Indigenous Australian advocates and the communities they represent face enormous challenges.

To build community capacity to address these issues, the Diplomacy Training Program and Oxfam Australia's Indigenous Australia Program are bringing together 32 Indigenous advocates from across Australia for an intensive training program on human rights advocacy.

Throughout the week at UNSW participants will develop an understanding of the human rights approach to development and its relevance to policy and practice effecting Indigenous Australians. Sessions will focus on building practical skills for effective human rights advocacy and lobbying, as well as providing an understanding of the international human rights frameworks and standards.

Explaining the importance of the course the DTP Executive Director Patrick Earle said; "Disparities in health provision and outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have been identified by the Social Justice Commissioner, Oxfam Australia and other expert organisations as one of Australia's most pressing human rights challenges.

"This program aims to develop the capacity of Indigenous advocates to use human rights standards as practical tools to respond effectively to the human rights issues they face and to build effective advocacy strategies and coalitions."

The DTP was founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta and UNSW Emeritus Professor Garth Nettheim. It is an independent, non-governmental organisation, affiliated with the Law Faculty at UNSW. It has provided training to over 1200 community advocates across the Asia-Pacific and Indigenous Australia since its foundation in 1989.

For more information on the DTP click here