'Who needs our collective voice?' Craig Foster's call to action for UOW graduates

UOW bestowed Mr Foster with an honorary Doctorate of Laws at Tuesday's Faculty of Business and Law graduation ceremony, with vice-chancellor Professor Patricia Davidson describing him as someone who embodied the university's "dedication to equity, diversity and inclusiveness".

In an address, Mr Foster said he accepted the honour with humility because he was aware that sport gave him a platform to speak to the community, which allowed him to leverage the voices of more than 30 million people in a global campaign to free wrongfully detained Bahraini refugee Hakeem al-Araibi from Thailand.

From this stemmed the "most challenging and important question of all", Mr Foster said: "What else and who else needs our collective voice?"

"It's an important question because respect for human rights, international and humanitarian law requires all our voices against a vast wall of inertia, fear, power, politics, violence, misinformation, lies and inhumanity," he said.

Every student had the power to shape the future of Australia and the world, he said, through their words and actions.

Mr Foster said the "very essence of multiculturalism was under increasing threat" but everyone had to protect and advocate for the "beautiful diversity" seen in that hall where the ceremony took place.

"I must say I am concerned about a dangerous movement in Australia to tell young people, particularly males who look like me, that all forms of equality, whether gender or cultural inclusion, is somehow an assault on their entitlements," he said.

"The most glorious vision of Australia is to demonstrate to the world how around 300 different cultures and multiple religions live harmoniously alongside its Indigenous people, and all with a collective attachment to this land, its culture and open, rights-based society - that is, to equality for all.

"And lifting marginalised groups up never means bringing others down - quite the opposite.

"We all prosper when every other Australian can live their fullest lives."

Facing racism in this country was vital to breaking down the barriers that prevented this, Mr Foster said, as he urged people to "stand up, speak up".

"We only have one life and remaining silent is no way to spend your precious time," he said.

Mr Foster shared a belief that Australia could serve as a "beacon of independence, fairness, justice and shared humanity".

"Is Australia, and are you, willing to take leadership in showing the world what equality truly means? If your answer is yes, join me in the fight."