Dr Lucy Fiske
BA (UWA), BSW (UWA), BSocSci (Hons) (Curtin), PhD (Curtin)
Lucy Fiske is a Lecturer at the Centre for Human Rights Education at Curtin University, currently on secondment to the University of Sydney.
Lucy comes to human rights academia from a background of direct social work practice primarily with refugees and asylum seekers, and in the addictions field before this. Lucy’s practice experience continues to ground and shape her research and teaching.
Lucy is interested in a wide range of human rights related topics with a particular focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Lucy’s research thus far focuses primarily on Australia’s response to forced migration, attitudes that underpin national policy and discourse, racism and anti-racist education and, the particular harms caused by detention.
Lucy is also keenly interested in the role of civil society groups in enhancing human rights and social justice through organising, lobbying, reform and activism.
Theoretically, Lucy is interested in philosophical and social understandings of human rights and the implications of unresolved ontological tensions and paradoxes for implementation of human rights. This leads to questions of culture, production of knowledge and socio-political processes which marginalise divergent voices. Human rights education, transformative education and the role of education in building a culture of rights and justice are other areas of research and teaching.
Lucy is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney.
Current Teaching
Human Rights, Peace and Justice (CPACS)
Gender and the Development of Peace (CPACS)
Key Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS)
Coordination of Postgraduate Research seminars (CPACS)
Contributing to Race and Racism (Koori Centre)
Previous Teaching
Community Education and Consciousness Raising (CHRE)
Human Rights Advocacy, Activism and Change (CHRE)
Refugee Rights (CHRE)
Women’s Rights (CHRE)
Contributing to Human Rights Theory and Philosophy
Awards
2009 - Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching (Curtin University)
2002 – High Commendation National Human Rights Awards (Law) CASE for Refugees (Australian Human Rights Commission)
2000 – Finalist – Excellence in Teaching Award (UWA)
Community Engagement
As well as teaching in a university setting Lucy is actively engaged in community education, professional development training and community service. Lucy was centrally involved in the design and delivery of the Human Rights and Policing course offered by the Centre for Human Rights Education under contract with Victoria Police (2008 – 2011). Lucy has run several one day training programs for human rights and human service providers addressing specific topics such as child protection, mental health, community development, and disability rights.
Lucy cofounded CASE for Refugees, a community legal centre initially set up to ensure representation and advice for refugees on Temporary Protection Visas needing to reapply for further protection. CASE for Refugees received a High Commendation in Australia’s National Human Rights Awards in 2002. She has served on the advisory committee of the Families in Cultural Transition program at ASeTTS (Association of Services for Torture and Trauma Survivors) and on the boards of CASE for Refugees, CARAD (Coalition Assisting Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees) and ASCI (Asylum Seekers Christmas Island). She has been involved with several campaigns and initiatives advocating for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, including sitting on a panel hearing testimony for the Peoples Inquiry into Detention which won a National Human Rights Award in 2008. Lucy regularly makes submissions to government inquiries and consultations around immigration policies, multiculturalism, citizenship, detention, human rights and related issues.
Publications
Book Chapters
“Critical Social Work with Refugees and Asylum Seekers” in Connolly, M. & Harms, L. (eds) (in press, 2012). Social Work: Contexts and Practice. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. (with Linda Briskman)
“Regulation 5.35: Coerced treatment of detained asylum seekers on hunger strike. Legal, ethical and human rights implications” in S. Juss (ed.) (in press 2012) The Ashgate Research Companion to Migration Theory and Policy. London, Ashgate (with Mary Anne Kenny)
“The Empire Strikes Back: Refugees, race and the reinvention of empire” in Bennett, D., Earnest, J. And Tanji, M. (eds) (2009) People, Place and Power: Australia and the Asia Pacific. Perth, Black Swan Press. (with Linda Briskman)
“Social Work practice with Refugees and Asylum Seekers” in Swain, P. and Rice, S. (2008) In The Shadow of the Law: The Legal Context of Social Work Practice. 3rd Ed. Federation Press, Leichhardt. (with Mary Anne Kenny)
“Working with refugees” in Connolly, M. & Harms, L. (eds) (2008). Social Work: Contexts and Practice. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. (with Linda Briskman)
“Teaching Human Rights at University: Critical pedagogy in action” in Offord, B. and Newell, C. (eds) (2008) Activating Human Rights in Education: Exploration, Innovation and Transformation Australian College of Educators (with Linda Briskman)
“Community Development and Campaigning Against Immigration Detention” in Dixon, J., Hoatson, L., and Weeks, W. (2003) Community Practice in the Risk Era: Australian Experiences. Pearsons Education, Melbourne.
“Refugees, Asylum Seekers and the Law” in Swain, P. (ed) (2002) In The Shadow of the Law: The Legal Context of Social Work Practice. Federation Press, Leichhardt. (with Mary Anne Kenny and Jim Ife)
Refereed Journal Articles
“Collateral Damage: The impact of asylum seeker policy on Christmas Islanders 2001 – 2011” Shima (under review 2012) (with Michelle Dimasi and Linda Briskman)
“Bodies ‘Locked Up’: Intersections of Disability and Race in Australian Immigration” (2009) Disability & Society 24(3), pp 289 – 301 (with Karen Soldatic)
“Rights and responsibilities: Reclaiming human rights in political discourse” (April 2007) Just Policy No. 43. pp 50 – 54 (with Linda Briskman)
“Politics of Exclusion, Practice of Inclusion. Australia’s Response to Refugees and the Case for Community Based Human Rights Work” (September 2006) International Journal of Human Rights vol 10(3). pp 219 - 229
“Human Rights and Community. The Community of Rights and the Community of Responsibilities” (May 2006) in International Social Work Vol. 49, No. 3. Pp 297 – 308 (with Jim Ife)
“‘Marriage of Convenience’ or a ‘Match Made in Heaven’: Lawyers and Social Workers Working with Asylum Seekers” (June 2004) Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol 10(1) pp 137 – 157 (with Mary Anne Kenny)
Non Refereed Publications
'Want to stop the boats? Make refuge available off-shore' in The Conversation 5 July 2012
'Christmas Island: Beyond politics' on ABC The Drum (13 April 2010) (with Linda Briskman)
“The numbers prove Turnbull wrong” on ABC Unleashed (24 April 2009) (reproduced in A Just Australia national newsletter May 2009 and CARAD newsletter April 2009)
“Citizenship, race and disability in Australia: A disastrous intersection” IDA Intellectual Disability Australia. 29(3) Sept 2008 (with Karen Soldatic)
“Institutional and Residual Conceptions of Human Rights” Activating Human Rights and Diversity, Byron Bay (2003) (with Jim Ife)
Editing Work
Human Rights in the Formation of Government Policies Training Manual for the Iraq Human Rights Ministry published by the University of Nottingham, Human Rights Law Centre (2006) (with Mary Anne Kenny)
PhD Thesis
Insider Resistance : Understanding Refugee Protest Against Immigration Detention in Australia, 1999 – 2005
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