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Wednesday 8 July – Saturday 11 July 2009

Invitation to attend

On behalf of the Home Economics Institute of Australia I invite you to attend the 2009 HEIA national conference Daring to dream— Preferred futures through Home Economics being held in Darwin from 8–11 July 2009. The first notice of the conference was sent to all HEIA members. The registration brochure and registration form are now available. Registration can be made online or by faxing or posting the registration form.

About the conference
The 2009 HEIA conference Daring to dream will explore visions for preferred futures for all individuals and families, locally and globally, especially as they relate to a socially just society. The premise of social justice is the protection of basic human rights, fairness for all, equal opportunity and rejection of discrimination. The challenge is to encourage current and future generations to discern and promote social justice in everyday living.

We are Daring to dream that one day everyday practices related to home and family living will spontaneously be actions that are supportive of preferred futures for socially just, local and global communities. As such, the conference is designed to empower home economics and allied professionals to address key imperatives:
1. the transformative power of socially just practices and the implications for our personal and professional lives
2. sustainability of good professional practices that promote social justice, whether in education, health, industry, business or government.

The conference will examine global issues concerning social justice as they pertain to home economics—that is, in the context of everyday living. As such it will explore family, relationships, housing, food and textiles through a lens of promoting ethical practices. Realistic ideas and actions will be investigated that will better position delegates as empowered and motivated citizens to play their part in fostering a socially just society.

Key players in the area of social justice have committed to the conference. These include:-

• Tim Costello, one of Australia's leading voices on social justice issues
• Shanaka Fernando, owner of‘Lentil as anything was named Australia’s local hero for his work founding the not for profit chain of restaurants
• Steve Sunk, the NT’s own walkabout chef and has worked extensively with remote indigenous youth to improve their health status and employability through training in preparing traditional foods
  Sue Thomas, a British-born fashion academic teaching at RMIT University, Melbourne, whose
  academic interests include ethics as relating to sustainability in the fashion industry and global
  issues for fashion and textiles.
  Donna Pendergast, Associate Professor Donna Pendergast is the Head of the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. She is also the Vice President for the International Federation of Home Economics, Pacific Region. She has been a home economics teacher and professional educator for many years.
  Professor Alan Reid, whose research interests include educational policy, curriculum change, social
  justice and education, citizenship education and the history and politics of public education
  
• Dr Martin Carraher from London’s City University, has worked extensively on issues related to food and social justice e.g. food poverty; food deserts; food access; globalisation
• Professor Alice Ammerman from the University of North Carolina who specializes in nutrition, obesity and minority health, focusing on low income and minority populations.
  

Participants can expect to hear the latest information from speakers who have gained their knowledge from hands-on experience, learn from the initiatives of others and develop new contacts.

The conference will provide an ideal opportunity for you to network with colleagues in a professional and enjoyable environment. We look forward to welcoming you to Darwin for Daring to dream—Preferred futures through Home Economics


Penny McIntyre
President HEIA-NT