In an age of diverse and at times fractured political allegiances, we desperately need to connect, cooperate and build sustainable alliances. If we don’t, we have little chance of combating the vandalism and violence leading us to certain destruction. We need to proactively support each other, and work for the betterment of non-human species and the protection of Country.
Tony Birch 2019 ‘On Thinking’ Overland, 234, Autumn
Climate change has been identified as the major crisis facing the world, and a core issue for young people: May and October 2021 saw the third year of School Strike 4 Climate marches across Australia and globally, with many secondary school students walking out of schools in an urgent call for governmental action on climate change.
Addressing the climate crisis in education requires interdisciplinary approaches that reflect the urgency and scope and scale of the situation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narratives provide new perspectives on interactions with Country, climate change, facilitating reader engagement with Indigenous knowledges and perspectives. While Indigenous writers’ contribution to understandings of climate are well documented, and the power of story to impact on understandings of significant environmental issues is well established, First Nations writing remains significantly underrepresented in Australia’s secondary school and tertiary curricula.
This innovative symposium brings into dialogue two of Australia’s most celebrated First Nations authors and a leading geo-philosopher to consider the power of interdisciplinary collaboration centered on the literary arts in our rapidly changing climate.
Please join the Literary Education Lab and Stella for this exciting free event.
Keynote Speakers
Ellen van Neerven
Dr Tony Birch
Professor Kathryn Yusoff
Presentations will be online, scheduled 7pm to 8.30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) 20 January 2022.
For more information, contact Dr. Sarah E. Truman at the Literary Education Lab: sarahe.truman[at]unimelb.edu.au
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