Sheenagh McShane is a PhD candidate at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne.
I would like to acknowledge all the people who have participated in, supported, and encouraged me in this project.
First, I would like most of all to thank the participants who shared their experiences and stories to contribute to this research. The courage, determination, and resilience of our group members is truly inspiring, and it has been my absolute privilege to spend time with them and to hear their stories.
I am indebted and thankful to Jackie Eckert, Tracey Farrant, Bhakti Dhamala and Gateway Health for providing the space, resources, time, and supportive environment to conduct this research. A big thank you for welcoming me and facilitating this research project. Special mention must be made of the unflagging support and input from Bhakti Dhamala. Her contribution of knowledge, insights, and expertise, during many project meetings, workshop activities and informal discussions, as well as willingness to co-ordinate resources, recruit participants and translate during workshops has taught me the value of a genuine research partnership.
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which conducted this research and pay my respect to the Elders, past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions and the culture of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This doctoral research was funded by The University of Melbourne Human Rights Scholarship.