A Rockhampton professor will be on a panel at next week’s ‘response to Cronulla’ symposium in Brisbane.

Director of Nulloo Yumbah, CQU’s Indigenous Learning, Spirituality and Research Centre, Associate Professor William Oates said he supported the symposium’s aim to bring some light to the recent conflict and violence in Cronulla.

Dr Jonathan Makuwira, who is a lecturer at CQU-Nulloo Yumbah and a specialist in Peace Studies, will also be a participant offering insightful alternatives to violence.

"Recent events have brought to the fore the complexity of racism and have questioned the success of multiculturalism in Australia but also the need to tackling the issue from the base," Associate Professor Oates said.

The symposium aims to provide a platform for discussion and analysis of the recent events; to develop alternative responses to multiculturalism and racism; and to explore options for future directions, policies and social transformation in society.

More importantly, the symposium will serve as a platform on how institutions of higher learning can contribute to awareness raising and education in the areas of Global (Citizenship) Education and Peace Studies.

CQU along with a number of other academic institutions will be represented at the “Responding to Cronulla: Rethinking Multiculturalism” session, on Tuesday February 21 at the Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane.

The Centre for Multicultural and Community Development at the University of the Sunshine Coast, together with Griffith University’s Multi-faith Centre have organised this national symposium.