Gerry Georgatos

Gerry Georgatos (Γεράσιμος Γεωργάτος), born in 1962,[1][2] is a university researcher[3] and academic[4][5] and a social justice[6] and human rights campaigner,[7] who has campaigned for prison reform,[8][9] as well as championing the rights of the impoverished[10] and marginalised[11] and the homeless.[12]

Journalism

Georgatos has won awards for his investigative journalism.[13] However, Georgatos has never been a career journalist and "forayed"[14] for three years only into journalism, using the opportunity significantly to raise awareness of social justice crises, particularly of suicide crises.[15] He has published investigative reports with several publications, including the National Indigenous Times, the National Indigenous Radio Service and The Stringer.[16] In 2013, Georgatos was the recipient of Journalist of the Year at the Multicultural Media Awards.[17] He attracted attention for advocating the innocence of Schapelle Corby, who was convicted of drug smuggling in Indonesia.[18][19]

Human rights advocacy

He founded Students Without Borders[20] at Monash University. Georgatos also launched Students Without Borders at Murdoch University and developed the statewide 8Ball recycling program which students and volunteers refurbished computers and Georgatos donated the computers right throughout Western Australia and to developing nations.[21] Students Without Borders and Georgatos won awards in the 2008 Western Australian Community Service Awards, with Georgatos winning the individual category, WA Community Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution.[22] He was a former Murdoch University Guild President and also sat on the University's peak academic planning body and for four years on its Board of Directors (The Senate).[23]

He has done extensive research into Aboriginal incarceration, suicide and deaths in custody, and worked on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project.[24] Georgatos was significant in campaigning for the release of Indonesian minors from Australian adult prisons. After he blew the whistle he was banned without explanation from visiting prisons.[25] He campaigned for the release of what he argued were up to 100 Indonesian minors languishing in prisons.[26][27] During March and April 2015 Georgatos campaigned publicly for a 25-year-old asylum seeker from Iran, Saeed Hassanloo. Hassanloo's hunger strike had been kept from the Australian media for 35 days.[28] Georgatos said that if Hassanloo died he would be Australia's first hunger strike death and called on the Prime Minister to intervene.[29][30]

He was instrumental in advocating for and brokering the rollout of the "life-saving" Custody Notification Service in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.[31][32]

Suicide prevention

Georgatos is a researcher in suicide prevention particularly in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention. In November 2013, his research was front page of Australia's leading newspaper where he reported that Australia's Aboriginal people are dying of suicide at among the highest rates in the world. His research found that 1 in 12 of all Aboriginal deaths were by suicide.[33][34]

Georgatos at government levels and through the national media has been campaigning for a response to what he describes of the high rates of suicides as "a humanitarian crisis" and as "racialised" and "racism".[35][36][37]

Georgatos' research found that Australia jails Aboriginal people at among the highest rates in the world. In October 2014 he stated on a national television program that one in 13 of Western Australia's Aboriginal adult males are in prison. His research reported that from a racialised lens this is the highest jailing rate in the world.[38]

In January 2017, he helped establish the suicide postvention Federal Government taskforce, the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, and he was the inaugural national coordinator of the taskforce till he stepped down May 2019.[39][40][41]

He presently leads the suicide prevention focused National Critical Response Trauma Recovery Project.[42][43][44]

Homelessness

Georgatos has worked extensively with homelessness. For years he argued that homelessness is worse than realised in the Kimberley region of Australia. His research reports that seven per cent of the Kimberley is homeless in some form. He said that nearly all the homeless people are Aboriginal.[45]

Georgatos has launched campaigns to house large homeless families.[46]

In July 2015 Georgatos launched a campaign for Homeless Friendly Precincts.[47][48]

Wheelchairs for Kids

Georgatos has had an association with Wheelchairs for Kids and pro bono headed the Foundation arm of the charity, raising funds for rough terrain children's wheelchairs to be donated around the world.[49][50][51] The charity operates a factory with around 100 volunteer workers on a typical day. It manufactures wheelchairs and sends them to children in impoverished countries. According to an ABC Television news report in 2013, Wheelchairs for Kids donated around 25,000 wheelchairs to children in over 60 countries.[52]

WikiLeaks Party

Georgatos was initially endorsed as the Greens candidate for an anticipated 2009 by-election for the seat of Willagee in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, but given that former Premier Alan Carpenter waited longer than expected to resign, the preselection was later re-opened and Georgatos was defeated by Hsien Harper. He then ran as an independent, winning 9% of the vote, and declared his intention of forming a rival Greens party.[53]

In 2013 Georgatos was endorsed as the lead Wikileaks Party candidate for Western Australia in the Senate. He was embroiled in controversy for using Australia’s preferential voting system to direct votes towards the centre-right National Party ahead of Scott Ludlam of the progressive Australian Greens. The preference deal was said to alienate Wikileaks Party supporters. Georgatos said the decision was made because of his admiration for the Nationals' Indigenous candidate David Wirrpanda, rather than for the National Party.[54] Georgatos claimed that his effective first preference was always Ludlam and that Wirrpanda was not a threat but that Georgatos wanted to send a message to all political parties to elect into parliament more Indigenous candidates. He was initially endorsed for the 2014 special election following the voiding of the Western Australian Senate result after the Australian Electoral Commission ruled Julian Assange ineligible to contest.[19] He withdrew from the contest shortly after citing personal reasons.[55]

References
  1. "Thousands of children's wheelchairs donated". Greek News 24/7. 20 May 2014.
  2. "Greek Australian as WikiLeak candidate for Australian Senate". Kefalonian Press. August 2013.
  3. "If there is no political will - WAToday". WAToday.
  4. "Welfare regulations". The Australian News. Australia. August 2015.
  5. "Aboriginal deaths in custody". ABC News. Australia. 30 October 2014.
  6. Gregoire, Paul (19 October 2017). "Custody Notification Service advocacy". Sydney Lawyers.
  7. Shanahan, Angela (19 January 2018). "Youth suicide crisis". The Australian.
  8. Al Ubudy, Widyan (30 October 2013). "Unpaid fines leading to Indigenous over-representation". SBS News. Sydney, NSW.
  9. Davidson, Helen (6 July 2017). "Few Indigenous inmates have finished Year 12, prison reform expert says". The Guardian.
  10. Chamseddine, Roqayah (10 May 2018). "Budget is ruthless". Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. Georgatos, Gerry (4 February 2019). "I remember so many children who have taken their lives". The Guardian.
  12. "Homeless family living in tent near Perth prompts call for better state housing priority". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 May 2014.
  13. Meade, Amanda (15 January 2015). "National Indigenous Times to keep publishing while in administration". The Guardian. London, UK.
  14. Pappas, Penni (5 October 2012). "The milk of human kindness". Neos Kosmos. Melbourne.
  15. Georgatos, Gerry (10 September 2017). "The nation should weep". The Guardian. London, UK.
  16. Stringer, The (19 January 2013). "The Stringer". The Stringer. Australia.
  17. Moselmane, The Hon Shaoquett (17 September 2013). "Multicultural Media Awards". Parliament of NSW. NSW Government. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015.
  18. Georgatos, Gerry (11 January 2014). "Schapelle Corby is innocent". The Wikileaks Party.
  19. Aston, Heath (12 March 2014). "Schapelle Corby conspiracy theorist to stand for Wikileaks Party in WA Senate byelection". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  20. PENNI PAPPAS (15 October 2012). "A passion for rights". Donnybrook-Bridgetown Mail.
  21. "Human Kindness, 55,000 computers". Neos Kosmos. 5 October 2012.
  22. "Community Services Industry Award winners announced". liberal.org.au.
  23. "Murdoch University Senate". murdoch.edu.au.
  24. Porter, Claire (25 July 2013). "WikiLeaks: 'Keeping the bastards honest'". News Corporation.
  25. "Boy in adult jail says he s scared - The West Australian". yahoo.com.
  26. "Gillard criticised for wrist X-rays". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  27. "Call for release of Indonesian 'child' in Albany Prison". Perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  28. "I won't tolerate hunger strikes, warns Peter Dutton". Theaustraslian.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  29. "Asylum seeker hospitalised after hunger strike". Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  30. Candlelight Vigil - 9 News Perth. YouTube. 4 April 2015.
  31. "Hotline credited with saving lives of Aboriginal people held in custody to be rolled out nationally - October 21, 2016". abc.net.au.
  32. "The CNS prevents Indigenous deaths in custody - October 19, 2017".
  33. "A Nation Shamed When Child Sees Suicide as the Solution". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  34. "NACCHO Aboriginal Health: Estimated 400 suicides in our communities in last three years". NACCHO Aboriginal Health News Alerts.
  35. "Indigenous suicide a 'humanitarian crisis'". Perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  36. "Local communities beating back suicide". yahoo.com.
  37. Youth suicide at crisis levels among indigenous population, experts warn. ABC News, June 14th 2015. YouTube. 24 June 2015.
  38. "Aboriginal deaths in custody bring focus to disturbing rate of imprisonment". abc.net.au.
  39. "Support can stem Indigenous suicides May 6,2019". www.theaustralian.com.au.
  40. "Crushing poverty exasperating suicide rate January 21,2019". www.news.com.au.
  41. "I remember so many children who have taken their lives February 4,2019". www.theguardian.com.
  42. "Health Minister calls roundtable as alarming suicide figures released June 4,2019". www.abc.net.au.
  43. "Children's graves in a row June 3,2019". www.smh.com.net.au.
  44. "The crisis driving suicide June 4,2019". www.theaustralian.com.au.
  45. "Seven per cent of the Kimberley homeless!". CAAMA.
  46. "Homeless family living in tent near Perth prompts call for better state housing priority". ABC News.
  47. "Homeless friendly precincts". Channel Nine News.
  48. "National interview on the homeless".
  49. "Wheelchairs for Kids website" (PDF). WA. May 2012.
  50. "Wheelchairs for Kids Channel Ten News". 2011.
  51. Kastelloriou, Stergos (1 December 2013). "Helping thousands". Special Broadcasting Service.
  52. Dalzell, Stephanie (15 March 2013). "Perth retirees make wheelchairs for kids in need". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  53. Bowe, William (2009). "Willagee by-election: November 28". The Poll Bludger. Crikey.
  54. Lampathakis, Paul (22 August 2013). "WikiLeaks candidate Gerry Georgatos defends preferencing Nationals over Greens". Perth Now.
  55. Weber, David; Trigger, Rebecca (14 July 2014). "WA Wikileaks candidate pulls out of Senate race". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  • Getty Images shows Georgatos making a speech at an Aboriginal protest (Photograph)
  • ABC Television News Studio interview with Georgatos regarding Australia-Indonesia prisoner swap (Video)
  • NITV News Studio interview with Georgatos regarding National Indigenous Times (Video)
  • The Drum Live cross to Georgatos about Indonesian prisoners (Video)
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