Newsletter date: 14 February 2014
Contents:
* The Guardian: Q&A with Robert Eggington: on tackling Indigenous suicide rates
* Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Olga Havnen about education, housing, employment and the rising rates of youth suicide
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Suicide crisis - from tragic to catastrophic
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Suicide crisis - genocidal numbers
* Background to Suicide and Self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities
* Malarndirri McCarthy, NITV: Gunnedah grandmothers rally against removal of Indigenous kids
* Anna Patty, The Canberra Times: Child protection: NSW spend per individual is the smallest in Australia
* Larissa Nicholson, The Canberra Times: Fears over rise in Canberra's indigenous children in care
* Background to 'Keeping Them Home': Campaign against Forced Aboriginal Adoption in the NT
* THE GUARDIAN: Q&A WITH ROBERT EGGINGTON: ON TACKLING INDIGENOUS SUICIDE RATES
- Interview
The Guardian: Q&A with Robert Eggington: on tackling Indigenous suicide rates
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/07/qa-with-robert-eggi...
7 Feb 14: "What are your hopes for the future?
I hope the future will see the dissipating of the mandatory laws that are part of the Western Australian judiciary system and which incarcerate our young people at a rate many more times than that of non- Aboriginal people. ... I hope for a form of Aboriginal grass roots advocacy which could deter the epidemic rates of youth suicide by creating a stronger cultural resilience against racism and prejudices. The future needs to allow our people the right of self- determination and decision-making at a community level, which will ultimately empower both our political and spiritual sovereignty."
* LET'S TALK'S TIGA BAYLES INTERVIEWS OLGA HAVNEN ABOUT EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT AND THE RISING RATES OF YOUTH SUICIDE
- Audio Interview
Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane:
Let's Talk - Olga Havnen
http://www.989fm.com.au/category/podcasts/lets-talk/
11 Feb 14: "Olga Havnen is the CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service and former Coordinator General of the Northern Territory. Speaking about education and schooling for First Nations kids in the Northern Territory, student truancy officers, the housing and employment issues and the rising rates of youth suicide."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/olga-havnen-5/
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: SUICIDE CRISIS - FROM TRAGIC TO CATASTROPHIC
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Suicide crisis - from tragic to catastrophic
http://thestringer.com.au/suicide-crisis-from-tragic-to-catastrophic/
6 Feb 14: "Australia is facing a suicide crisis that is not abating, it is continuing and getting worse. If the suicides tragedy among our First Nations peoples remains unaddressed it will escalate from tragedy to catastrophe – with near genocidal-like effects. The neglect of this crisis is dirty racism. Whereas 1 in 24 of Aboriginal and Islander deaths each year are by suicide this may soon reach 1 in 6. We have gone from 99 suicides per year, 2001 to 2010, to 130 suicides each year, 2011 to 2013. But by 2020 the national disgrace may well reach 400 suicides each year of First Nations peoples. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: SUICIDE CRISIS - GENOCIDAL NUMBERS
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Suicide crisis - genocidal numbers
http://thestringer.com.au/suicide-crisis-genocidal-numbers/
8 Feb 14: "The suicide crisis will soon hurt nearly every First Nations family if it continues unabated – it is rising from the horrifically tragic to the catastrophic. If the Federal Government does not act soon a genocidal-like catastrophe is fast approaching that will indelibly scar the nation’s heart and soul. Child, youth and adult suicides are at never before known numbers, with suicides accounting for one in 24 of all deaths but research shows that the suicides are more likely one in 12 and heading to what can only be described as akin to genocide." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* BACKGROUND TO SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM IN ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES:
Last updated: 4 February 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/08/13/background-to-suicide-and-self-harm-i...
* MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, NITV: GUNNEDAH GRANDMOTHERS RALLY AGAINST REMOVAL OF INDIGENOUS KIDS
- Video
NITV: Gunnedah grandmothers rally against removal of Indigenous kids
By Malarndirri McCarthy; Source NITV News
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/13/gunnedah-grandmothers-rall...
13 Feb 14: "On the sixth anniversary of the Australian government's apology to the Stolen Generations, grandmothers from Gunnedah have protested against what they say is a new generation of stolen children. ... The group Grandmothers Against Removals was formed in January in an effort to highlight the process of removal used by the New South Wales Department of Children’s Services. The New South Wales Greens say the number of children taken since the Stolen Generations Inquiry in 1997 has tripled." By Malarndirri McCarthy
* ANNA PATTY, THE CANBERRA TIMES: CHILD PROTECTION: NSW SPEND PER INDIVIDUAL IS THE SMALLEST IN AUSTRALIA
- Analysis / Opinion
The Canberra Times: Child protection: NSW spend per individual is the smallest in Australia
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/nsw/child-protection-nsw-spend-per-indiv...
10 Feb 14: "NSW is spending less on child protection per child than any other state, according to new figures. ... Ms Burney [Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney] said she was disturbed by an increase in the number of indigenous children in non-indigenous care arrangements. She said 1133 (18.3 per cent) of indigenous children were not placed in accordance with Aboriginal child placement principle - the highest rate since reporting began in 2005, when 333 children were placed." Anna Patty, a State Political Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald
* LARRISSA NICHOLSON, THE CANBERRA TIMES: FEARS OVER RISE IN CANBERRA'S INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IN CARE
- Analysis / Opinion
The Canberra Times: Fears over rise in Canberra's indigenous children in care
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/fears-over-rise-in-canberras-in...
13 Feb 14: "Canberra's indigenous children risk becoming part of another ''stolen generation'', the head of Australia's peak Aboriginal childcare body says. The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care is demanding answers from the ACT government about large numbers of local indigenous children who have been taken from their families by social services.
Secretariat CEO Frank Hytten said unconscious prejudice and a lack of support for families could be contributing to the large numbers of indigenous children in care across Australia." Larissa Nicholson, a journalist at The Canberra Times
* BACKGROUND TO 'KEEPING THEM HOME': CAMPAIGN AGAINST FORCED ABORIGINAL ADOPTION IN THE NT
Last updated: 25 January 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/03/background-to-keeping-them-home-campa...
- - -
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
About WGAR News:
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/30/about-wgar-news-working-group-for-abo...
Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.
'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
* Aboriginal land rights and mining;
* Suicide and self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities;
* Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing;
* other Aboriginal rights issues; and
* upcoming Aboriginal rights events around Australia.
'WGAR News' gives priority to grassroots Aboriginal voices and grassroots voices in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples' rights.
The role of 'WGAR News' is to facilitate the voices of others, and as such, 'WGAR News' rarely writes its own articles.
'WGAR News' publishes information and opinions from a wide range of sources.
These opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of WGAR.
The e-newsletters include media releases, opinion pieces, news items, audio, videos and events.
Subscribers can expect to receive about 7 e-newsletters each week.
To subscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
To unsubscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "unsubscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
Sample WGAR News e-newsletters:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-sample-wgar-news-e-ne...
WGAR events postings:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-events-postings
WGAR background info web-pages:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-background-info-...
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)