Learnings from the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity

This month, together with Kevin Liverpool, deputy chair of the Atlantic Institute Governing Board, I had the privilege of visiting the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) program in Melbourne and Global Atlantic Fellows in Melbourne and Sydney. Thanks to the warm hosting of executive director Damien Miller and the AFSE team, I was to experience first-hand the culture and curriculum of this remarkable program.

The AFSE program at the University of Melbourne was launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the University’s Vice-Chancellor. It supports mid-career leaders — both Indigenous and non-Indigenou s — who are tackling social inequality in Australia, New Zealand and across the Pacific.

One of the highlights was learning about the University’s growing relationship with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. As part of its place-based partnership with the Narrm/Kulin Nations, the University has developed a unique learning environment: liwik loorendegot (meaning “Ancestors’ guidance” in Woi-wurrung). This first-of-its-kind cultural classroom reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to elevating Wurundjeri presence and knowledge across the campus.

I also visited the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum, where I met Caine Muir, an Atlantic Fellow and senior curator for the First Peoples Collections. The First Peoples exhibition is a collaborative effort between Museums Victoria and the Victorian Aboriginal community. Caine is helping lead workshops on material collected during the Wilhelm Blandowski expedition of 1856, which — though intended as a zoological venture — also documented and took Indigenous knowledge and culture. These workshops are reconnecting Murray River nations with collection items now held in Germany, while also providing guidance to German institutions on how to decolonize their curatorial practices.

Kevin and I were also fortunate to visit Michelle Steele, co-chair of the Global Atlantic Fellows Advisory Board, and had dinner with a number of Global Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, before traveling on to Sydney. There, I met with experts in cultural leadership and nation-building from Aboriginal leaders and experts from Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States (CANZUS). These diverse nations are united by shared experiences of colonization and a commitment to cultural resilience and sovereignty.

Another instructive part of my journey was spending time with intergenerational community leaders in La Perouse, on the northern headland of Botany Bay. The area is named after French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse, whose Pacific expeditions followed those of Captain James Cook.

In Sydney, I also had the privilege of engaging in a deep dive into the subject of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights (ICIP) with Terri Janke, a leading international authority in this field. I was also honored to meet more Global Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity based in Sydney, who generously shared insights into their work and impact.

My visit to AFSE reinforced several learnings for the Institute: It underscored the power of collective and cultural leadership as a foundation for systemic change. I saw that the integration of art and cultural narratives can be a potent medium for both self-awareness and collective learning. The University of Melbourne and the program show how Indigenous partnerships are working together to shape a more equitable future. Such insights present exciting opportunities for deeper collaboration, mutual learning and leadership development across the global Atlantic Fellows community.