September is a busy month but don’t forget to take time to remember the past, reflect on the future and be present in the moment as you revitalise your workplace practices, classrooms and play spaces. Here’s a list of inspiring days to help you reimagine your programs.

 

13 September – Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and welling-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of Indigenous Peoples. It was drafted and formally debated for over twenty years prior to being adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, four votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine). Years later the four countries that voted against have reversed their position and now support the UN Declaration.

Nine years have passed since the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Many of the rights in the Declaration require new approaches to global issues such as development, decentralisation and multicultural democracy. In order to achieve full respect for diversity, countries will need to adopt participatory approaches to Indigenous issues, which will require effective consultations and the building of partnerships with Indigenous peoples.

Information on, and a copy of the Declaration can be found on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples website

 

  • 1st September – First Day of Spring

Spring celebrations in Tasmania celebrate our unique townships, pristine wilderness and creative expression. On Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, Nubeena Bee Festival (5 October) celebrates our champion pollinators and their sweet honey. See fields of intense colour at Table Cape Tulip Farm on the state’s north-west coast (late September, for a month). To coincide, the local council runs the Tulip Festival Wynyard (12 October), with food, music, art and vibrant entertainment. Launceston’s Junction Arts Festival (19–22 September) is about extraordinary arts events in unusual places. Artists gather in Sheffield’s Mural Park to compete in the annual Mural Fest (3 –9 November), with the artworks remaining on display for the following year – worth a look regardless of when you visit. And unique contemporary art thrives in the most unordinary of places at the Unconformity – an inventive, biennial festival on the rugged west coast (October 2025). Lastly, The Tasmanian Craft Fair (1–3 November) and The Tasmanian Chamber Music Festival (8–10 November) is also here to liven things up. Want a copy of our September Calendar to write all your favourite days into? Click the image below.