The Roberta Sykes Newsletter Indigenous Education Foundation September 2010 Interview with Roberta Sykes ou may know that I have been confined to a nursing home in Marrickville for a number of years and Ythe Foundation has been dormant. In late 2008 I asked Danny Gilbert to revive it and this first newsletter is the product of the effort which the new board and executive director have put into getting the Foundation up and running again. As you will read in this newsletter, the Foundation is back in the business of awarding scholarships. The Foundation’s scholarship program is now one of a number of overseas study programs available to Indigenous students – I was gratified to receive a copy of the Indigenous Students’ Guide to Postgraduate Scholarships in Australia and Overseas which listed the Foundation’s scholarships. But when the Foundation was set up 20 years ago, there were no other scholarships for Indigenous students – it was the first. My own experience at Harvard – both the difficulty of getting there and the reward once I did – convinced me of the value of overseas study to the development and confidence of the Photo courtesy of The Cybec Foundation Indigenous community. While Harvard is conservative in many ways, it gives access to a rich civil rights tradition. Foundation. My hope is that the Foundation will continue to grow and that the Foundation will play a role in achieving While there are now more scholarship opportunities for justice for Indigenous communities. Indigenous students, the Foundation remains unique. It was a grass roots organisation. The scholarship money was raised through small individual donations or through BBQs IN THIS ISSUE: and small house parties around Australia. People could Welcome from the Chair. 2 readily connect with the Foundation’s purpose – the value of Message from the Executive Director. 3 educational opportunity. Donors could see what a difference education had made in their own lives – or often what a Our Principal and Trustees. 4-6 difference it could have made if only such opportunities had Logo development. 7 been available to them. Bronwyn Bancroft . 7 I am proud that the Foundation over the last 20 years has Life Member - Zane Ma Rhea . 8 made a difference in the Indigenous community. I look back over the list of people the Foundation has assisted in overseas Roberta Sykes Scholarships . 9 study, who are listed in this newsletter, and I can see people How you can help . 9 who used this opportunity to not only improve themselves but Current scholar . 10 to contribute to the Indigenous community on their return. Past scholarship recipients . 11 – 13 I am also honoured that the Foundation has been re-named after me. But the Foundation was given life, and will continue Fulbright ‘Spark’. 14 to live, through the efforts of you. The memories of our Larissa Behrendt Award. 15 efforts together helps sustain me through what are difficult Book Reviews . 16 times. I miss you all – individually and collectively. I would Contact details . 16 love to hear from you and you can contact me through the 1. Welcome from the Chair was present at the birth of the Black Women’s Action Foundation can provide supplementary funding to in Education Foundation - or at least its students who win scholarships - additional money which I “legalisation”. At the time, I was a young, very green can help cover the costs of taking their family members lawyer at Gilbert+Tobin, which itself was very young and with them, or returning home to maintain links with green. Right from the beginning, Danny Gilbert community, or undertaking follow on work experience. “encouraged” lawyers working for him to take on pro We also see opportunities to fund shorter study courses, bono matters and my first was Roberta. At our first for example to allow Indigenous community workers or meeting, she marched in, wearing a striking outfit with social entrepreneurs to take time out for study at overseas knee high boots and expressing definite opinions on how summer schools. she wanted the Trust Deed drafted. She reviewed every clause - and had an opinion on each of them! The Foundation has always been a grass roots organisation. We will publish this newsletter on a regular The idea of the Foundation instantly attracted me. I had basis as a first step to re-engaging with our grass roots just returned from study at Harvard. It had been the most base. challenging, exciting time of my life: completely unlike my experience at an Australian university where we all This newsletter includes short bios of many of the alumni sat down the back of the class and hoped never to be of the Foundation. As you will see, Roberta well and asked questions. Students at Harvard enthusiastically truly fulfilled her objective of supporting people who threw themselves into classroom discussions; opinions would go onto make an important contribution to the were varied and controversial; lecturers interrogated and Indigenous community. The Trustees hope we can do so challenged us. I felt my mind was literally being as well. stretched, my horizons broadened. I have visited Roberta in the nursing home. It is Education is the building block of success - individually distressing to see a woman of such determination and and for a community. For many of us in the white passion now physically incapacitated. I know that she community, it is not just an opportunity but is treated as would very much like to hear from people who were close to an entitlement. Roberta’s objectives for the involved with her in the Foundation in the past and I will Foundation were informed by her own personal make sure she recieves any emails or letters you send her. experience in struggling to get to Harvard. Having achieved her personal goal, she now wanted to help Peter Waters, Chair others from the Indigenous community benefit from the experience of overseas study. The Foundation - in its new guise under Roberta’s name - remains committed to her original vision. But times also have changed. There are now more scholarships available to Indigenous students, including to study overseas. The Trustees, therefore, see a broadened role for the Foundation. While still focused on overseas study, the 2. Message from the Executive Director t is a great honour to have been asked to take on The Foundation would like to thank Bronwyn Bancroft the role as Executive Director of the Foundation for yet again designing a fantastic logo to take the Iby Danny Gilbert, who, along with his team at Foundation forward. You can read about Bronwyn’s Gilbert + Tobin, assisted Roberta in drafting the original career and the history of the Foundation’s logo on page 7. Foundation Deed back in 1990. Danny has now taken over as Principal of the Foundation due to Roberta’s We hope that you enjoy this Newsletter and that you illness. consider continuing to support Roberta’s vision. You will be able to follow the exploits of the Roberta Sykes In the past 30 years over 500 of you have helped fund Scholars on our new website, which is currently under 27 students to undertake a variety of study opportunities construction – www.robertasykesfoundation.com.au. ranging from attending the International Indigenous Youth Conference to a Masters degree at Harvard Richard Potok, Executive Director University. A complete list of Sykes Scholars can be found on page 13 of this Newsletter. To continue Roberta’s vision of opportunities for Indigenous students to experience the benefits of overseas postgraduate studies, we have put in place a set of criteria for future scholarships. You will find the criteria details on page 9. Support will, for the most part, be provided as a financial supplement for students to study degree courses at overseas institutions. However, at times, we will also consider applications for short executive programs. The Foundation is currently supporting Rex Betar who holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) and is studying for a Masters of Human Rights Law (Cross Border) in Ireland. The Foundation is providing A$15,000 to assist in covering Rex’s tuition fees and living expenses during this year. On page 10 you will find more information on Rex and his July progress report. On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to congratulate a former Sykes Scholar, whose name most of you will be familiar with, Larissa Behrendt. Larissa was awarded 2009 NAIDOC Person of the Year. You can read more about this wonderful achievement on page 15. 3. Our Principal Our Trustees Danny Gilbert Jilpia Jones anny is Co-founder and Managing Partner of ilpia is a Walmadjari Women born through the Gilbert + Tobin. Danny won ‘Most admired Aboriginal traditional birthing practice from the Dprivate business owner’ at the 2008 BRW JGreat Sandy Desert of the Walmadjari Nation. She ANZ Private Business Awards. He also won ‘Managing was removed from her mother at the aged of 5 and taken Partner of the Year’ at the 2008 ALB Australasian Law to another country called Queensland. Awards and the 2003 Fuji Xerox Australian Law Awards. Jilpia not only learned English but survived to graduate Danny has also shown a strong commitment to the law’s in General Nursing, Midwifery and Ophthamology. With role in assisting the disadvantaged. He has been involved her nursing work she helped with other activists to with community legal centres and Indigenous issues for establish the first Community Control Medical Service in over thirty years. Gilbert+Tobin has one of the largest pro Sydney. bono practices in Australia. Later, with her experience working with the late Danny currently holds a number of directorships, Professor Fred Hollows on the National Trachoma Eye including Chairman of the National Museum of Health Program around Australia, Jilpia obtained a Australia, Non Executive Director National Australia Churchill Trust Scholarship to study and work at Bank Limited, Member of the Prime Minister’s National Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.