Global Leadership Distinguished Speakers Event (May 8)

As part of the Global Leadership Program I am doing while at Macquarie Uni we have to attend the Distinguished Speakers Event. The event was downtown near Town Hall at the Hilton. We got there an hour before for networking and appetizers. It was so fun to go into the city during the week to a nice hotel  and attend an event like this. Natasha, Suzy, and I went together and ended up seeing a lot of people from the Parklands. 

The distinguished speaker was Michael Kirby. When he retired from the High Court of Australia on 2 February 2009, Michael Kirby was Australia’s longest serving judge. Previously Michael Kirby served as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and, concurrently, the Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands.  His appointment to the High Court came in 1996 and he served thirteen years. In addition to his judicial duties, Michael Kirby has served as a member of the World Health Organisation’s Global Commission on AIDS (1988-92); as UN Special Representative Human Rights in Cambodia (1993-6); a member of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (1995-2005); a member of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Judicial Reference Group (2007-) and a member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights (2004-). In 2010, Michael Kirby was awarded the Gruber Justice Prize.  He is presently serving on the UNDP Global Commission of HIV and the Law as well as the Arbitration Panel of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (World Bank).

The event was interesting especially because he was a gay Christian who was very proud of that. It was also very cool to see all of the people who attended and be in the city for the event. After his speech/talk there was a question answer period (there were some really random as well as interesting questions brought up) and then we headed home. We were vey lucky to have caught the last train or we would have had to take the buses which would take twice as long. 

Me and Natasha

Suzy and Natasha

The boys: Alex, a guy, Johan, Dominik, and Franz

The girls: Natasha, Me, Rachel, Molly

Me, Natasha, and Suzy

Michael Kirby