{"id":14938,"date":"2021-08-09T11:00:32","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T01:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/?p=14938"},"modified":"2024-06-25T09:33:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T23:33:55","slug":"negotiating-opportunities-professor-ciaran-ofaircheallaigh-bridging-the-gap-between-indigenous-culture-and-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/2021\/08\/09\/negotiating-opportunities-professor-ciaran-ofaircheallaigh-bridging-the-gap-between-indigenous-culture-and-commerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Negotiating\u00a0opportunities\u2014Professor Ciaran\u00a0O\u2019Faircheallaigh,\u00a0bridging the\u00a0gap\u00a0between\u00a0indigenous\u00a0culture and commerce\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this post mentions and contains images of deceased peoples.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving no one behind<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0is the theme for this year\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>International Day of\u00a0the World\u2019s\u00a0Indigenous Peoples<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on 9 August.\u00a0We caught up with Professor\u00a0of Politics and Public Policy\u00a0<\/span>Ciaran\u00a0O\u2019Faircheallaigh<\/span><\/a> from the School of Government and International Relations to talk about his social impact and negotiation work for Indigenous organisations and communities. Working with resource development companies, Professor O\u2019Faircheallaigh strives to span the gap between Indigenous culture and commerce on behalf of organisations and communities across Australia, Canada and Papua New Guinea.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor O\u2019Faircheallaigh first came to Australia from his native Ireland in 1975 to complete a Masters\u2019 degree, and again in 1977 on scholarship from ANU to complete a PhD. During his time in Darwin as a Research Fellow at the North Australian Unit of ANU, he became interested in Indigenous issues associated with his research area in foreign investment in mining.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ciaran eventually settled with his\u00a0family\u00a0in Brisbane,\u00a0taking up\u00a0a position\u00a0in Public Policy within\u00a0what was\u00a0then named\u00a0the\u00a0Griffith University\u00a0School of\u00a0Social and Industrial Administration.\u00a0This\u00a0trajectory\u00a0led to\u00a0his\u00a0research\u00a0in impact assessment and negotiation,\u00a0which would continue to drive his work\u00a030 years later.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018One fundamental principle for me is that when you consult with people, you begin by asking them how they want to be consulted with, which is what we did.\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did you get\u00a0into your research area?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I became involved in the whole area of engagement with communities through\u00a0one of my\u00a0PhD students\u00a0working at Hope Vale and eastern Cape York.\u00a0Hope Vale is a\u00a0tiny community\u00a0and at the time were\u00a0negotiating with Mitsubishi on a mining lease.\u00a0So,\u00a0when\u00a0my student mentioned\u00a0to the community council\u00a0that I knew a lot about multinational mining companies, they\u00a0asked me to come and talk to them\u00a0about\u00a0helping\u00a0with their negotiations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, we ran what\u2019s called a \u2018community-controlled impact assessment\u2019; a different approach to the usual Environmental Impact Assessment, controlled by companies\/government decision makers, which are normally very unfriendly to Indigenous people and involve very limited consultation. We decided we would do our own, using the community\u2019s objectives\u2014a different methodology, driven by the community itself. This engagement was the first time this was done in Australia, I believe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One fundamental principle for me is that when you consult with people, you begin by asking them how they want to be\u00a0consulted\u00a0with, which is what we did. Different groups were involved\u2014one\u00a0example included FIFO\u00a0(fly-in-fly-out)\u00a0workers (all male) and their wives\u00a0at home. Consultations were moved to people\u2019s verandas\u2014at\u00a0night,\u00a0when\u00a0we would sit and yarn to people.\u00a0This was done\u00a0across the\u00a0community\u00a0and\u00a0we documented people\u2019s issues\u2014these were used as the basis for negotiations via a log of claims.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0outcomes are you hoping to achieve\u00a0with your research\u00a0and practice?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simply to create a more even bargaining situation, or a more even playing field, between the huge mining and oil and gas interests that operate on Aboriginal land and the Aboriginal people whose land they are exploiting\u2014it’s a very uneven playing field. Corporations and governments have huge amounts of money…Aboriginal people are politically marginalised. They are four per cent of the population. They are dispersed across the country. There is only one federal parliamentary seat in which they have a majority of the electorate, so it\u2019s very hard for them to get any sort of political purchase. They still face institutional racism. They face some media that doesn\u2019t understand them and is often hostile to them. It\u2019s an immensely unfair and uneven playing field. So, I guess that\u2019s what drives me and what my agenda is: to try and apply my research to make the playing field a little bit less uneven\u2014particularly my research on negotiations. My most significant research thread over the last 20 years has been a focus on negotiations between Indigenous people and commercial interests\u2014extending beyond Australia, including comparative work between Canada and Australia.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us about one of your favorite projects.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A project north of Broome that was called\u00a0Browse LNG Project\u2014a gas field which is off the Kimberley\u00a0Coast.\u00a0It has about one quarter of all Australia\u2019s known\u00a0reserves of natural gas.\u00a0Protagonists were Woodside\u00a0Petroleum,\u00a0the\u00a0Kimberley Land Council\u00a0(KLC) and the Government of Western Australia.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The corporations wanted gas factories up and down the coast, while the\u00a0KLC\u00a0wanted a single location where you could bring gas ashore from all the sources.\u00a0They wanted to control\/limit the impacts. The\u00a0WA\u00a0government agreed (2007\u00a0–\u00a02011).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through a contract between Griffith University and the KLC,\u00a0I worked with\u00a0the KLC\u00a0and the Traditional Owners Task Force\u00a0to create a hub\u2014to\u00a0look\u00a0at potential sites (engineering requirements). We managed an Indigenous Impacts\u00a0Assessment for the\u00a0project. One site\u00a0was\u00a0eventually\u00a0proposed\u00a0(James Price Point). There would be enormous impact\u00a0and it was important to do a range of studies to document and manage this impact. We conducted\u00a0social and\u00a0heritage cultural\u00a0impact assessments,\u00a0an archaeological study as well as an ethnobiology study (plants\/animals\/cultural significance). We looked at whether there\u00a0was a\u00a0Free\u00a0Prior\u00a0and\u00a0Informed\u00a0Consent\u00a0(FPIC)\u00a0process, which entitles\u00a0indigenous peoples to determine the outcome of decision-making that affects them.\u00a0I managed teams in each area, working with traditional\u00a0owners\u00a0and\u00a0specialist consultants,\u00a0and\u00a0I\u00a0personally managed the social impact assessment team.\u00a0This included a team of Aboriginal people, many in their early 20s\u00a0(both male and female). The state government (WA) was the proponent who would negotiate leases for the companies to use the hub.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0State Agreement Act was\u00a0signed between\u00a0Western Australia, the KLC and\u00a0traditional\u00a0owners. This provided that\u00a0no further LNG\u00a0development was allowed\u00a0along the\u00a0Kimberley\u00a0Coast and that there would be\u00a0no industrial development using gas\u00a0as its raw material. The project did not go ahead for commercial reasons, but some benefits were locked in for a\u00a0time,\u00a0for example,\u00a0$2 million a year granted\u00a0for\u00a020 years\u00a0for\u00a0Woodside\u2019s project, which was the first that was approved.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Problems have developed lately\u00a0in\u00a0a few\u00a0projects because of impending mine closures, including the\u00a0Argyle Diamond Mine\u00a0in the East Kimberley, owned by\u00a0Rio Tinto.\u00a0Agreements created opportunities for\u00a0good salaries\u00a0and jobs\u00a0for Aboriginal employees\u00a0and these are soon to end.\u00a0A lot of research\u00a0still\u00a0is needed in this area.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018I am not interested in theoretical debates for their own sake. I\u2019m only interested in them if they link up with implementation and practicality.\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are you currently working on?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have become more involved again with communities, working face to face,\u00a0in\u00a0two\u00a0areas:\u00a0negotiations\u00a0on mining leases\u00a0and\u00a0Aboriginal trusts\u2014getting maximum benefit possible from royalties from mining agreements.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These areas link into my research\u2014negotiating is one thing; implementing is something else.\u00a0Currently I\u2019m working with a trust in western Cape York\u00a0which receives royalties from\u00a0a Rio Tinto\u00a0bauxite\u00a0mine. This mine was expected to last\u00a0another\u00a020 years, generating\u00a0about $1\u00a0million\u00a0a\u00a0year\u00a0in\u00a0income.\u00a0Mining is now expected to end in 2026,\u00a0but to generate higher revenues during that time. I\u2019m\u00a0working with the\u00a0trust on how to manage\u00a0its income,\u00a0to make sure that when mining ends benefits continue for the Aboriginal community.\u00a0There is a research agreement\u00a0between Griffith\u00a0University\u00a0and\u00a0the trust,\u00a0I attend board meetings;\u00a0the board is unusual in that all six of its directors are\u00a0women. We\u00a0have developed an investment\u00a0strategy with financial advisers who work well with Aboriginal people. A\u00a0long-term investment fund\u00a0has been\u00a0set up\u2014a capital fund (millions of dollars) whose interest will allow future operations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These are the main areas\u2014I’m still working in negotiations, but really focus more on implementation and making sure the\u00a0benefits accrue underground.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am not interested in theoretical debates\u00a0for their own sake. I\u2019m only\u00a0interested in them\u00a0if\u00a0they link up with implementation and practicality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Profile
Source: Ciaran O\u2019Faircheallaigh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is your advice to\u00a0HDR\u00a0students\u00a0and\u00a0what\u2019s the best approach to\u00a0publishing?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Find an area that you\u2019re passionate about, and that engages you intellectually\u2014and stick to it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be selective.\u00a0When someone comes up and says,\u00a0\u2018can you write a book chapter about this subject?\u2019\u00a0say\u00a0\u2018yes\u00a0I can write, but not about that, I want to do it about this\u2019.\u00a0Nine\u00a0times out of 10 they will say yes\u2014one thing HDRs feel is that they have no bargaining power. What the editor wants is something that is high quality that will engage readers and they are happy to negotiate. Decide\u00a0on\u00a0the central theme\u00a0of your\u00a0research and stick with that. Don\u2019t do it if it doesn\u2019t engage you at an emotional or an intellectual level.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s my advice: NEGOTIATE!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018So, celebrate richness, diversity and resilience.\u00a0 But also recognise that many of the world\u2019s Indigenous people are in a very powerless position.\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally, considering your background and interests, what does the\u00a0International\u00a0Day for\u00a0the World\u2019s\u00a0Indigenous Peoples\u00a0mean for you, and what should it mean for us?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a recognition of the diversity and richness of Indigenous cultures around the world. Indigenous peoples speak the bulk of the world\u2019s 7,000 languages. Governments and states have tried to wipe them out culturally\u2014Australia’s policy for decades and decades was to wipe them out via cultural assimilation.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, celebrate richness, diversity and resilience. But also recognise that many of the world\u2019s Indigenous people are in a very powerless position…absolutely have their backs against the wall. If you\u2019re Indigenous in Myanmar, if you\u2019re in Brazil, your existence is still under threat. Every day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The United Nations Day for Indigenous Peoples recognises that and provides an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to supporting them. So that\u2019s what it means to me. As a researcher, it\u2019s an amazing opportunity to speak directly with these communities. You could read every document on the Queensland Government website on treaty, but this gives you little sense about what\u2019s really going on. Engaging with Indigenous communities allows you to get this sense of what is happening on the ground, and at the same time to feed information from your research back to communities. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can read more of\u00a0\u00a0Professor Ciaran\u00a0O\u2019Faircheallaigh\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0work\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span>Griffith Research Online<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this post mentions and contains images of deceased peoples.\u00a0 Leaving no one behind\u00a0is the theme for this year\u2019s\u00a0International Day of\u00a0the World\u2019s\u00a0Indigenous Peoples\u00a0on 9 August.\u00a0We caught up with Professor\u00a0of Politics and Public Policy\u00a0Ciaran\u00a0O\u2019Faircheallaigh from the School of Government and International Relations to talk about his social impactContinue reading “Negotiating\u00a0opportunities\u2014Professor Ciaran\u00a0O\u2019Faircheallaigh,\u00a0bridging the\u00a0gap\u00a0between\u00a0indigenous\u00a0culture and commerce\u00a0\u00a0“<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":17344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,172,5,3],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-14938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-researcher-profile","category-researchers","category-students","tag-general"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Vanessa Gatt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2021\/08\/Source-Ciaran-OFaircheallaigh.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}