Aboriginal rights campaigner, educator and artist Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann was named the 2021 NT Senior Australian of the Year for her work in driving reconciliation throughout her professional and personal life.

In 1988, Miriam presented a paper at a conference entitled Dadirri - Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness at a conference. This beautifully concise explanation of the spiritual dimension of Aboriginal culture has since been utilised by people working in diverse settings and in private meditations all over the globe.

IMAGE: Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, courtesy Nature Conservancy.

AILC trainer, Timmy Duggan, teaches Dadirri practices in our Diversity Mentoring workshops.

Timmy explains: 

"We have an activity where we split everyone into pairs (mentoring).

One person has to talk for 60 seconds whilst the other person must display "deep listening" by not talking or responding, just letting the sender talk.

We also have a side discussion around immersing yourself into the conversation but being aware of your surroundings whilst delivering the mentoring.

To sit and just listen can be very hard for most people without interjecting."

Do you really listen when in a mentoring role?  Perhaps some attention to deep listening will help build your mentoring skills. 

To hear Dr Ungunmerr Baumann explain Dadirri, click this link to her November 2020 CAAMA radio interview