Anniversary of the Aboriginal Passport Delegation to Libya

14 June | Aboriginal Passport Delegation to Libya, 1988

On 14 June 1988, a delegation led by palawa lawyer and activist Michael Mansell departed Sydney for Libya. The journey brought Aboriginal sovereignty onto an international stage through the use of Aboriginal passports.

Libyan authorities accepted the passports for entry. For the delegates, their use asserted Aboriginal identity and nationhood independently of Australian citizenship and government recognition. That acceptance did not establish general international recognition of the passports or Aboriginal statehood.

Seeking international support

The visit sought support for Aboriginal rights through international relationships, funding and pressure on the Australian Government. Proposed discussions included trade sanctions against Australia and assistance in raising Aboriginal concerns through the United Nations.

Contemporary reporting described a delegation of 14, comprising 12 Aboriginal people and two Māori. Mansell stated that the group did not collectively represent Aboriginal organisations.

Two visits, different purposes

Mansell had previously visited Libya in April 1987 to attend a political conference and seek international attention and support for Aboriginal rights.

The June 1988 journey was a subsequent delegation with a specific programme of advocacy and the public assertion of sovereignty through Aboriginal passports. Although a meeting with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was sought, contemporary reporting after the delegation’s return states that it did not take place.

The 1988 visit preceded the establishment of the Aboriginal Provisional Government in July 1990. These earlier passports should not be described as having been issued by an organisation that had not yet been established.

Why remember this anniversary?

The delegation forms part of a wider history of Aboriginal people taking their demands beyond Australia when domestic institutions failed to deliver justice.

Its significance also invites critical discussion. Seeking support from Gaddafi’s government was controversial. Examining that controversy alongside the delegates’ objectives helps us understand the difficult choices involved in international political advocacy.

For schools and workplaces

Explore what a passport represents, the distinction between citizenship and sovereignty, and why Aboriginal activists sought international recognition. Compare contemporary newspaper coverage with Aboriginal accounts, considering whose perspectives shape the historical record.

  • What is the difference between recognition of a travel document and recognition of a state?
  • How can international advocacy change debate within Australia?
  • How should historians distinguish an intended meeting from an event that actually occurred?

About the date

This anniversary marks departure on 14 June 1988. The date is supported by The Age’s report that morning and the June chronology in Australians 1988. It does not mark a meeting with Gaddafi.

Further reading

Related anniversary: Establishment of the Aboriginal Provisional Government.