The Newsletter of the Australian–American Fulbright Commission promoting educational and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States. TheFulbrighterA ustra l ia brilliant scientist, was the intended recipient U.S. Fulbright Scholars of my award? land in the Capital “The Enrichment Seminar was the perfect beginning to my time in Australia. They Nine newly arrived U.S. Fulbright [Commission staff] made clear what an Scholars descended on Canberra in honour it was to be a Fulbright Scholar and August for the sixth Enrichment Seminar. made us all feel special. They drove 650 kms from Melbourne, jetted I returned to Melbourne invigorated and excited 3930 kms across the desert and hung-up their to begin my Fulbright experience down-under.” diving equipment in the Great Barrier Reef to Per Henningsgaard added, “I was delighted attend the Enrichment Seminar in Canberra. to hear of the variety of projects that were The Enrichment Seminar for the 2005 U.S. being pursued, as well as the passion that Fulbright Scholars was changed from each of my fellow Fulbright Scholars brought February to August to bring together the to their particular field. scholars in the earliest part of their Fulbright We were honoured at a dinner hosted by the year. Nine of the twenty U.S. Fulbright ACT Fulbright Alumni at the Axis Restaurant Volume 18 NUmber 3 NovEmber 2005 Scholars attended the Enrichment Seminar in the National Museum of Australia and and formed friendships and networks. Further received Fulbright pins from Susan Crystal, events will welcome other U.S. Fulbright Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy. arrivals later in the year and early 2006. Inside This particularly extravagant feast was, in Professor Abbe Smith from Georgetown many ways and for many of the Fulbright University, headed to Canberra literally fourteen ED News Pg 2 Scholars, the crowning event of the hours after arriving in Australia. “I was oddly Enrichment Seminar... it brought together so anxious about meeting the other Fulbright Sir Ronald Wilson Pg 2 many of the involved parties and demonstrated Scholars. I was still pinching myself about in a grand way the great honour and privilege Fulbright Symposium Pg 3 having been selected; what if it turned out there it is to be a Fulbright Scholar in Australia.” had been a clerical error and another Smith, a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Pg 4 Where are they now? Pg 5 Spelling Bee dream comes true Pg 6 Welcome to America Pg 6 In the News Pg 7 AFA treasure makes way for new treasurer Pg 8 2005 U.S. Fulbright Scholars; left to right standing: Navin Mahadaven, Christopher McDonald, Per Henningsgaard, Jessica Jarett, Crystal Lui Left to right seated: Katherine Nesbitt, Elizabeth LaMont, Abbe Smith, Alan Goldstein devastated Aceh region; Commissions and to Jo lawry, 2003 Australian Fulbright Scholar ED News U.S. universities worked with the Institute and jazz singer, who performed at the New York of International Education (IIE) to re-place reception. and support over 50 international Fulbright It was also a pleasure to introduce a large Scholars who were based at southern group of Australian Fulbright Scholars, universities in mississippi, louisiana and Texas. studying in Washington D.C. to the new In these times you appreciate the generosity Australian Ambassador Dennis Richardson. of the Fulbright network and its message of In July, the Commission hosted the first mutual understanding. Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad to Australia In Australia, we were pleased to welcome (see story on page 4). my thanks to John Higley the 2005 U.S. Fulbright Scholars for their and his faculty at the Australian New Zealand Enrichment Seminar, 18-19 August. Previously Studies Centre at the University of Texas, Austin held in February, this year’s Seminar aimed for providing a wonderful orientation program to connect the U.S. Fulbright scholars early in for the group and odyssey Travel in Wollongong their program. for developing and coordinating the amazing As always, they are a wonderful group of four week seminar. Executive Director, Mark Darby people from a diverse range of fields. We look The August Board meeting was held in forward to introducing them to Alumni and Brisbane, where we welcomed new board In a year that will be remembered by many of us representatives at the host universities over the members Earl Irving, U.S. Consul General and for its natural disasters, it will hopefully also be coming months. Further events will be planned Tom Pascarella, Director, Client management, remembered for the support and generosity of to welcome the remaining U.S. Scholars. Bank of America. the world’s response. our thanks to Australian Consuls General John We are currently in the final stages of Beyond individual contributions, the Fulbright olsen in los Angeles and Ken Allen in New York developing a new Fulbright Commission web network has also responded. Fulbright Alumni for hosting the annual receptions, to welcome site which we will officially launch in 2006. donated to Dr Ranjana Srivastava for her boat Australian Fulbright Scholars to the United our thanks for your support in 2005. We look appeal in the maldives (see update page 5); the States in September. It was great to share the forward to keeping you informed of a wide Indonesian Commission focused on bringing occasion with U.S. Alumni who flew in, or drove range of exciting Fulbright activities for 2006. U.S. Senior Scholars to train new staff in the extensive distances to join us. A special thanks Sir Ronald Wilson AC KBE CMG QC Australians learnt the full extent of the forced He was Chancellor of Murdoch University, 1980 (1922-2005) removals, which until the 1970s tore thousands to 1995; President of the Assembly of the Uniting of Aboriginal children away from their families. Church in Australia, 1988 to 1991; President Sir Ronald was born in the West Australian of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity fishing port of Geraldton on August 23, 1922. Commission (HREOC), 1990 -1997 and President After serving as a fighter pilot in Britain’s Royal of the Australian Council for International Air Force during World War II, he returned to Development Aid (ACFID), 1997-2001. Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Law He is survived by Lady Leila Wilson and five degree from the University of Western Australia. children. Sir Ronald became a barrister and solicitor in 1951. He was a Fulbright Scholar to the University of Pennsylvania where he completed Fulbright remembers Former High Court judge, Sir Ronald a Master of Laws in 1957. He had a rapid rise in Gerald Ashby, 1935 – 2005 Wilson, will be remembered as a champion his legal career becoming Crown Prosecutor 1974 Educational Development of reconciliation and Australia’s stolen for Western Australia in 1959. generation. Sir Ronald passed away in Perth in He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1963 Bruce Alan Bolt, 1930 – 2005 July after a long illness. - the youngest-ever in WA. Between 1969 and 1959 Australian Postgraduate Together with Aboriginal leader Mick Dodson, 1979 he served as WA’s Solicitor-General Sir Ronald led the national inquiry into the and in 1979 the Fraser federal coalition Cliff Gallagher, 1925 - 2005 forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait government made him a High Court judge - a 1955 Australian Postgraduate Islander children from their families. Through position he held until 1989. the inquiry’s report, “Bringing Them Home”, The Hon. Justice Graham Hill, 1938 - 2005 1962 Australian Postgraduate Anthony Joseph Kenneth Deakin Rivett, 1923 - 2004 Pratt 1971 Australian Postgraduate Sponsors The primary funding for the Fulbright Program in Australia is provided by the Australian and United States Robert K. Swanson, 1932 – 2005 governments. This core funding is complemented by the generous support of a select group of companies, organisations and government agencies. 1954 U.S. Postgraduate Peace and Human Rights - a timely debate The Faculty of Law at the University of Melbourne, hosted the Fulbright Symposium in June, titled “Peace and Human Rights Education” . Recent threats to society have emphasised the importance of promoting peace and human values, particularly in a climate where national security considerations and the war on terror have led some to doubt the utility of human rights in time of national threat. Professor George Williams and Professor Dinah Shelton Mark Darby, U.S. Fulbright Senior Specialist, Professor Hurst Hannum The Symposium provided a forum for An excerpt from Balancing National legitimacy in political debate. Put simply, our multidisciplinary discussion to identify the Security and Human Rights: Lessons political process will sometimes fail to protect best methods to employ in a climate that can human rights because human rights lack real sometimes be hostile to human rights claims. from Australia, Prof. Williams at the political force. When they are needed most, The Fulbright Public Lecture, “Balancing Fulbright Public Lecture. they can be absent from debate. National Security and Human Rights”, was I want to start with an important caveat: any Unlike every other democratic nation, Australia attended by over 250 people, as keynote attempt to ‘balance’ national security and must search for answers to fundamental speakers Professor George Williams, UNSW human rights is hampered by the fact that we questions about civil liberties and national and Chair of the Victorian Committee on a do not possess knowledge of the threat that Bill of Rights and Professor Dinah Shelton, security without the benefit of a Bill of Rights. Australia actually faces. Professor of Law and Patricia Roberts- [A] Bill of Rights can remind governments Australia has little history of enacting laws Harris, Research Professor of Law and and communities of a society’s basic values aimed at terrorism.