DR MARK COPLAND

TOOWOOMBA’S own social justice warrior, Dr Mark Copland is a voice of reason in a politically-charged era challenging cultural diversity and the role societies can play in resettling the world’s most disadvantaged.

The Social Justice Commission executive officer under the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba is a strong advocate for multiculturalism.

A founding member of the Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Support Service, Dr Copland has written extensively on human rights issues advocating for compassion and empathy, understanding and respect as a regular columnist with The Chronicle.

His considered views are well-respected, and his columns well-read as they tackle everyday issues to major human rights violations, and the lessons to be learned on home shores.

He is a member of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council and the lead contact for the Toowoomba region.

A former journalist and published historian, Dr Copland worked alongside Bishop Robert McGuckin on his Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group promoting the Reconciliation Action Plan across the diocese.

He has written extensively on indigenous history, the stolen generation of Aboriginal children in Australia’s chequered history, and led the campaign for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing to be named after Aboriginal warrior, Multuggerah.

Dr Copland was an instrumental figure in Toowoomba being declared a Refugee Welcome Zone and championing the diversity and potential multicultural populations such as the Garden City’s can have on enhancing the social fabric.