Source : Perth Now news
Former Socceroo turned human rights activist Craig Foster will deliver the 10th annual human rights lecture at Curtin University next month.
The lecture has been presented by Curtin’s Centre for Human Rights Education over the past decade. It has already offered a speaking platform for human rights leaders, such as peace activist and Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Ela Gandhi, former Australian Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs, and political commentator and journalist Waleed Aly.
Foster will outline his vision for a reorientation of human rights in the age of war, extreme inequality and the emerging issues of data ownership and AI.
“The foundational promise of human rights – that every person possesses inherent dignity deserving protection – is being systematically dismantled by converging forces: the corporate colonisation of human data and the privatisation of artificial intelligence built upon it; algorithmic manipulation reshaping collective memory, distorting history, and weaponising information as the defining battlefield of our era; and extreme wealth concentration corroding the social solidarity upon which rights depend,” Foster wrote in his lecture abstract.
“Like many ordinary Australians, Craig seemed to be representing good values that we see in many people within this country. He represented this country internationally beyond his career,” Professor Woldeyes said.
“He serves the public, acts as a public speaker, engaging with human rights issues around inclusion and anti-racism, working with asylum seekers, trying to promote a human rights event through sport. And also increasingly, he has become vocal on really concerning issues that are concerning for the public.”
The 40th captain of the Socceroos and 29-time internationally capped footballer turned his attention to human rights advocacy about 10 years ago.
In 2018, Foster led an international humanitarian campaign to free Melbourne footballer Hakeem al-Araibi from detention in Thailand.
He has since worked to free refugees detained by Australia on and off shore, and assisted the Afghan women’s national football team, other athletes, and girls and women to escape Afghanistan when the Taliban regained power in 2021.
He was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2021, and named NSW Australian of the Year in 2023.
Foster now acts as a patron of Australia’s Indigenous football teams through various anti-racism campaigns.
Professor Woldeyes said the lecture will focus on the rising use of privatised AI, the resurgence of racism and how traditional human rights mechanisms are not effective anymore.
“We can no longer ignore what is happening outside of our borders. Craig also comments on politics globally, in the US and other areas even within our own country. There is the resurgence of racism and minorities are being scapegoated to not address those challenges,” he said.
“These are important times to have a discussion around this because what is being considered on the fringe and extreme is now coming to the centre because there are no strong counter discourses around these issues.”
The Curtin centre was established in 2003 as a way to involve young people in the discussion around human rights, emphasising the ‘human’ element outside of law and international treaties.
In 2016, the first annual lecture was held to bring everyday people and students into the conversation.
“We started this lecture with a vision of bringing prominent and influential speakers to come and speak on a timely issue that is impacting most people in the world, especially within our communities,” professor Woldeyes said.
“At a time when society is very much immersed with complex issues and problems, we invite prominent people who have some sort of vision and leadership to come in, share their ideas with the public.”
Professor Woldeyes said universities should not be “ivory towers enclosed in academic discourse”, but should be relevant to people’s lived experiences.
“We felt like it is an important public conversation to have, to invite ordinary people as much as possible. It’s not simply an academic discourse for any particular discipline, it’s for anyone to come and reflect on how we should treat each other in times like this,” he said.
“Human rights … has become a problem that affects each and every one of us. We are living in a very interlinked world through social media, technology and AI data, plus the political discourses that we see everywhere influences one another, so we’re not simply a secluded nation separate from others.
“We encourage people to consider looking at our courses and come to study with us. Human rights is a combination of human and rights, and we become human based on the quality of ideas and relationships we have with social justice, inclusion, climate change, First Nations voices and all these things.”
The lecture will be held on Wednesday, September 2 at the Elizabeth Jolley Lecture Theatre on the Curtin University campus.
It begins at 7pm and entry is free but requires RSVP by August 26.
