The Hon. Malcolm Fraser launches ‘Will They be Heard?’ Report
On 23 November 2009 Former Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Fraser, joined legal experts and community group “concerned Australians” in calling for the Rudd Government to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act in line with human rights principles. The plea is being launched in the “Will they be heard?” report at Melbourne Law School. In launching “Will they be heard?”, the Hon. Malcolm Fraser, said the report provided detailed evidence that the Government’s consultation with Aboriginal communities was significantly flawed and had a predetermined end, that resulted in the views of Aboriginal communities not being heard, even though the imposition of “special measures” such as income management, would have a profound and direct affect on communities.
For more information and to download the report, visit the University of Melbourne website.
Local Reconciliation Supporter wins Port Phillip City Award
On 3 December 2009, Rosemary Rule, Chair of the Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation, was awarded the City of Port Phillip Citizen of the Year Award. Rosemary has continued to attract a new and wider volunteer base, including younger, enthusiastic members, which has ensured an ongoing awareness within the community of the ideals and practice of reconciliation with the traditional owners of the land. Rosemary has encouraged friendship, tolerance and growth of understanding between local Aboriginal groups and the broader community. Congratulations Rosemary!
Draft Indigenous Education Action Plan released for public comment
Ministers for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs are calling for submissions on a draft national Indigenous education action plan that is designed to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students. The draft plan outlines activities that will be undertaken at the national, state and local level to close the gap between the educational outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and has been developed with significant input from education systems and some prominent Indigenous educators.
The purpose of this draft is to seek comment from a wider range of stakeholders to inform the development of the final version. The public consultation process on the draft Indigenous Education Action Plan closes on 28 February 2010. For more information about making a submission, or to download a copy of the draft plan, visit the MCEECDYA website.
Victorian Red Gum National Parks Legislation Passed
The Barmah-Millewa Collective and Friends of the Earth have reported that legislation passed in the Victorian Parliament on Thursday 26 November 2009 created almost 100,000 hectares of new River Red Gum National Parks from Lake Hume to the South Australian border. And in a state first, the legislation created a framework for the parks - or indeed any public land - to be co-managed with Traditional Owners. This recognises decades of campaign work by Traditional Owners, environmental and land justice groups.
This legislation is an important milestone in the journey towards land justice for Indigenous people in Victoria. It creates a legal framework for the negotiation of individual co-management agreements with Traditional Owner Groups. In his speech to parliament, Environment Minister Gavin Jennings undertook to negotiate co-management agreements with the Yorta Yorta people over Barmah Forest, and the Wadi Wadi people over Nyah-Vinifera. The Parks and Crown Land Legislation Amendment (River Red Gums) Act, however, only goes some way towards addressing this problem. Whilst it allows for an almost infinite array of powers to be conferred onto Traditional Owner Land Management Boards, it makes no guarantees as to which powers the Minister will actually agree to hand over.
Read more at Friends of the Earth.
Federal Attorney General names new Social Justice Commissioner
Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health CEO Mick Gooda has been named Tom Calma’s successor as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission. Attorney General Robert McLelland said Mr Gooda’s five-year appointment would commence on 1 February.
UN says Aboriginal health conditions worse than Third World
Another United Nations official has deplored the quality of life of Indigenous Australians, saying Aboriginal health compares badly with Indigenous communities in other developed countries and was even worse than in some Third World countries. The claim came as an important report card on services in remote Indigenous communities found big gaps in health and community programs continued, despite significant investment. Anand Grover, the UN special rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, released his preliminary observations following a trip to Australia. Read Mr Anand Grover’s Preliminary observations and recommendations presented in Canberra on 4 December 2009.
Victorian Opposition promises to fight racial discrimination
In response to the Labor State Government’s cut in funding to the Reconciliation Victoria in mid 2009 and a failed attempt to get it to merge with Stolen Generations Victoria, the Victorian opposition has promised to ramp up the fight against Aboriginal discrimination by restoring funding to Reconciliation Victoria if it wins government next year. Victorian opposition Aboriginal affairs spokeswoman Jeanette Powell said a coalition government would provide Reconciliation Victoria with $200,000 in funding every year. Read more at NIT.
ANTaR Victoria has called on State Premier John Brumby to match a State Opposition promise to resume funding Reconciliation Victoria if elected. ANTaR Victoria chairperson Dr Peter Lewis said Victoria could lead the way in bipartisan support for Indigenous Australians if the Premier matched the pledge made by Victorian Opposition Aboriginal affairs spokeswoman Jeanette Powell. Read more at ANTaR Vic.
Aboriginal elder calls for national meeting to “talk of a new way”
Aboriginal political activist Michael Anderson is calling for a national get-together early in the New Year to “talk of a new way”. Mr Anderson is the last survivor of the four Black Power men who set up the Aboriginal embassy in Canberra in 1972. The leader of the 3,000 Euahlayi was also involved in Walgett with the “Freedom Ride” through rural New South Wales in the early 1960s with the late Charles Perkins.
“We must now set the agenda, not [Prime Minister] Kevin Rudd and [Aboriginal Affairs] Minister Macklin,” Mr Anderson writes in a media release. “It is our lives, our children and our future existence and we must make the decisions that will impact on us,” he says. Read the full media release. Mr Anderson is calling for Elders from around the country to join him in Canberra for a 'New Way' summit on 30 January 2009 and 1 February next year. The summit will be at the Aboriginal Centre 'Jabal' at the Australian National University (ANU).
United States Reach $3.4B Settlement in Native Land Trust Case
The Obama administration has reached a settlement in a long-running class action lawsuit over federal mismanagement of Native American land trusts dating back to the nineteen century. On Tuesday, the Interior Department announced it would pay $3.4 billion to settle claims by more than 300,000 Native Americans for unpaid royalties on seized lands. The settlement is a fraction of the estimated $176 billion Native Americans have maintained they’re owed. On Tuesday, the lead plaintiff in the suit, Elouise Cobell of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, said it was time to reach a compromise.' Read more.
Practical Self-determination: The Right(s) Approach to Addressing the Unfinished Business
To coincide with International Human Rights Day, The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission presented the 9th Human Rights Oration earlier this month, which was delivered by Muriel Bamblett, the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. Her oration, on the topic of Practical Self Determination, along with the opening address by the Hon Rob Hulls, Deputy Premier and Attorney General, can be downloaded at the VEOHRC website.
For more news, read the National Indignenous Times
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