Ron Castan Humanitarian Awards

Nominations are now open for Stand Up’s 2019 Ron Castan Humanitarian Awards in Victoria.

If you know someone extraordinary from the Victorian Jewish community who should be honoured for their humanitarian contributions, please tell us about them before 1 August (in only 500 words).

These awards were created in 2013, in consultation with the Castan family, to honour the enormous legacy that Ron Castan AM QC left behind in the field of human rights and especially Indigenous rights. It is 27 years since the landmark Mabo decision, where the late Ron Castan successfully represented Eddie Mabo’s native title claim. This historic decision reversed the concept of Terra Nullius and secured land rights for many Indigenous people.

The Ron Castan Humanitarian Award and the Ron Castan Young Humanitarian Award seek to recognise Jewish individuals:

Who have attained excellence and renown in their chosen humanitarian fields, and Whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the characteristics of the late Ron Castan AM QC – wisdom, empathy, intellect, and graciousness.

The Young Humanitarian Award seeks to recognise an individual under the age of 30 years.

The Ron Castan Humanitarian Award alternates between Victoria and NSW bi-annually. These awards are made possible through the generous support of the Chestnut Foundation and Arnold Bloch Leibler.

“My determination not to stand by and see the Jewish people downtrodden and persecuted was meaningless if I was standing by and seeing another oppressed people downtrodden and persecuted within my own country.” Ron Castan

Nominations should be made through the web site Standup.org.au/RonCastan