This submission puts forward recommendations to ensure the Bill reflects the values, needs and aspirations of First Nations peoples, and guarantees a safe, inclusive and meaningful space to share knowledge and lived experience. This submission considers the purpose and role of the Australian Human Rights Commission in representing cultural safety, meaningfully listening to First Nations peoples’ experiences, and challenges the hearing model that the Bill describes for gathering evidence. In reflection of this model, our submission suggests that the Commission be grounded in a peacebuilding and healing-informed approach. Secondly, we consider what measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL) in the Commission may look like, suggesting a model more aligned with Wiyi Yani U Thangani that embeds MEL throughout all stages of the Commission’s development and operations. This approach departs from the traditional Western evaluation model to better reflect the needs and values of First Nations people engaging with the Commission.
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