Irish Ambassador to Australia Declan Kelly will help The University of Queensland celebrate diversity next week.
Ambassador Kelly will be the keynote speaker at an awards lunch at Customs House next Friday (May 14) – one of the highlights of Diversity Week.
The Week aims to highlight and increase understanding of issues such as disability, sexuality, religion, gender, family, racism and Indigenous history and culture.
Ambassador Kelly will talk about the importance of diversity, drawing on a 30-year-career in foreign affairs.
From 1998 until 2002, while spokesperson at the Irish Foreign Ministry, he witnessed the negotiations in Dublin, London and Belfast for the historic Good Friday Agreement.
“Making peace is very difficult, it is much easier to make war than peace,” Ambassador Kelly said.
“One of the most important things the Government had to do was get both sides to see the big picture and the benefits peace would bring to both sides.
“We had to break down the barriers of mistrust between the two communities in Northern Ireland.”
Tolerance, Ambassador Kelly said, was fundamental to human society.
“We have to celebrate diversity. We have to embrace difference, not look at it in a threatening way,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we are all much better placed when we are getting along with each other.”
Ambassador Kelly will also participate in an awards ceremony at the lunch.
The Vice Chancellor’s Equity and Diversity Awards recognise contributions that improve equity and diversity with a $5000 individual award and a $10,000 group award.
In addition, two Diversity Action Project Awards, valued at $2500 each, will be given to an individual or group that enhances cross-cultural understanding and anti-racism.
Diversity Week, themed “All-Together-Different”, will be celebrated from May 10-14 with a host of activities at St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton campuses.
A forum at St Lucia on Wednesday (May 12), will launch the Ally Program – a safety and awareness program to help students and staff stamp out homophobia.
Other events include a cultural diversity and environment student forum, a student exchange fair to study overseas, an international evening and many volunteer and community group displays.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Margaret Gardner said Diversity Week was an opportunity to celebrate the richness of the UQ community.
“The student and staff populations of UQ are becoming increasingly diverse. Different cultures, world views and points of view contribute to the richness of work and life at UQ, and benefit us all,” Professor Gardner said.
“Diversity Week means we can showcase and celebrate diversity and, through the awards, acknowledge the great work already going on and provide some well-deserved support for the individuals and organisational units that contribute to diversity at UQ.”
For more information, visit www.uq.edu.au/about/diversityweek or contact Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: +61 07 3365 2619, m.holland@uq.edu.au) Images of Declan Kelly are available from UQ photographic library coordinator Diana Lilley (phone: +61 07 3365 2753, d.lilley@uq.edu.au) The Ambassador’s Canberra office number is (phone: +61 02 6273 3022)
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