David Selvarajah Vadiveloo is an Australian lawyer, education reformer and cultural safety consultant.

David Selvarajah Vadiveloo
NationalityAustralian
EducationBachelor of Law, Bachelor of Arts, Grad. Dip. Film & Television
Alma materMonash University, Victorian College of the Arts
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Human rights & Education consultant, Screen Producer
EmployerCommunity Prophets Pty Ltd
SpouseRachel Naŋinaaq Edwardson
Children3
Parent(s)Victor Kandiah and Anne Vadiveloo

Vadiveloo received the 2005 Australian Human Rights Commission Award for Individual Community Achievement and was the youngest person to be Highly Commended for the Australian Human Rights Medal, recognising lifelong commitment and achievements in human rights.[1] Vadiveloo is currently the Superintendent of Schools for the North Slope Borough School District. Vadiveloo was the Founder and Executive Director of the social justice, media and education agency Community Prophets. He led the cultural safety and culturally responsive practice reform in schools in Victoria's juvenile justice system[2] and previously consulted to high-profile First Nations community and commercial organisations in Australia and North America, including the Mirarr Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation[3] and the Inupiat Education Department[4] in Alaska. Vadiveloo's social justice films have been nominated for Australian Film Institute Awards in both the drama and documentary categories.

Vadiveloo is married to Inupiat screen producer, education consultant and cultural broker Rachel Naŋinaaq Edwardson.[5]

Early life and education edit

Vadiveloo was born in Wagga Wagga, Australia, to a Tamil father and Anglo-Celtic mother. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia and a Graduate Diploma in Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts at University of Melbourne, Australia.

Awards edit

Vadiveloo's work in human rights, media and culturally responsive education saw him awarded the 2005 Australian Human Rights Commission Award for Individual Community Achievement, specifically for his work with Indigenous and marginalised peoples.[6] In 2005 he was also the youngest person to be Highly Commended for the Australian Human Rights Medal, recognising lifelong commitment and achievements in human rights.[1] Vadiveloo's films and interactive screenworks have received numerous nominations and awards including the 2002 Canadian Golden Sheaf Award for Best International Documentary,[7] the 2005 Australian Interactive Media Industry Association Award for Best Interactive Learning[8] and 2009 Australian Film Institute nominations in both Drama and Documentary.[9][10]

Career edit

Legal and human rights career edit

Vadiveloo began work as a solicitor and barrister in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1994. He worked on the successful Central Land Council Native Title Application, Hayes v Northern Territory,[11] brought by the Arrernte people of the Alice Springs region.

In 1996, Vadiveloo was a policy advisor to the Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission. He facilitated national community consultations with Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities about the operation and effectiveness of the Australian Racial Discrimination Act. His consultations formed the basis of the 1996 State of the Nation Report.[12]

Between 2001 and 2003 Vadiveloo worked alongside former Australian Human Rights Commissioner Chris Sidoti and Bill Barker, former Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Human Rights and Indigenous Issues section [13] as a trainer in the Australia-Indonesia Specialised Training Project II,[14] facilitating human rights training programs with Indonesian NGO's, military and government employees in areas of race discrimination, torture and conflict resolution.

Since 2007, Vadiveloo and wife Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson have facilitated culturally responsive practice and social justice media programs in partnership with Indigenous and marginalised youth in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, NSW and Alaska.[15][16] Their program in Cape York became the subject of the 2-part ABC Television documentary Voices From the Cape.[17]

In 2008 at the request of the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, Vadiveloo and Edwardson devised and facilitated the Burn project with marginalised youth from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds in inner-city Sydney. The six-month project was a crime prevention initiative that resulted in the production of the Australian Film Institute nominated Burn film.[18]

In 2013, Vadiveloo was Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation.[19] On behalf of the Corporation he drafted the landmark research agreement[20] used for the Madjedbebe archaeological excavation which has changed the scientifically accepted date of modern human occupation in Australia.[21] Vadiveloo continues his work as a consultant to the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation today.[when?]

In 2015 Vadiveloo and Edwardson devised and facilitated a culturally responsive education pilot program for youth in custody at the Parkville Youth Justice Facility in Melbourne, Australia. The program included a number of high profile artists including Archie Roach, Radical Son and Abdul Abdullah.[22] and resulted in Vadiveloo leading the cultural safety and culturally responsive practice reform implemented in all schools in youth justice facilities in the State of Victoria.[citation needed]

Film career edit

In 1998, after completing the Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television post-graduate degree, Vadiveloo returned to Alice Springs and established a media program at the Irrkerlantye Learning Centre, working with Aboriginal children from the Town Camps of Alice Springs and re-engaging them with schooling through media.,[23]

Vadiveloo's documentary Trespass (2002), about the Mirrar leader Yvonne Margarula and her battle to stop the Jabiluka mine site, won multiple awards[7] and his documentary Beyond Sorry (2004) about Australia's Stolen Generations premiered on Australia's ABC Television and was a festival favourite at the 2004 Sydney Film Festival.

Vadiveloo directed and co-produced Us Mob (2005), the first Aboriginal children's television series in Australia and the first interactive Indigenous television series in the world.

Two films written and directed by Vadiveloo were nominated at the 2009 Australian Film Institute Awards: the half-hour crime drama Burn (created with at-risk inner city youth) was nominated for Best Short Fiction Film and Voices from the Cape (which documented a program run by his company Community Prophets in the Aboriginal community of Aurukun in Cape York, Australia) was nominated for best documentary series. Vadiveloo received Best Director nominations for both films at the Australian Directors Guild Awards in 2010.[24]

Vadiveloo founded the social justice, media and education agency Community Prophets in 2005. The company facilitates culturally responsive practice reform and produces and teaches film and television in partnership with marginalised communities.

Filmography edit

  • 2012 Project Chariot – Producer, Editor (Dir: Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson) [25]
  • 2012 Songline to Happiness – Producer (Dir: Danny Teece-Johnson) [26]
  • 2009 The Voice of our Spirit – Editor (Dir: Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson) [27]
  • 2008 Voices from the Cape – Writer, Director, co-Producer [28][29]
  • 2008 Burn – Writer, Director[30]
  • 2005 Us Mob – Writer, Director, co-Producer [31]
  • 2004 Beyond Sorry – Writer, Director, Producer [32][33][34]
  • 2002 Bush Bikes – Writer, Director, Producer[35]
  • 2002 Jabiru 0886: Trespass Writer, Director, co-Producer[36]
  • 2001 Tales from a suitcase series 2 - Writer, Director[37]
  • 2001 Trespass - Director, Producer [37]
  • 1999 Iwerre Atherrame - Writer, Director[38]

Bibliography edit

  • Vadiveloo, David (2007). "A time for empowerment or a new digital divide? " in da Rimini, Francesca and d/Lux/MediaArts "A Handbook for Coding Cultures" (2007)
  • Ginsburg, Faye (2006) "Rethinking the Digital Age" in Toynbee, Jason & Hesmondhalgh, David (2008) "The media and social theory" p136

References edit

[39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44]

  1. ^ a b "2005 Human Rights Medal awarded to disability rights quiet achiever Kevin Cocks". Hreoc.gov.au. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  2. ^ "NAIDOC 2016 at Parkville". parkvillecollege.vic.edu.au. Parkville College. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  3. ^ "ABC: David Vadiveloo dicusses [sic] the Ranger spill". mirarr.net. Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Iñupiaq Education". nsbsd.org. The North Slope Borough School District. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson – Native Networks". Nativenetworks.si.edu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Community Awards go to ChilOut and David Vadiveloo". Hreoc.gov.au. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Canada's Golden Sheaf Awards". Goldensheafawards.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  8. ^ "AIMIA 12th Awards Winners". Aimia.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  9. ^ "The Australian Film Institute | Non Feature Film Nominees: Production Information". Afi.org.au. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  10. ^ "The Australian Film Institute | Documentary Nominees – Production Info". Afi.org.au. 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  11. ^ Hayes v Northern Territory (1999) 97 FCR 32
  12. ^ "State of the Nation 1996 | Australian Human Rights Commission". Humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Mr Bill Barker". dtp.unsw.edu.au. University of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Indonesia-Australia Specialised Training Project Phase II". monash.edu. Monash University. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  15. ^ DAVID VADIVELOO Archived 9 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 8 Feb 2018
  16. ^ David Vadiveloo Retrieved on 8 Feb 2018
  17. ^ "Message Stick: Voices from the Cape - Part 1". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  18. ^ "Welcome to Burn". burn-movie.com.au. Legal Aid NSW. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  19. ^ "Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation". Mirarr.net. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  20. ^ Tony Wright (20 July 2017). "Aboriginal archaeological discovery in Kakadu rewrites the history of Australia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  21. ^ Helen Davidson; Calla Walhquist (20 July 2017). "Australian dig finds evidence of Aboriginal habitation up to 80,000 years ago". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Abdul Abdullah". abdulabdullah.com. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  23. ^ "Rethinking the Digital Age | Flow". Flowtv.org. 21 January 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  24. ^ "Australian Directors Guild" (PDF). ADG. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  25. ^ Museum, Anchorage (9 October 2012). "Project Chariot Documentary Premiere". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  26. ^ metroscreen. "Songline to Happiness wins at ImagineNATIVE Festival". Metro Screen. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  27. ^ "History of the Iñupiat: Nipaa I!itqusipta/The Voice of Our Spirit | National Museum of the American Indian". Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Voices from the Cape". Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  29. ^ http://www.voicesfromthecape.com.au [dead link]
  30. ^ "Burn". Burn-movie.com.au. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  31. ^ "Werde! Welcome to UsMob". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  32. ^ Internet, Chirp. "BEYOND SORRY [from the CAAMA Collection] - Ronin Films - Educational DVD Sales". www.roninfilms.com.au. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  33. ^ "Video Overview Beyond Sorry (2003) on ASO – Australia's audio and visual heritage online". Australianscreen.com.au. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  34. ^ "ABC TV Guide". Abc.net.au. 1 May 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  35. ^ Bush Bikes, retrieved 30 July 2019
  36. ^ Internet, Chirp. "JABIRU 0886: TRESPASS [from the CAAMA Collection] - Ronin Films - Educational DVD Sales". www.roninfilms.com.au. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  37. ^ a b David Vadiveloo Retrieved on 8 Feb 2018
  38. ^ Iwerre atherrame = two paths. OCLC. OCLC 222921036. Retrieved 14 April 2018 – via worldcat.org.
  39. ^ "Stateline Northern Territory". Abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  40. ^ [1] Archived 2 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  41. ^ "Meet the Team: International Advisory Board". Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  42. ^ "Download Menu". Austlii.edu.au. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  43. ^ "State of the Nation 1996". Hreoc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  44. ^ "Research into the nature of Indigenous Education that promotes health". Aare.edu.au. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.

External links edit