Yarning with Bonnie Dukakis

My name is Bonnie Dukakis, and my mob is Gunditjmara from Southwest Victoria but I grew up Southeast Victoria on Gunaikurnai Country. I’m the current Executive Officer of the Koorie Youth Council, an Aboriginal youth-led policy and advocacy organisation in Victoria.

Tell us about your career?

I completed at traineeship in 2014 with Department of Justice and through that was exposed to a lot of different areas and opportunities. I was supported to complete my National accreditation in Mediation to be one of the only mob and only person under 35 at the time as a mediator for a service in Gippsland. From here I had the opportunity to work at a residential facility for Aboriginal men on community-based corrections orders which really sparked my interest in getting into the youth justice space. I worked with a lot of young men in that program under 30 that had been through the youth system and wanted to get into those settings.

I was part of setting up a residential program for Aboriginal men who use, or at risk of using violence and setting up support for the affected family members while the men were in the program. A senior advisory to the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People (CCYP) and the setting up of the CCYP Our Youth Our Way inquiry, looking at overrepresentation of young mob in the criminal justice system. From there to work directly in YJ custodial centers leading the Aboriginal Education Program, and supporting young people transitioning from custody back to community around Education and employment pathways.

Now I have the privilege of leading an organisation that values and centers Aboriginal young people’s voices and experiences in all our work. We are a small organisation (10 staff) that has been around over 20 years with the support of Victorian Aboriginal community.

What skills do you need to succeed in your role?

• Effective communication – as for any space
• To be open to having conversations and discussions to hear different views

What is the deadliest thing about your career?

The opportunities to meet different mob doing deadly things in their communities, at a state-level having working in a lot of state-wide programs and initiatives I’ve been able to travel around a bit. 

Then at a national level hearing about different communities and needs and the role of community leaders.

To be nominated and received the statewide Koori Community Justice Award for Employment and Career development.

What career advice would you give your mob?
Take on any opportunity and be open to learning different skills or stepping into unknown spaces. I would often be reminded by my previous managers and mentors around making the most of training and development offered.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to reach out to others for support when you need it.