Genevieve speaks at Commonwealth Day event in the presence of the Governor of NSW

Commonwealth Day Luncheon Speech.

 I am delighted to be here today, to give voice to the incredible young people of the commonwealth and to share my story as part of today’s celebrations.

With this year’s theme being ‘A Young Commonwealth’ it is truly fantastic that we can come together, to shine a light on the capacity, contribution and potential of all young people. And to be reminded of how important it is, for us to be supporting and building up our youth so they can realise their full potential.

I came from very humble beginnings, raised by a single mother in working class Newcastle, I had no intentions of becoming a filmmaker, a social entrepreneur or an agent of social. I didn’t think I was capable of such things, in fact, I vastly underestimated my potential.

By the miracle of having encouraging voices in my world, I stayed in school, graduated, moved to Sydney and began studying at UTS. I will always be thankful for being a recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship during my years at university which aided me with my expenses.

Through my university career, I found work as a documentary filmmaker for Down Syndrome NSW. While working in this capacity, I met Gerard O’dwyer, a young man with Down Syndrome, who’s dream it was to become an actor. When I first met him, he made that very clear, he didn’t greet me with hello, he greeted me with “but soft what light through yonder window breaks, it is the east and Juliette is the sun…”

Throughout Gerard’s life he had been vastly underestimated, who was going to help him achieve his goal of acting? As I pondered this question, a bright idea entered my heart – why don’t I make a film?

So I did. And on this journey of making a short film starring Gerard, I was ethically driven to also include young people with disabilities in helping to make the film too.  I believed the process of making the film, was just as important as the end result.  I held a filmmaking workshop for five people with disabilities who then fulfilled crew roles on the film. 

That film was Be My Brother, it won first place at Tropfest in 2009 and Gerard walked away with best actor. It was the first time that a film made by people with disabilities, about people with disabilities had won a mainstream film festival competition.

I co-founded the not-for-profit organisaiton, Bus Stop Films, and since then, then, we have made 6 inclusive films, all created with, for and about people from marginalised communities. We hold weekly filmmaking workshops as well as provide work experience and employment opportunities for people with a disability in the film industry.

All of our films to date, have been used as educational and training resources. Be My Brother is even used as a related text for the HSC.

We’ve won over 50 international film festival awards, and have been distributed globally across America, Europe and Asia. Our films might be little but they have a big message and the process of making them impacts on the lives of those who we mentor and the professionals who lend their time to be mentors.

 Just recently while making the short film I Am Emmanuel, I was able to facilitate the employment of a young South Sudanese refugee on the set of Angelina Jolie’s feature film Unbroken and he has been regularly employed in the film industry since.

Not bad for a young girl from a single parent home, who didn’t think she would amount to much.

In my story there are two major themes that I would like to bring your attention to;

1 – Inclusion is powerful, when we go out of our way, even take a risk to include someone in our world, through giving them opportunities they may not otherwise be able to receive, the fruit of such an act can be quite literally, world changing.

2 – We must not underestimate a person’s potential. No matter who they are, what age they are, their background or their perceived ability. We must seek out the diamonds in the rough, we must encourage our young people to reach their full potential.

I feel very fortunate to live in Australia, and be a part of the commonwealth, a group of countries which value democracy, human rights, equality and peace. I have been afforded many opportunities from living in a country that embodies these values.

My story and my message, is all about how, so often, young people from low socio economic and marginalised backgrounds,  like myself, like the other young people I work with, underestimate their value and their full potential.  They need mentors, encouragement and a helping hand to understand what they are capable of.

I am not where I am, because of my own strength and capabilities. I am here, because of the people in my life who have believed in me, when I have failed to believe in myself. Business people, philanthropists, artists, networkers, who, before I even had a recognisable name, chose to give me some of their time.  I am here because of older, wiser people, with experience who wanted to share with me their learning’s and expertise.

As we reflect on our youth of the commonwealth today and their importance, I would encourage all of us to be vessels of positive social change, and embody the commonwealth’s principal of understanding the importance of young people. We can do this simply through being inclusive and refusing to underestimate our youth, no matter their background. Let’s become mentors, let’s raise up our young people, and help them to understand their full potential.

As we dedicate ourselves to including youth and building the next generation, we will shape a beautiful and strong future, driven by people who, during their younger years, were included, encouraged and ultimately… empowered by the likes of you and I. What a legacy.