Diversity Week celebrations begin

Irish Ambassador to Australia Declan Kelly will help The University of Queensland celebrate diversity this week.

Ambassador Kelly will be the keynote speaker at an awards lunch at Customs House on Friday (May 14) – one of the highlights of Diversity Week.

The Week aims to highlight and increase understanding of issues such as disability, sexuality, religion, gender, family, racism and Indigenous history and culture.

Ambassador Kelly will talk about the importance of diversity, drawing on a 30-year-career in foreign affairs.

He will also help present $20,000 in awards for four projects that improve equity and diversity.

Diversity Week, themed “All-Together-Different”, will be celebrated from May 10-14 with a host of activities at St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton campuses.

A forum at St Lucia on Wednesday (May 12), will launch the Ally Program – a safety and awareness program to help students and staff stamp out homophobia.

Other events include a cultural diversity and environment student forum, a student exchange fair to study overseas, an international evening and many volunteer and community group displays.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Margaret Gardner said Diversity Week was an opportunity to celebrate the richness of the UQ community.

“Diversity Week means we can showcase and celebrate diversity and, through the awards, acknowledge the great work already going on and provide some well-deserved support for the individuals and organisational units that contribute to diversity at UQ.”

DIVERSITY WEEK HIGHLIGHTS, May 10-14 WEDNESDAY:
12.30–1.30pm, Soapbox Forum – Out Today (Social Sciences and Humanities Library Conference Room, Duhig Building, St Lucia) Hear from invited speakers and have your say on issues related to sexuality and gender identity. The forum will also launch the Ally Program - a safety and awareness program to stamp out homophobia on campus.

FRIDAY:
12.30pm, Vice-Chancellor`s Equity and Diversity Award Lunch (Customs House) Irish Ambassador to Australia Declan Kelly will help present $20,000 in awards for projects that improve equity and diversity.

Throughout Diversity Week:
The Bridge Student Volunteer Organisation Display (Social Sciences and Humanities Library, St Lucia)
Women in Architecture, Engineering & IT (UQ Dorothy Hill Physical Sciences and Engineering Library)
UQ Ipswich Diversity Week Activities (Building 8, UQ Ipswich)

For more information, visit http://www.uq.edu.au/about/diversityweek or contact Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: +61 07 3365 2619, m.holland@uq.edu.au) Images of Declan Kelly are available from UQ photographic library coordinator Diana Lilley (phone: +61 07 3365 2753, d.lilley@uq.edu.au) The Ambassador’s Canberra office number is (phone: +61 02 6273 3022)