Inclusive NFP governance panel discussion
Date: 23 Nov 2023
ICDA will host a panel of esteemed leaders in the disability, youth, CALD, and First Nations communities, now taking place online on Thursday 23rd November from 5-6.30pm.
Facilitated by ICDA Training Lead, Nina Laitala, the panel will discuss how NFP boards, committees and councils can create more inclusive environments to foster a robust and effective sector.
Joining Nina on the panel will be:
- Aayushi Khillan (she/her), youth and mental health advocate
- Cienan Muir (he/him), advocate for Aboriginal young people
- Maryanne Diamond AO (she/her), disability advocate.
Learn more about the panel below.
ICDA has heard from NFPs across the country that creating inclusive spaces and attracting a diverse board remains a challenge. This panel will share experiences in NFP governance of those in non-dominant and marginalised communities, and practical advice for all boards to increase their understanding and capacity of inclusion and safety.
Please note: This session was due to take place in-person, but has been moved online after member feedback.
Key details:
Date: Thursday, November 23, 2023
Time: 5-6pm AEDT
Address: Now taking place online.
Price:
FREE to OC House tenants.
Panelists
Aayushi Khillan is a passionate youth and mental health advocate based in Naarm (Melbourne). Aayushi governance experience began when she was still in high school after being elected to the Victorian Student Representative Council Student Executive Advisory Committee.
Aayushi was the first young person appointed to Victoria Curriculum Assessment Authority Board and remains the only youth and multi-ethnic representative. She has also been a member of the Future Amp Youth Advisory Board and currently serves on the Centre for Multicultural Youth Advisory Group and the Australian Government’s STEM Youth Advisory Group.
Aayushi was the first Indian Australian to receive the international Diana Award, in honour of the late Princess Diana and her legacy of social justice for her role as the Founder and Director/CEO of Body Buddies, a social enterprise that aims to increase health education in children.
Cienan Muir is a Yorta Yorta/ Ngarrindjeri man now based in Naarm (Melbourne) and a passionate advocate for Aboriginal young people. He is the Australian Director of Indigenous Comic Con and Founder of the Indiginerd Popculture Company. Indiginerd is an Aboriginal owned and operated business that provides a platform for Indigenous content creation in the pop culture industry.
Cienan currently sits on two boards; the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Bubup Wilam Childcare Agency and has a strong history of representation on boards and committees in Victoria. Cienan assisted in the establishment of the First Nations Film Club at ACMI and was a committee member for over two years, he was an executive member of the Koorie Youth Council’s advisory committee, Victoria’s dedicated organisation representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and held the role of treasurer for the Victorian NAIDOC Committee.
Maryanne Diamond has a wealth of experience as a disability advocate and board member across numerous government and NFP organisations internationally and within Australia and is currently a member of the National Disability Insurance Agency Board, the Disability Worker Registration Board, and the Jeffrey Blyth Foundation Board, which supports Blind Citizens Australia.
Maryanne led the World Blind Union delegation during negotiations with the World Intellectual Property Organisation that led to the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty in 2013. As Chair of the International Disability Alliance, she led their involvement in the negotiations for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030.
Maryanne was appointed as an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2014, and in 2017 was a finalist in the Victorian Australian of the year in 2017 and was awarded the Louis Braille Medal, the World Blind Union’s highest award in recognition of her significant contribution to improving the lives of people who are blind or partially sighted at an international level.