Noel Pearson, Executive Chairman
Our struggle for rights is not over and must continue — but we must also struggle to restore our traditional values of responsibility. We have to be as forthright and unequivocal about our responsibilities as we are about our rights — otherwise our society will fall apart...
We do not have a right to passive welfare — indeed we can no longer accept it. We have a right to a real economy, we have a right to build a real economy.
Noel Pearson, Executive Chairman, Cape York Partnerships
Noel's Story
Noel Pearson was born in Cooktown and grew up at Hope Vale, a Lutheran Mission on southeast Cape York Peninsula. Noel is the Executive Chairman of Cape York Partnerships, and holds degrees in law and history from Sydney University.
In 1990, Noel co-founded the Cape York Land Council and was Executive Director until 1996. In 1993 Noel acted as representative to the traditional owners in the first successful land claim. Following the Mabo decision of the High Court of Australia, he played a key part in negotiations over the Native Title Act 1993 as a member of the Indigenous negotiating team.
Noel's Achievements
Noel was instrumental in helping establish Apunipima Health Council, Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation, Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships, the Cape York Institute and Cape York Partnerships.
Noel's work with Cape York Partnerships draws widely on his thoughts on breaking down passive welfare dependency amongst Cape York Aboriginal people, by reinstating the rights of Aboriginal people to take responsibility for their lives.
Currently Noel continues his work to defend Aboriginal people's rights to their land and to secure the success of the Welfare Reform trial, which has now reached the halfway mark.
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