10 December 2012
ALSWA Honoured with Human Rights Award
The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (ALSWA) was honoured with a Human Rights Award at the 25th Human Rights Awards, held in Sydney today.
ALSWA CEO Dennis Eggington attended the Ceremony and accepted the ‘Community Organisation Award’ on behalf of ALSWA, for which he has been CEO since 1996.
Speaking after the Ceremony, he said “I am extremely honoured to accept this Award on behalf of our Aboriginal Community and all of the people who have worked for ALSWA over nearly four decades”.
This award recognises a ‘non-government or community-based organisation with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in the Australian community’.
“I am so proud that our organisation has been acknowledged with this prestigious Award and this is testament to the dedication and commitment of so many people over the years, including our current staff members at our fifteen offices throughout Western Australia. This Award shows quite clearly that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ongoing struggle for justice and equality needs to be at the forefront of this country’s human rights agenda” said Mr. Eggington.
Providing legal support and representation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, ALSWA embraces a human rights based approach to it’s service delivery which also includes advocacy, community and school education, lobbying and working with other key stakeholders within the justice system.
ALSWA congratulates all Human Rights Award nominees, including Law graduate Krista McKeeken who was awarded the Young People’s Human Rights Medal. Krista has been assisting ALSWA with Stolen Wages applications as part of the Stolen Wages Reparation Scheme.
ALSWA Executive Committee President Michael Blurton and ALSWA CEO Dennis Eggington at the Human Rights Awards with Jeff Mc Mullan, who accepted the Human Rights Medal on behalf of Ian Thorpe
Representatives from the Human Rights Law Centre, Gillian Triggs, Mick Gooda and Dennis Eggington