Source: Conversation at the Crossroads
Amnesty International has described the upsurge of human rights violations as a direct “attack on humanity”. It is also a direct attack on democracy.
This rapidly worsening situation requires our attention, hence the forum on 30 September to which you are warmly invited. Full details below .
May I take a couple of minutes to explain. Over the last several weeks, we have seen:
Ukraine War : a drastic upsurge in civilian deaths and injuries on both sides, including women, children, doctors and medical workers, and terrible damage to civilian infrastructure
Palestine : Israeli attacks in Gaza which killed dozens of Palestinians and injured many more, including women and children, while Palestinian refugees have been expelled from Palestinian refugee camps, and settler attacks have led to forced displacement and interference with humanitarian assistance
Sudan : mass killings, attacks on civilian infrastructure, abductions of women and girls and mass rape – so far, 13 million people have been driven from their homes.
Myanmar : international crimes committed by the military with increasing intensity and frequency, including aerial attacks on religious buildings, schools and hospitals.
Iran : continuing repression and executions of protesters.
Iran War : reported evidence of unlawful US-Israeli attacks using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated parts of Tehran.
And the perpetrators of untold human suffering still able to act with complete impunity.
But they are not alone. The actions of Washington, London, Berlin and Canberra are far from blameless. Quite apart from their inaction or complicity in these armed conflicts, their own citizens are not being spared.
In the US, immigrant university students have been detained and placed in deportation proceedings for speaking out on political issues. Universities, media organisations, law firms and civil-society actors have all been subjected to various forms of intimidation.
In the UK anti-protest laws have substantially restricted freedom and expression. It is not just pro-Palestinian protestors. Environmentalists have received prison sentences measured in years for non-violent civil disobedience.
Nor can Australia be excluded. Asylum seekers are often subjected to indefinite detention, poor living conditions, deteriorating physical and mental health and family separation. As for the First Nations, they constitute only 3% of the Australian adult population but 37% of the prison population. In 2024–25, approximately 62% of 10–17-year-olds in detention were First Nations, even though they comprise only a small proportion of Australian children.
All of which raises the question: Can Western governments and societies keep proclaiming their democratic credentials while allowing such grotesque human rights violations to persist and intensify?
The Human Rights forum on 30 September will address two pressing questions: What exactly is happening in today’s world? Is it time to sound the alarm?
I very much hope you and friends will be able to join us.
Wednesday 30 September 2026 , 6.30–8.30 pm
5.45 pm — Doors open
6.00 pm — Refreshments, informal conversation and networking
The Wheeler Centre
176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
Tickets to attend in person or online are available. Places are limited so get in early!
In person: General Admission — $27, Concession — $18
Online: General Admission — $15, Concession — $10
The event will explore how we can strengthen international cooperation, build a better informed and engaged citizenry, and reform the United Nations to deliver greater accountability and more effective action to prevent conflict and protect human dignity.
At a time when international law is under extraordinary pressure and millions of people are being displaced by conflict, violence and persecution, these are questions we cannot afford to ignore.
FEATURING
Caitlin Reiger
Human rights lawyer and CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre, with 25 years’ experience working globally on justice and accountability for human rights violations. From transitional justice in Timor-Leste, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Colombia to her work with the Yoorrook Justice Commission, Caitlin has championed truth, reparations and institutional reform.
Spencer Zifcak
Emeritus Professor of Law at Australian Catholic University and leading scholar of international human rights and constitutional law. With academic roles at Oxford, New York University and the University of Bristol, Spencer has also held prominent positions with Liberty Victoria, the International Commission of Jurists and the Accountability Round Table. He is a respected voice on human rights, law and public policy.
Kate Gilmore
Former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore is Co-Chair of WHO’s Human Rights Advisory Panel on Human Reproduction, Vice Chair of Interpeace and, until recently, chair of the Board of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Having also held honorary appointments with the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, LSE and the University of Essex, she began her career in Melbourne, helping to set up the first Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA House)..
Daniela Gavshon
Daniela is Australia Director at Human Rights Watch. Previously, she founded the Truth and Accountability program at the Justice and Equity Centre, leading human rights and war crimes investigations. She was also Solomon Islands Head of Office for the International Center for Transitional Justice and is Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s War Crimes Committee and an adjunct lecturer at UNSW.
Joseph Camilleri – Moderator
Professor Emeritus in International Relations at La Trobe University and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. Author and editor of more than 35 books, Joe has spent decades exploring peace and security, geopolitics, governance and conflict resolution. Through Conversation at the Crossroads and SHAPE, he continues to bring people together around the challenges facing humanity and our planet.
Tickets: Book tickets