Banjima people take Wittenoom to the United Nations Human Rights Council
On March 10, Banjima Traditional Owners and the filmmakers behind Walkley Award-winning documentary YURLU | COUNTRY will take part in an official United Nations (UN) Side Event at the Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The UN Side Event will take place during the 61st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC61) at the Palais des Nations at 2am, 10 March AEST / 4pm, 9 March CET, with Banjima Traditional Owners travelling from the Pilbara, WA, hoping to build international pressure and momentum for their fight to heal their poisoned homelands.
“This is the beginning of the next step in the journey for us. We are following the legacy and footsteps that have been left by our Elders past and present for our community, so we can look after Country, and each other,” BNTAC Vice Chair, Johnnell Parker said.
Johnnell Parker, Vice Chair of BNTAC, will join a dialogue with Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment, Ghazali Ohorella, Human Rights Legal Consultant at International Indian Treaty Council, Yves Lador, of Earthjustice, and Yaara Bou Melhem, Director of YURLU | COUNTRY, a recent Australian film about the Parker family and the Wittenoom contamination.
