Lawyer and human rights advocate Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts brought powerful leadership to Montreal’s 2024 One Young World Summit. Through her role as Australia’s Inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, in just six months, Turnbull-Roberts has supported 55 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children impacted by state-sanctioned child removal. Turnbull-Roberts’ leadership demonstrates the vital importance of Indigenous voices in addressing global challenges, says Ella Robertson McKay, managing director of One Young World.
“Historically Indigenous communities have been subjected to brutal colonisation and ethnic cleansing, and the freedom to practice their traditions and cultures has been curbed, which is a violation of human rights, and harmful to the social fabric of society and the planet,” Robertson McKay co-wrote in a blog post on LinkedIn.
“Indigenous peoples comprise five percent of the world’s population but care for 20% of the planet’s lands, and 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity.”
Breaking silence, building understanding
Turnbull-Roberts, who received One Young World’s Campaigner of the Year Award, drew from profound personal experience in her advocacy work. Removed from her home at age 10, she detailed in The Guardian how police officers and a First Nations case worker arrived to take her from her bed. “The stolen generations has never stopped,” she wrote, dedicating her life to preventing similar trauma for other Indigenous people.
“We’re unlearning things while learning at the same time,” Ella Robertson McKay reflected. “Our Western education systems have systematically, over centuries, misrepresented the sophistication, education, and complexity of Indigenous civilizations.”
“They have no obligation to educate us, and that takes considerable energy and generosity,” notes Robertson McKay. “One Young World’s partnership with Indigenous communities enables young leaders worldwide to reflect on areas where we have blind spots — it’s a privilege.”
The summit created space for discussing various topics, including two-spirit LGBTQIA+ communities and determined activists like Turnbull-Roberts..
“We must never be silent,” Turnbull-Roberts shared on LinkedIn. “I believe actions speak. Together, let’s break the silence and create a brighter, inclusive tomorrow for all. Healing our past, healing our present, strengthening our future.”
For Ella Robertson McKay, the experience represented “the steepest learning curve I’ve ever been on in my career.” The Montreal summit demonstrated how Indigenous wisdom enriches global conversations about peace, climate action, and social justice while reinforcing One Young World’s commitment to meaningful partnership.
“We aim to advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous voices in policy, judiciary, climate justice, and human rights by fostering a diverse and inclusive network of changemakers who are equipped to address the world’s most pressing issues,” Ella Robertson McKay shared in a blog post on LinkedIn.
“We will prioritise Indigenous perspectives in our scholarships and funding mechanisms, helping young leaders from these communities access the resources they need to implement impactful projects.”
The cathartic summit session sparking more indigenous awareness
During a One Young World summit discussion titled “Transforming Trauma Into Healing,” Turnbull-Roberts addressed Indigenous intergenerational trauma.
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere,” Turnbull-Roberts said. “When it comes to healing and recovery, as much as we talk about intergenerational trauma and the past, and the pain, and the violence that is absolutely real, and is absolutely present here in the colony that we know is right in front of our shadow, is there is a deeper intergenerational strength. And there is deeper intergenerational power that sits with our old people.”
Turnbull-Roberts said while she physically gave birth to one daughter, she feels “responsible for 450-plus children and young people that are subject to the violence of the state, subject to things such as family policing and forcible removal.”
She further acknowledged that how Indigenous people connect to land and place is very subjective. “Our stories are different. Our stories matter. But for me, it’s actually about that ongoing relationship with country and recognizing that it is a living and being component to who I am.”
For Turnbull-Roberts, her mission remains focused on making sure the voices of Indigenous people are never silenced.
“I am dedicated to upholding the rights and interests of First Nations children and young people, ensuring their voices are heard, and their future is protected,” Turnbull-Roberts wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I believe actions speak. I believe when it comes to First Nations rights, we must recognise the intersections at play.
“Together, let’s break the silence and create a brighter, inclusive tomorrow for all. Healing our past, healing our present, strengthening our future. We must bring our children home and end the disproportionate impact of child removal / the pipeline to incarceration.”
