Program
For more detailed information about timings of various presenters please refer to the timetable section.
Keynote Speakers
Desert Knowledge is about hearing desert voices: both the applied wisdom of generations of Aboriginal social, cultural and economic life and, more recently, knowledge of people from other cultures. It is about connecting those voices to the knowledge of other desert people. It comes from the resilience of desert people in adapting and surviving in an extreme environment.
In Australia there is currently much rethinking occurring about the real challenges facing the people and communities of the desert. How do we learn to listen to, recognise and value all the voices to ensure that we develop good directions for the future? What models, practices and research can we learn from?
2008 Desert Knowledge Symposium and Business Showcase will focus on six key themes:
Making remote governance work
Governance is about how we run things and the structures we use to do it. It is also about how governments administer and interact with the desert. In the desert, it may also be about how we organise ourselves to live in diverse environments and take advantage of the opportunities they offer.
What do we know about appropriate structures and systems for small, remote and regional communities? How can we better connect the backyards of the Australian states? What can we learn from the past and from overseas experiences?
Networking business and knowledge
Scale, critical mass and sustainability are important issues for desert business. The challenge for business and services is to create connections, networks and outcomes that can effectively address these issues.
How can we network to use desert knowledge to underpin new ways of doing things? How can we learn from each other through the exchange of relevant ideas? Are there lessons to be learned from local and overseas approaches, including business clustering in rural and remote regions?
Learning for desert futures
Life-long learning from school to university or VET courses is taken for granted in urban areas, but is an unmet need in remote regions. Without appropriate education and training, coupled with the links to livelihood outcomes, the sustainability of remote communities is fragile.
How can we rethink the basis for what we deliver, how we deliver, and the outcomes from schooling, higher education and training to suit the needs and aspirations of desert people? Are there models and other places we can examine and learn from?
Capturing industry opportunities for desert people
Desert industries are dominated by mining, tourism and pastoralism. Other business opportunities have the potential to grow into sizable industries. Workforce sparseness and mobility, extremes of climate and high overhead costs require smart responses.
What is the state of the desert economy? How can we learn from successes in the pastoral, mining, art, tourism and other industries? How do we turn innovation into enterprise? What are the prospects for established and new businesses and industries?
Seizing the desert environment opportunity
Desert environments may be fragile, but they are resilient. Today they face the challenges of climate change, expanding resource development, increasing population footprints and the increasing impacts of tourism.
How can we sustain our environments? What systems, services and practices will help us live in them? What can we learn from the way other countries approach the impacts and their consequences? What can they tell us about successful desert living?
Exporting desert knowledge
The development of a global information and services economy presents a major opportunity for Australian desert research to make a positive difference internationally. This economy is growing at a time of increasing concern over climate change, a potential for increased desertification around the world's arid zones.
How do we make the most of desert knowledge - both new research knowledge and the know-how born of experience - as an export commodity? How do we position desert intellectual property for commercialisation in the global economy? What can we import from overseas experience?
The Desert Knowledge Symposium is a forum to exchange ideas for the greater use of desert knowledge for sustainable growth.
It brings together the Aboriginal people, pastoralists, business people, researchers, artists, administrators and visitors from overseas countries with desert and remote regions.
We share a passion for the desert and the imagination to try to be innovative and to create a sustainable future for desert living.
We take the long view, because we all understand that there are no short cuts or short-term solutions.
Our desert has a long history.
The Symposium is a unique chance to focus on both the research and ideas being generated throughout Australia and elsewhere and the know-how that comes from long experience of desert living. It will be a major forum to apply these insights to the challenges confronting the desert people, environments and economies in Australia and throughout the world.
Provisional Program
The Desert Knowledge Symposium and Business Showcase will commence on Monday, 3 November at the Alice Springs Convention Centre with the Welcome Reception at the Desert Knowledge Precinct Park.
The Symposium will consist of three days of plenary and concurrent sessions.
On Tuesday afternoon there will be the choice of activities for delegates to attend: a Business Forum on the Business Showcase, a tour to Desert Knowledge Precinct Park or a Melbourne Cup Event at the Turf Club. A Business Breakfast will be held on Wednesday morning at the Alice Springs Convention Centre.
Social Program
> Monday, 3 November - Welcome Reception at Desert Knowledge Precinct Park
> Tuesday, 4 November - Desert Stories at Alice Springs Convention Centre
> Wednesday, 5 November - Conference Dinner
> Thursday, 6 November - Wildfoods and Story Wall in Alice Springs
The Business Showcase will be open to delegates and the public on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 07:30 – 17:00.
Carl Binning
Vice President Sustainability
BHP Billiton Iron Ore
Carl Binning is the Vice President of BHP Billiton Iron Ore. He is a member of the global executive and is responsible for the long term management of the social, economic and environmental contribution of the company.
Prior to joining BHP Billiton, Carl Binning was Chief Executive of Greening Australia, Australia's largest environment organisation, whose mission is to engage the community in vegetation management to protect and restore the health, diversity and productivity of our unique Australian landscapes.
Carl has also played roles at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, where he was a Principal Research Economist, and within the Departments of Environment and Prime Minister and Cabinet, advising on the design of economic incentives and institutions for sustainable natural resource management.
Carl is also the proud father of 3 boys Zachary, Griffin and Xavier.
The Hon Fred Chaney AO
Fred Chaney was born in Perth in 1941. He practised law in New Guinea and Western Australia, including time in-house with the Hancock-Wright prospecting partnership, and subsequent private practice with emphasis on mining related work until he entered the Senate in 1974. Fred was involved in the Aboriginal Legal Service in a voluntary capacity in the early 1970's. He was in the Senate until 1990 and was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1983 to 1990. He was Member for Pearce in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993. Among his Ministerial appointments were Aboriginal Affairs, Social Security and Minister Assisting the Minister for National Development and Energy. After leaving Parliament he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration as a Research Fellow with the Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia from 1993 to 1995. He was appointed Chancellor of Murdoch University in 1995 and continued in that capacity until 2003.
In 1994 he was appointed as a part-time Member of the National Native Title Tribunal, a full-time Member in April 1995 and was Deputy President from 2000 to 2007.
In January 1997 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
He served as Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Ltd from 2000 to 2005 and continues as a Director on the Board.
In 2005 he was appointed chairman of Desert Knowledge Australia
In 2007 he is chairing the Consultation Committee on a Human Rights Act for Western Australia.
Jan Ferguson
The deserts are of profound significance to every Australian for what they teach us about our continent - and ourselves, says Jan Ferguson.
Jan grew up in the desert, at Beltana in SA, and today works unremittingly in her role as Managing Director of the Desert Knowledge CRC for the recognition of the importance of both the desert landscape itself and its people to our national wellbeing - economical, social and spiritual.
After working for fifteen years as a senior officer and executive director with the South Australian Government, where she was recognised with the award as Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, Jan admits the call of the deserts and their people and industries was too strong. In 2005 she took up the leadership role of DKCRC, which she is now preparing for a second incarnation aimed at the renewal of desert communities.
Ifor Ffowcs-Williams
Since establishing Cluster Navigators in 1997, Ifor has been active across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Australasia in introducing clustering as a cornerstone for economic development. Ifor is a frequent speaker on competitiveness, clusters, and local innovation systems.
Ifor's focus has been on the training of economic development professionals in the process of cluster development, designing and reviewing cluster development programmes, and facilitating cluster workshops.
Professor Jeannie Herbert
Vice-Chancellor Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Prof Jeannie Herbert took up the role of Director of the Institute in February 2006. The role title was changed to Vice-Chancellor in January 2008.
Since graduating as a primary school teacher in 1962, Prof Herbert has worked in all levels of education, from pre-school to university, in both Indigenous and mainstream education in Australia and overseas. In 1983 she moved from the classroom to educational administration and became increasingly focused on education for Indigenous Australians. Prior to taking up this position Prof Herbert was Head of the School of Indigenous Australian Studies and Professor of Indigenous Australian Studies, at James Cook University in north Queensland. Prof Herbert's career also includes a strong research focus over the last decade. In recognition of her research in Indigenous education, Prof Herbert was awarded the prestigious Betty Watts Award by the AARE in 2005.
Dr Amit Kapoor
Dr Amit Kapoor is Professor of Strategy and Industrial Economics at Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India. He also is the Chairman of the Initiative on Competitiveness. During his previous assignments he was associated with IIM, Lucknow as Professor and with Datamonitor PLC as Chief Economist & Head of its Economic Research Practice.
He is associated with Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School for offering the course developed by Professor Michael Porter on Microeconomics of Competitiveness at his parent institute, MDI, Gurgaon. He is a Sloan Affiliate and has received the Ruth Greene Memorial Award for the best authored case. He is member of the Committee on Manufacturing Competitiveness of Confederation of Indian Industry.
He has been invited by Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, Harvard University to present his views on outsourcing and economic development. His research interest is in the area of enhancing competitiveness of countries and firms and leveraging technology for success. He is an MBA and a Ph.D. in industrial economics and business strategy.
John Scanlon
John is Principal Advisor to the Executive Director on Policy and Program and Team Leader, Strategic Implementation Team, with the UN Environment Program. Previous appointments include: Chief Executive, Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs (Adelaide, Australia); Advisor, World Commission on Dams (Cape Town, South Africa); Director, IUCN Environmental Law Centre (Bonn, Germany); and Australia's first independent Commissioner, Murray Darling Basin Commission.
Melanie Stutsel
Director - Environmental and Social Policy
Minerals Council of Australia
With qualifications in resource management and environmental science, and having worked as Senior Adviser - Environment and Heritage to the Federal Opposition, Melanie joined the Minerals Council in April 2000.
In her role as Director - Environmental and Social Policy, Melanie is responsible for the provision of policy and scientific advice on issues relating to the environmental and social management of the Australian minerals industry's operations both domestically and overseas.
Melanie represents the Minerals Council of Australia in a range of fora including technical working groups, government advisory groups and various task forces of the International Council on Mining and Metals.
Melanie was the officer responsible for the development of Enduring Value - the Australian Minerals Industry Framework for Sustainable Development, and maintains responsibility for its strategic oversight and management going forward.
Margaret Wheatley, ED.D.
Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches, and speaks about radically new practices and ideas for organizing in chaotic times. She is president emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable global foundation serving life-affirming leaders around the world. Her book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time synthesizes all her writings about leadership. Wheatley also authored Leadership and the New Science, revised in 2006, Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, and A Simpler Way (with Myron Kellner-Rogers).
Her articles and work can be accessed at www.margaretwheatley.com
Gregor Ramsey
Gregor Ramsey has been involved in every facet of education in his forty years in the profession. He started his career complimenting his teaching roles with a passion for curriculum development co-authoring a range of textbooks and journal articles. In 1984, he was responsible for the merger of six colleges of advanced education. These became the South Australian College of Advanced Education, now part of the University of South Australia.
During the 1980's he held a number of senior Federal and State Government positions in education and training, culminating in the position of managing director of the New South Wales TAFE Commission. This appointment allowed him to relate learning to the world of work, and to foster education being as an integral part of life.
Between 2001-03 he was Project Director for the Desert Peoples Centre in Alice Springs, a joint venture between the Batchelor Institute and the Centre for Appropriate Technology to provide education and services to the Aboriginal people of Central Australia. His creative work underpins the directions and thinking for the Desert Peoples Centre is now pursuing today. In 2003 he led a team to review secondary education in the Northern Territory. The report Building Better Schools.
He now heads the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (Teaching Australia). He was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2007. In each phase Gregor has been interested in the quality of education and how that manifests itself into practical outcomes.
Aden Ridgeway
Aden Ridgeway was born in Macksville in northern NSW in 1962. He is a proud member of the Gumbayyngirr people. His life has seen him rise from the treadmill of poverty and of growing up on an Aboriginal reserve. His early experiences have resulted in strong family traditions and he is the very proud father of two adult sons and a younger daughter.
He attended boarding school at St John's College, Woodlawn, and left in 1980. He has been a park ranger, court assessor, chief executive officer and federal politician.
Aden is the first indigenous person to be elected as a Parliamentary Leader when he held the position of Deputy Leader, Australian Democrats, during 2001-02. More recently, he retired as a Senator for NSW, having served in the Federal Parliament for six years.
He is currently Executive Chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia, and Adjunct Professor, UTS, Sydney. He also holds the positions of Chairman, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and Chairman, NSW Reparations Repayments Scheme Panel. Aden is also the prime time presenter of ABC's "Message stick" Program, and he currently works as a consultant to various organizations, including the NSWALC, Chase Property Investments and Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Corporation. He is now also the Patron of 'The Centre for Aboriginal Independence and Enterprise.
Des Rogers
Des Rogers was born in Alice Springs and is of Afghan and Aboriginal decent. His grandfather was born at Horse-shoe Bend which is approximately 150 km south of Alice Springs. His father was an Afghan cameleer and his mother was an Aboriginal lady who was born on the banks of the Finke River at a place called "Ultja" or main camp which is half way between the Idrocowra and Henbury home-steads.
Des is recognized and accepted as an Aboriginal man of the Pertame clan (Southern
Arrernte). He was previously employed by the Bush-fires Council of the Northern Territory for seventeen years.
Des is the founding Director of Red Centre Produce which commenced trading in 1994. This Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable business based in Alice Springs is today the largest in Central Australia. RED Centre Produce as a vision and business commitment in improving the access to quality, variety and price of fresh produce to Indigenous people in remote areas.
Des also owns Indigenous Perspectives a consultancy firm providing professional assistance to Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people. He was the Indigenous relations Manager for the catering company on the Alice to Darwin railway and achieved a 35% Indigenous employment level.
Des is currently researching and developing a concept for an Indigenous Hospitality Academy, Indigenous Cafe and the export of Indigenous cuisine under the banner of his new business pepperedBLACK.
Dr Peter Toyne
Born in Melbourne and early career there included 5 years of scientific research into the origins of breast cancer and then a ten year teaching career culminating in establishing and leading Kensington Community Schoool.
Shifted to the NT in 1980 and took up various educational and community development roles in the Utopia and Yuendumu areas over the next 16 years- all this time based in bush communities. Roles included advising Indigenous people on all aspects of community infrastructure, enterprise development, governance arrangements, and cultural preservation.
In 1996 He was elected to the NT Parliament as the Member for Stuart and served 5 years as opposition spokesperson for education. When the Labor government assumed power in 2001 he became the Attorney General and Justice Minister and later took on the additional responsibility as Minister for Health and Minister for Central Australia. He retired from politics in 2006 and fits continuing work on Art authentication and remote health delivery with family life and an emerging career as an oil painter and glass artist.