Newsletter date: 23 February 2015
Contents:
* News Analysis: The Stringer: National Indigenous Times journalists win awards highlighting the big issues - 'injustice', 'ways forward', 'unity'
* Analysis / Opinion: Geoff Bagnall, The Stringer: "What about Lore and Culture?" Rosalie Kunoth-Monks
* Analysis / Opinion: Geoff Bagnall, The Stringer: Failed policies make up Closing the Gap
* Analysis / Opinion: Marcus Waters, The Conversation: New MPs beware: neoliberalism is an Indigenous health hazard
* Audio Interview: Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Dr Woolombi Waters, a Kamilaroi man and writer and lecturer at Griffith University
* Analysis / Opinion: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Understanding Australia's suicide crises
* Analysis / Opinion: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: 'Class action' to take on State Government over heritage changes
* Analysis / Opinion: Dr Marcus Woolombi Waters - courtesy of The National Indigenous Times & Lets Talk: Farewell National Indigenous Times and Colleages
* Analysis / Opinion: Gerry Georgatos - courtesy of The National Indigenous Times: Farewell noble friends at The National Indigenous Times
* Interview: Helmut Rauer, WAZ: Human Rights: Welcome by Aboriginal People [Featuring Sabine Kacha]
WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
- News Analysis
The Stringer: National Indigenous Times journalists win awards highlighting the big issues - 'injustice', 'ways forward', 'unity'
http://thestringer.com.au/national-indigenous-times-journalists-win-awar...
14 Sep 14: "The 2014 Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards (MIMA) were held on September 10 at NSW Parliament’s Strangers Function Centre. The National Indigenous Times’ three lead correspondents, Dr Woolombi (Marcus) Waters, Geoff Bagnall and Gerry Georgatos were recipients of awards on the night. ... Below are the three articles [that won awards, by Geoff Bagnall, Dr Woolombi Waters and Gerry Georgatos]: ... " By The Stringer
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: "What about Lore and Culture?" Rosalie Kunoth-Monks
http://thestringer.com.au/what-about-lore-and-culture-rosalie-kunoth-mon...
18 Feb 15: ""I am not the problem and nor are my People, the tribal People," says the respected Arrernte/Alyawerre Elder, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. For many tribal people still living on their homelands "there is no closing the gap" stated Ms Kunoth-Monks. ... Ms Kunoth-Monks said what was important to her people was Lore and Culture and so the educational attainment that mattered to them was being delivered right now by "the Red Ochre Men"." By Geoff Bagnall
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Failed policies make up Closing the Gap
http://thestringer.com.au/failed-policies-make-up-closing-the-gap-9587
18 Feb 15: "The latest Close The Gap report has been labelled "insanity" by Dr Ngiare Brown because no government actually had the intestinal fortitude to reform the systems which continue to fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Dr Brown, Executive Manager Research and Public Health Medical Officer at the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and a member of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC), said the Albert Einstein quote that the definition of insanity was repeating the same behaviours and expecting different outcomes ... " By Geoff Bagnall
- Analysis / Opinion
The Conversation: New MPs beware: neoliberalism is an Indigenous health hazard
http://theconversation.com/new-mps-beware-neoliberalism-is-an-indigenous...
11 Feb 15: "Who speaks for Indigenous Australians?
Don’t be sucked in by media hype around appointed "Aboriginal leaders" like Noel Pearson, Marcia Langton and Warren Mundine who accept neoliberal tenets as the answer for our people to move forward. This debate has polarised our community - and for good reason. The problem is that the public voice given to appointed leaders allows governments to dismiss the evidence of research. They prefer the opinions of white business figures with limited policy expertise. ... " Marcus Waters, Lecturer, School of Humanities at Griffith University; a married Kamilaroi First Nation Australian Aboriginal with six children
- Audio Interview
Let's Talk: Troy Cassar-Daley and Dr Woolombi Waters
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/troy-cassar-daley-and-dr-wool...
17 Feb 15: "Troy Cassar-Daley talks about his new album "Freedom Ride" with Tiga and the story behind the title track. Dr Woolombi Waters is a Kamilaroi man and writer and lecturer at Griffith University. He writes a weekly column for the National Indigenous Times."
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Understanding Australia's suicide crises
http://thestringer.com.au/understanding-australias-suicide-crises-9606
20 Feb 15: "Each day, a suicide is brought to my attention. I have written widely on the suicide crises. I have written about the disproportionate rate of death by suicide for the descendants of the First Peoples and for first and second generation Australians and for LGBQTI Australians. Recently I wrote about the tragic suicide of 18 year old Philinka Powdrill, who represents so many of the suicides that tear at families long after one is gone. In the last few days, I learned of three more young Aboriginal persons suiciding while in the prime of life ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: 'Class action' to take on State Government over heritage changes
http://thestringer.com.au/class-action-to-take-on-state-government-over-...
18 Feb 15: "Yesterday, the fledgling Aboriginal Heritage Alliance held a rally, small in numbers but heavy with high profile individuals, outside the offices of Western Australia’s Department of Aboriginal Affairs. They oppose the State Government’s proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Heritage Act which appear to water down heritage listing in favour arguably of mining interests. When the amendments were proposed last year it drew a storm of dissent from Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Land Councils." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
- Analysis / Opinion
Farewell National Indigenous Times and Colleages by Dr Marcus Woolombi Waters
National Freedom Movement: http://freedommovement2014.wix.com/freedommovement
Indymedia Australia: https://indymedia.org.au/2015/02/18/farewell-national-indigenous-times-a...
18 Feb 15: " ... Yannaay gabayiindah gaalanha ganu nhama gandjarra (Goodbye thank you and all the best) - Last article for The National Indigenous Times columnist by Dr Woolombi Waters. I received a call from an undisclosed friend over the weekend telling me I would no longer be writing for the National Indigenous Times after this week. Like all blackfellas in this country we all have mob in opposing camps. I wasn’t surprised. The Australian newspaper printed an article also over the weekend by Andrew Burrell, the WA chief reporter, stating a syndicate of pro-business Aboriginal leaders including Marcia Langton had put in a bid for the paper. ... " Dr Marcus Woolombi Waters - courtesy of The National Indigenous Times and 98.9FM Lets Talk Program
- Analysis / Opinion
Farewell noble friends at The National Indigenous Times
National Freedom Movement: http://freedommovement2014.wix.com/freedommovement
Indymedia Australia: https://indymedia.org.au/2015/02/16/farewell-noble-friends-at-the-nation...
16 Feb 15: "Sadly, I fear this is the last time I will be writing for The National Indigenous Times. This newspaper goes out of business, bundled out by litigation but as the noblest voice for First Peoples in the nation. We did not fade but were persecuted by malice because we chased down transgressors and transgressions in ways other media feared. We brought to the fore voices which had until then remained unheard - from shanty towns around the nation, from the coalface, and from people burdened by injustices where prejudice and racism prohibited them their right to have their say. ... " Gerry Georgatos - courtesy of The National Indigenous Times
- Interview
WAZ: Human Rights: Welcome by Aboriginal People
http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/letmathe/bei-den-ureinwohnern-willkommen...
21 Feb 15: "Sabine Kacha is actively committed to the Aboriginal people in Australia. Born in Letmathe, Sabine has been living in Australia for seven years now, and advocates for the rights of Aboriginal people, including with the help of presentations in her homeland. "Australia is not only the lucky country for tourists". At the moment, she is back in Letmathe, to raise awareness of the injustice towards Aboriginal people, organised by her through a presentation together with the local Amnesty International group. ... On Friday 27th of February at 7 o'clock you are invited to a free film screening of "Utopia" by John Pilger at Letmathe library in Germany." Helmut Rauer
For John Pilger's documentary UTOPIA:
http://www.respectandlisten.org/miscellaneous/docos/utopia/screenings.html
http://www.respectandlisten.org/miscellaneous/docos/utopia.html
- - -
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
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