Centre for Education Research Australia (MCERA) since 2018. [22]

On 30 October 2019, Calma was announced as a co-chair on the Senior Advisory Group of the "Indigenous voice to government", convened by Ken Wyatt, along with by Professor Marcia Langton AM . The group comprises a total of 20 leaders and experts from across the country. [23] [24] Calma took a year's leave of absence from the role of co-chair of Reconciliation Australia in order to undertake his new role. [25]

Honours and awards

In 2012 Calma was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Indigenous community as an advocate for human rights and social justice, through contributions to government policy and reform, and to cross cultural understanding. [26] In 2013 he was named the ACT Australian of the Year 2013 for his service and commitment to the Indigenous community as an advocate for human rights and social justice having dedicated his life to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. [27]

On 20 May 2010, Calma was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Charles Darwin University in recognition of decades of public service, particularly in relation to his work in education, training and employment in Indigenous communities. [28] On 15 February 2011, Calma was awarded an honorary doctorate of science from Curtin University in recognition of his work, advocacy and leadership in Indigenous health reform and Indigenous affairs. [29] On 16 April 2014, Calma was awarded an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in recognition of his work, advocacy and leadership in Indigenous health reform. [30]

In November 2014, Calma was awarded the Indigenous Allied Health Australia Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lifelong dedication to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians [31] and in 2017 was appointed their inaugural Patron. [32] In 2007 Calma was named by The Bulletin magazine as the Most Influential Indigenous Person in Australia; in 2008 he was named GQ magazine's 2008 Man of Inspiration for his work in Indigenous Affairs. Calma was named by Australian Doctor Magazine in 2010 as one of the 50 Most Influential People in medicine in Australia. In May 2012 Dr Calma was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at ANU. [33]

In October 2015, Calma was awarded one of four inaugural University of South Australia Alumni Awards for his service to society [34] and in November 2015 was awarded the Public Health Association Australia's Sidney Sax Public Health Medal for notable contribution to the protection and promotion of public health, advancing community awareness of public health measures and advancing the ideals and practice of equity in the provision of health care. [35]

On 1 July 2016, Calma received the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Flag Award on the 240th anniversary of the United States of America's independence. [36]

In October 2016, Calma was appointed the inaugural chair of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program [37] led by the University of Melbourne and in January 2017 he was appointed an adjunct professor with the University of Queensland.

In May 2017 Calma was one of three Indigenous Australians, along with Lowitja O'Donoghue and Galarrwuy Yunupingu, honoured by Australia Post in the 2017 Legends Commemorative Stamp "Indigenous leaders" series to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum. [38] [39]

In May 2018 Calma was inducted into the ACT Honour Walk 2018,[ citation needed ] while in May 2022 he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. [40] He was elected Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in November 2022. [41] In January 2023 he was named Senior Australian of the Year. [42]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowitja O'Donoghue</span> Australian public administrator (1932–2024)

Lowitja O'Donoghue, also known as Lois O'Donoghue and Lois Smart, was an Australian public administrator and Indigenous rights advocate. She was the inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1990 to 1996. She is known for her work in improving the health and welfare of Indigenous Australians, and also for the part she played in the drafting of the Native Title Act 1993, which established native title in Australia.

Reconciliation Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to promote a continuing national focus for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, which was established to create a framework for furthering a government policy of reconciliation in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Dodson</span> Aboriginal Australian barrister, academic and Indigenous rights advocate

Michael James Dodson is an Aboriginal Australian barrister, academic, and member of the Yawuru people in the Broome area of the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcia Langton</span> Australian Aboriginal scholar and activist

Marcia Lynne Langton is an Aboriginal Australian writer and academic. As of 2022 she is the Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Langton is known for her activism in the Indigenous rights arena.

Indigenous Australian self-determination, also known as Aboriginal Australian self-determination, is the power relating to self-governance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. It is the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to determine their own political status and pursue their own economic, social and cultural interests. Self-determination asserts that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should direct and implement Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy formulation and provision of services. Self-determination encompasses both Aboriginal land rights and self-governance, and may also be supported by a treaty between a government and an Indigenous group in Australia.

Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, and/or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of present day Australia prior to British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups, which includes many ethnic groups: the Aboriginal Australians of the mainland and many islands, including Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders of the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea, located in Melanesia. The term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or the person's specific cultural group, is often preferred, though the terms First Nations of Australia, First Peoples of Australia and First Australians are also increasingly common; 812,728 people self-identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the 2021 Australian Census, representing 3.2% of the total population of Australia. Of these Indigenous Australians, 91.4% identified as Aboriginal; 4.2% identified as Torres Strait Islander; while 4.4% identified with both groups. Since 1995, the Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag have been official flags of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Congress of Australia's First Peoples</span> Peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2010-2019

The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples was the national representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians from 2009 to 2019.

Indigenous Australians are both convicted of crimes and imprisoned at a disproportionately higher rate in Australia, as well as being over-represented as victims of crime. As of September 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 28% of the total adult prisoner population, while accounting for 2% of the general adult population. Various explanations have been given for this over-representation, both historical and more recent. Federal and state governments and Indigenous groups have responded with various analyses, programs and measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Gooda</span> Indigenous Australian public servant

Mick Gooda is an Aboriginal Australian public servant. He has particularly served as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2009 to 2016 and as Co-Commissioner of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory from 2016 to 2017. He is a descendant of the Gangulu people of Central Queensland.

The Closing the Gap framework is a strategy by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments of Australia that aims to reduce disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians on key health, education and economic opportunity targets. The strategy was launched in 2008 in response to the Close the Gap social justice movement, and revised in 2020 with additional targets and a refreshed strategy.

Cindy Anne-Maree Shannon is an Australian academic best known for her work in the field of Indigenous health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MaryAnn Bin-Sallik</span> Djaru Elder and Australian academic

MaryAnn Bin-Sallik is a Djaru Elder and Australian academic, specialising in Indigenous studies and culture. She was the first Indigenous Australian to gain a doctorate from Harvard University.

Patricia Audrey Anderson is an Australian human rights advocate and health administrator. An Alyawarre woman from the Northern Territory, she is well known internationally as a social justice advocate, advocating for improved health, educational, and protection outcomes for Indigenous Australian children.

Pat Turner is an Aboriginal Australian of Gudanji-Arrernte heritage who has worked as a civil administrator for policies which guarantee the right to self-determination for Indigenous people. She was awarded the Order of Australia in 1990 for her service.

Kirstie Parker is a Yuwallarai journalist, policy administrator and Aboriginal Australian activist. From 2013 to 2015 she served as the co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and during her tenure pressed for policies that allowed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to gain the ability for self-determination.

Close the Gap (CTG) is a social justice campaign focused on Indigenous Australians' health, in which peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations work together to achieve health equality in Australia. The Campaign was launched in April 2007. National Close the Gap Day (NCTGD) has been held annually since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous Voice to Parliament</span> Proposed advisory body in Australia

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, also known as the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the First Nations Voice or simply the Voice, was a proposed Australian federal advisory body to comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to represent the views of Indigenous communities.

Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) is an independent, national non-government, not-for-profit, community-based organisation founded in 1997 which advocates for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and aims to help overcome disadvantage. Its staff, board and membership comprise mainly non-Indigenous people who support Indigenous voices and interests.

Patricia Lynette Dudgeon, usually known as Pat Dudgeon, is an Aboriginal Australian psychologist, Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and a research professor at the University of Western Australia's (UWA) School of Indigenous Studies. Her area of research includes Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. She is actively involved with the Aboriginal community, having an ongoing commitment to social justice for Indigenous people. Dudgeon has participated in numerous state and national committees, councils, task groups and community service activities in both a voluntary and professional capacity.

References

  1. 1 2 Alexandra, Andrew. "Tom Calma: A Biography". Academia.edu. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Horton, David. R. "Indigenous Language Map". No. 1996. Aboriginal Studies Press, AIATSIS and Auslig/Sinclair, Knight, Merz. ABC Online. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "'We will see the changes': Tom Calma looks to the future and a referendum". NITV. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Reconciliation". Bringing Them Home. 25 May 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  5. ↑ President & Commissioners Australian Human Rights Commission Retrieved 25 May 2015
  6. ↑ "Indigenous SES Network". Australian Public Service Commission. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Calma, Tom (22 November 2005). "Social Justice Report 2005: Home". Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 3 August 2020. PDF
  8. ↑ "Close the Gap: Indigenous Health Campaign". Australian Human Rights Commission. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Calma, Tom Response to government to the national apology to the Stolen Generations Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  10. ↑ "Literacy is Freedom". ALNF. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Tackling Indigenous Smoking measure Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. Monitor online. Edith Cowan University. Retrieved 25 May 2015
  12. ↑ National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples (12 July 2008). Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  13. ↑ National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy (14 August 2014). Department of Health. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  14. ↑ Calma, Tom (23 December 2009). Social Justice Report 2009. Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  15. 1 2 "CRC-REP Home | CRC-REP". old.crc-rep.com. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "Poche Health |" . Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  17. ↑ Poche Centres for Indigenous Health Network
  18. ↑ Doman Claudia (20 February 2014) New Chancellor calls for a fairer Australia Monitor online. University of Canberra Retrieved 25 May 2015
  19. ↑ O'Shane, Pat The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia. Australian Women's Archives Project. 2014. ISBN   978-0-7340-4873-8
  20. ↑ "HREOC ambassadors show their opposition to violence against women and commitment to gender equity | Australian Human Rights Commission". www.humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  21. ↑ "2009 Media Release: Story-telling the way to aspiration and self esteem | Australian Human Rights Commission". www.humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Media Centre for Education Research Australia - Patrons". www.mcera.org.au. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "A voice for Indigenous Australians". Ministers Media Centre. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  24. ↑ "Indigenous Voice". Indigenous.gov.au. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  25. ↑ Australia, Reconciliation (26 November 2019). "Reconciliation Australia Co-Chair Update". Reconciliation Australia. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  26. ↑ Search Australian Honours: CALMA, Thomas Edwin It's an Honour. Australian Government. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  27. ↑ Dr Tom Calma AO National Finalist Australian of the Year 2013. National Australian Day Committee 2013 Retrieved 9 February 2022
  28. ↑ Honour Roll of Charles Darwin University Honorary Awards and Honours Conferred. Charles Darwin University. 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  29. ↑ Honorary Award Recipients Secretariat: Honorary Awards: Honorary Doctorates. Curtin University. 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  30. ↑ Honorary degree recipients Awards and prizes. Flinders University. 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  31. ↑ 2014 IAHA National Indigenous Allied Health Awards Indigenous Allied Health Australia. November 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  32. ↑ "Our Patron Prof. Tom Calma AO". Indigenous Allied Health Australia. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  33. ↑ Coordinator, NCIS Project; ncis@anu.edu.au. "Adjunct Associate Professor Tom Calma AO - NCIS - ANU". ncis.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  34. ↑ "UniSA Alumni Awards". UniSA Alumni Awards. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  35. ↑ Sidney Sax Public Health Medal Public Health Association of Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  36. ↑ Ambassador Berry's remarks US Embassy in Australia. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  37. ↑ Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program Appointed Chair of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Program (14 October 2016). Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  38. ↑ "UC Chancellor immortalised in Australia Post stamp". University of Canberra. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  39. ↑ "Australian Legends 2017: Indigenous Leaders". Australia Post Collectables. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  40. ↑ "Academy announces 2022 Fellows for outstanding contributions to science". Australian Academy of Science. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  41. ↑ "34 leading social scientists elected to the Academy". Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  42. ↑ Sakkal, Paul (25 January 2023). "Body positivity advocate Taryn Brumfitt named Australian of the Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
Academic offices
Preceded by
John McKay
 Chancellor of the University of Canberra
2014 –present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.