Reminder – this Thursday: DHML 2025: Time for Truth Telling

**** Reminder: our annual David Hunter Memorial Lecture is coming up this Thursday, 23 October, 6.30pm (arrive from 6pm for in person attendance, for prompt start at 6.30). ****

Join us for the 2025 David Hunter Memorial Lecture: Time for Truth-telling. The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for Voice Treaty and Truth – this year our theme is Truth. See below for more information about our speakers: Blake Cansdale, Prof Chris Cunneen and Dr James Beaufils.

Register now: https://bit.ly/4naj7po (required for either in person or online attendance).

For information on other events in Canberra, see our latest newsletter: ANTaR ACT Newsletter – October 2025.

Guest speakers

Keynote speaker: Blake Cansdale, ANTAR’s National Director (Our People — ANTAR)

Blake is a proud Anaiwan man and the National Director of ANTAR. Dedicated to empowering First Nations Communities, Blake has a background in legal practice with experience in public policy, lecturing, Aboriginal affairs, business management, Aboriginal land planning and development, land acquisition and land management.

In his talk, Blake will explore the transformative practice of truth-listening, which is an essential part of truth-telling, reconciliation and justice in Australia.

With: Prof Chris Cunneen and Dr James Beaufils from the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney.

Professor Chris Cunneen has a national and international reputation as a leading criminologist specialising in Indigenous people and the law, juvenile justice, restorative justice, policing, prison issues and human rights.

Dr James Beaufils is a Senior Research Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute, a Gundungurra man from the Pejar area and Kanak from New Caledonia. James has researched in the fields of child protection, justice, criminology and education in Australia and the UK.

Together they will talk about their Jumbunna Institute report Review into the Over-representation of First Nations People in the Criminal Justice System , presented to the ACT Government earlier this year, and released by the ACT Government on 31 July 2025.

As noted by Janet Hunt in her blog Exposing flaws in the ACT’s progressive image, this report is a piece of truth-telling about the neglect and poor accountability of the ACT Government in relation to so many of the drivers of the high rates of First Nations incarceration, and their failure to provide structural and systemic arrangements to enable First Nations self-determination.

Details

Date: Thursday 23 October

In person attendance: 6pm nibbles, 6:30pm start
Location: St Mark’s National Theological College – Durie Room, Charles Sturt University Campus
Address: 15 Blackall Street, Barton, ACT

Online attendance: commences at 6:30pm

Register now: https://bit.ly/4naj7po (required for either in person or online attendance).

Queries: info@antaract.org.au

Background: David Hunter was one of the founding members of ANTaR, and an inspiring activist on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. David died in December 2003 and this will be the 21st annual lecture held in memory of his contributions to reconciliation and Indigenous rights.

More information about the David Hunter Memorial Lecture and a list of all past lectures is available at: David Hunter Memorial Lecture – ANTaR ACT.