# Sev Ozdowski

Seweryn Antoni "Sev" Ozdowski AM (born 24 June 1949, in Poland) is an Australian human rights advocate and social researcher, former senior civil servant and Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner for the Australian government from 2000 to 2005. Ozdowski is known for his defence of human rights of refugees, especially child asylum seekers detained in Australia and people with disabilities and mental illness as well as for his contribution to multicultural policies in Australia.
Born in Poland, Ozdowski graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) in 1971 and Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology in 1973 from Poznań University, Poland and with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales in 1980. In 1984 he was awarded the Harkness Fellowship for post-graduate work at Harvard, Georgetown and Berkeley Universities in USA (1984–86).

## Career

Ozdowski was the Australian Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner from 2000 to 2005. During this time Ozdowski authored the report about the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention (2004), A Last Resort?, which talks about the human rights of the children who arrived in Australia to seek protection from Autocratic rule of Iraq and Afghanistan. As Disability Discrimination Commissioner, in 2005 Ozdowski conducted the National Inquiry into Mental Health Services Not for Service. Currently Ozdowski is Professor and the Director of the Equity and Diversity department at the University of Western Sydney. and Honorary Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, the University of Sydney. From 2006 to 2018 he served as President of the Australian Council for Human Rights Education. The International Human Rights Education (IHRE) Conferences which were initiated in 2010 by Ozdowski to advance human rights culture world-wide, have been held in Sydney, Australia; Durban, South Africa; Cracow, Poland; Taipei, Taiwan; Washington DC, USA; Middelburg, Holland; Montreal, Canada and most recently in Australia. For more about the IHREC see:. In December 2014 Ozdowski has been appointed Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council by the Australian Government. Since 2017 Ozdowski serves as Chair, Welcoming Cities Committee, Scanlon Foundation (Melbourne) and as Member of Affinity Intercultural Foundation Advisory Board, Sydney. In November 2018 Ozdowski was appointed as Professor at the Western Sydney University, Sydney Australia.

## Awards

In 2016 Ozdowski was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the community, particularly to human rights education, social justice and multiculturalism, and as an academic.
Other awards include:
* 1982 Justice of the Peace, Australian Capital Territory
* 1985 Letter of Commendation, Coordinating Office Abroad of NSZZ "Solidarnosc", Bruxelles
* 1987 Honorary Badge Diploma, Polish Ex-Servicemen's Association, London
* 1995 Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to the Polish community and to furthering Australian Polish relations"
* 2000 Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
* 2004 Doctor of Social Science Honoris Causa, RMIT University, Melbourne.
* 2005 FECCA 25th Anniversary Medal for Contribution to Australian Multiculturalism.
* 2005 Solidarity 25th Anniversary Medal awarded by the Republic of Poland.
* 2007 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
* 2007 Honorary Professor, University of Sydney
* 2012 Life Honorary Member, Golden Key International Honour Society
* 2014 Rotary International Paul Harris Recognition Award for Human Rights Work
* 2016 Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
* 2018 Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales
* 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award, The University of New England, Armidale
* 2021 Friends of Falun Gong Human Rights Award, Washington DC, USA.