Follow up background info from the CHAT here

Climate change is already impacting human and planentary health and wellbeing and presents potentially catastrophic impacts within the lifetimes of younger people and children today.

But this rarely makes the headlines in political discourse, where shorter-term consideration of the economy and jobs remains the focus.

In 2016, Wales was the first international jurisdiction to appoint a Future Generations Commissioner. The UN called for other countries to follow suit. 

Continuing the WCC's popular Women's Climate Conversations online series, this conversation examined these issues through the lens of the WCC Charter for Change Action 4 (Listen and learn from First Nations knowledge) and Action 5 (Uphold intergenerational equity and the rights of all Earth life).

We were joined by guests Susan Moylan-Coombs, Professor Susan Harris Rimmer and Dr Elise Stephenson. 

Meet our conversationalists

Susan Moylan-Coombs is the founding director of The Gaimaragal Group, which she established to create a new story of connection and wellbeing for all Australians. The group’s aim is to facilitate the voice for our Elders in the contemporary social space, empower First Nations youth to realise their full potential, and provide two-way cultural translation to bring individuals and communities together.

Susan’s ancestry is Woolwonga and Gurindji from the Northern Territory. She has extensive experience working with First Australian communities nationally, with specific expertise in community consultation, empowerment and the facilitation of voice and storytelling. Susan previously held the positions of Executive Producer ABC’s Indigenous Programs Unit and Head of Production, NITV a division of SBS.

As part of the group known as the Stolen Generations, Susan has lived experience of the trauma associated with removal, loss, dispossession and disconnection. She contributes her time to a number of boards and committees, including as Founding Board member of the PTSD Australia New Zealand (Fearless Outreach); Founder and current Co-Chair of the Gai-mariagal Festival Committee and more recently appointed as a Board Director of Business Council of Sustainable Development Australia.

Professor Susan Harris Rimmer is the Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, which helps policy-makers solve policy problems through evidence based collaboration with multidisciplinary experts.

Sue works at the intersection of human rights and politics and researches gender dynamics in transitions. She is a member of the Law Futures Centre and the Griffith Asia Institute. With Professor Sara Davies, Susan is co-convenor of the Griffith Gender Equality Research Network. Sue also leads the Climate Justice theme of the Griffith Climate Action Beacon.   

In 2018, she was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, globally, and one of 20 Queensland Voices Female Leaders in 2019.  Sue was previously the Director of Studies at the ANU Asia Pacific College for Diplomacy.  She was Advocacy lead at the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).  She has also worked for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the National Council of Churches, Attorney-General’s Department and the Parliamentary Library.  

In recent times, Susan has been advocating for long-term thinking in Australian policy making and is a Board member of Foundation for Tomorrow.

Dr Elise Stephenson is Deputy Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) and National Security College (NSC) at the Australian National University, as well as an Adjunct in the Griffith Asia Institute.

A political scientist and international relations scholar, Dr Stephenson’s research focuses on intervening at critical junctures to ensure equality in ‘frontier’ international affairs and grand challenges. She researches gender and sexuality, leadership, equality and justice across politics, diplomacy, national security, government, intelligence, and the Asia Pacific.

Prior to joining the ANU she was a researcher in Griffith University’s Policy Innovation Hub, working across various topics from intergenerational justice to climate justice, democracies, election coverage and more.

She is a 2022 Fulbright Scholar for her research on gender diversity and outer space, was a 2020 Griffith University Outstanding Young Alumni, and is recognised by Google, Deloitte and Energy Australia as one of Australia’s Top 50 Outstanding LGBTIQ+ Leaders.

In her business, she is the director for the Australia-ASEAN Council’s flagship program, the Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program.