To honour Ron Wilson as former Chancellor of Murdoch
University, patron of the Remote Area Developements Group and most
importantly as former President
of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission a proposal to found
the Ron Wilson Centre is gaining momentum. Driven inititally by the
Remote Area Developments Group, a initial advisory committee has met
and plans are underway to develop an inter disciplinary learning and
reseacrh centre with an over arching aim; to improve lives. This
proposal is to express his special interests in Aboriginal people,
people in the developing countries, in social justice,
education and contemporary life in Australia. It is our expectation that
the Ron Wilson Centre will celebrate the life’s work of a Great
Australian. The Centre will become a world leader in the provision
of environmentally
sustainable technologies, technology transfer and training for indigenous
peoples, developing countries and the wider world.
The Centre will promote the following:
- Research
into issues related to Aboriginal Communities in Australia.
This may include the technologies appropriate to their culture, tradition
and lifestyle, governance of the community, tourism and methods for
self-reliance and community development
- Training
Centre for Aboriginal people, mainly from the remote communities.
This will include training in environmental health, community settlement
planning, appropriate technologies, community management, land care,
waste management, essential services and eco- tourism while addressing
issues of Aboriginal education and appropriate training methods.
- Developing
countries issues.
The Centre will link with organisations working in developing
countries and provide support in research & development. It
will undertake projects with the help of government, non-government
and industry and
will provide technical expertise and support for their activities.
- Technology transfer.
The Centre will conduct workshops, seminars, and conferences to facilitate
technology transfer, a demanding project for the UN Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development. Training and transfer will utilise on-site
training, in-country training and e-learning. The ETC already has a
proven track record in preparing e-learning tools for the UNEP-IETC
(2004/5)
- UNESCO
Cooperation activities.
The Wilson Centre at Murdoch University will host the UNESCO Centre
for Sustainability There will be cooperation from UNESCO to organise
programs to promote Environmentally Sound Technologies in Asia-Pacific
region. The Ronald Wilson Centre will promote and cooperate in such
activities and will provide a base for the UNESCO Centre for Sustainability
in Perth WA.
- Environmental
Education.
Ronald Wilson was chancellor at Murdoch and he has always
promoted education programs. In December 2002, resolution 57/254
on the United
Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO
was designated as lead agency for the promotion of the Decade.
The Ron Wilson Centre
will be well placed, in part due to the ETC’s relationship with
UNESCO, to be a major player in the delivery of education programmes
and the development of culturally specific and issue driven educative
materials while building on Ron Wilson’s commitment to
human rights and the provision of basic services to remote
communities and
developing countries.
Ronald
Wilson grew up in a country town in Western Australia. He served
in World War II as a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force, flying
Spitfires in England. Thereafter he entered the legal profession
in the service of the Government of Western Australia.
He
was Solicitor-General for WA from 1969 to 1979, and a Justice of
the High Court of Australia from 1979 to 1989. He was Chancellor
of Murdoch University from 1980 to 1995, President of the National
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission from 1990 to 1997,
Deputy Chairperson of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation from
1991 to 1994, and President of the Australian Council for Overseas
Aid from 1997.
In
his role as President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission,
Sir Ronald shared with Mick Dodson, the Aboriginal Social Justice
Commissioner, the leadership of the National Inquiry into the forced
removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities.
He
co-authored the best-selling report of the Inquiry Bringing Them
Home. A keen ecumenist, Sir Ronald has been active in church and
inter-faith affairs. He was national President of the Uniting Church
from 1988 to 1991 and President of the Australian Chapter of the
World Conference on Religion and Peace from 1991 to 1995.
Sir
Ronald was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St
George 1978 for services to the community. In 1979 he was made a
Knight of the Order of the British Empire for services to the law.
In 1988, he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for his
services to the law.
Sir
Ron's work at Murdoch has included supporting the (CRCC) Centre for
Research in Culture & Communication's Boat People Symposium (1996)
and helping establish the two very successful Louis Johnson Memorial
Trust Fellowships, held by Dr Steve Mickler and Dr Anna Haebich.
Sir Ron's commitment to Murdoch University has continued well beyond
his role as the Chancellor. To all he meets Sir Ron extends the true
hand of friendship.
Ronald
Darling Wilson AC KBE CMG QC LL.B, Hon. LL.D (UWA); LL.M (Penn USA);
Hon D.Ed (Keimyung Korea); Hon. D.Lett (UTS, Sydney); Hon. D.Univ
(Murdoch). One of Australia's true gentlemen
