WGAR News: Culture Is Life campaign - Promoting community led solutions to Indigenous youth suicide

Newsletter date: 14 August 2013

Contents:

* Culture Is Life: Promoting community led solutions to Indigenous youth suicide [Launch of new campaign]
* YouTube: Culture Is Life Campaign video
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Australia's Aboriginal children - The world's highest suicide rate
* Background to Suicide and Self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities

* The Wire: Indigenous children dominate out-of-home care [Featuring Frank Hytten, CEO of SNAICC and Rachel Siewert, Greens Senator]
* Shane Green, The Age: Pulling down the gates - Andrew Jackomos has been appointed Victoria's first Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People
* Background to 'Keeping Them Home': Campaign against Forced Aboriginal Adoption in the NT

* Closing the Gap Clearing House, AIHW: Trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care for Indigenous Australian children

* Report: People with mental health disorders and cognitive impairment in the criminal justice system

* CULTURE IS LIFE: PROMOTING COMMUNITY LED SOLUTIONS TO INDIGENOUS YOUTH SUICIDE [LAUNCH OF NEW CAMPAIGN]

- New Campaign Website Homepage

Culture Is Life: Promoting community led solutions to Indigenous youth suicide
http://www.cultureislife.org/
"The rate of youth suicide in Indigenous Australia is now one of the highest in the world. Indigenous Elders are calling for support to help them heal their communities. This is their campaign. ... Culture Is Life Campaign video"

- The Issue

Culture Is Life: Suicide and self harm in Indigenous Australia
http://www.cultureislife.org/#!issue/c20x9
"Almost non-existent 30 years ago, the rate of suicide and self harm amongst the First Australians has reached crisis levels, particularly in remote communities and particularly amongst youth. In the Northern Territory, Indigenous youth suicide is 10 times higher than for non-Indigenous youth. Suicide has become the 2nd leading cause of death for Aboriginal men in the NT after cardiovascular disease. In the Kimberley of Western Australia, there has been an average of one attempted suicide every week since the start of 2012. ... "

- The Campaign

Culture Is Life: The Campaign
http://www.cultureislife.org/#!campaign/c1enr
"We cannot allow the rate of Indigenous suicide in Australia to continue as it is. It’s time to break the silence and act. Elders and community leaders are calling out to the nation, to help them deal with the crisis, in their own way. Despite attempts by the Government and the health sector to improve Indigenous wellbeing, things have continued to get worse. The time has come to support community driven initiatives to deliver effective solutions to Indigenous suicide. The Culture Is Life campaign aims to give a platform for Indigenous Elders and community leaders ... "

- Elders Speak

Culture Is Life: The Elders Report
http://www.cultureislife.org/#!elders-speak/cw9
"One of the initial actions of the Culture Is Life campaign is the development of the Elders Report on Indigenous Youth Suicide.
We are travelling across the country, gathering vital messages from senior Elders about the solutions needed to solve the youth suicide crisis. Once completed, the report will be sent (in video and written form) to relevant Government agencies, service providers and the philanthropic sector, to push for more appropriate community driven solutions to improving wellbeing in Indigenous communities in Australia. ... "

- Support the campaign

Culture Is Life: Support the campaign
http://www.cultureislife.org/#!donate/csvm
"Culture Is Life is an independent people-powered campaign to support and promote community driven solutions to Indigenous youth suicide. We need your support to build this campaign into a nation-wide movement for the First Australians. Together, we can help to restore the balance of life for Indigenous youth and future generations. ... "

* YOUTUBE: CULTURE IS LIFE CAMPAIGN VIDEO

- Campaign video

YouTube: Culture Is Life Campaign video - CultureIsLife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ibuVK_HnFXU
6 Aug 13: "Culture Is Life is an Elders-driven response to the alarming rate of youth suicide in Indigenous Australia. The campaign aims to raise public awareness, create policy change and support grassroots initiatives. To get involved and find out more, visit: www.cultureislife.org "

* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: AUSTRALIA'S ABORIGINAL CHILDREN - THE WORLD'S HIGHEST SUICIDE RATE

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Australia's Aboriginal children - The world's highest suicide rate
http://thestringer.com.au/australias-aboriginal-children-the-worlds-high...
3 Aug 13: "2012’s total spend on Aboriginal communities reached $25 billion yet Australia’s Aboriginal youth suicide rates remain high – cruelly disproportionate to the rest of the Australian population. This horror is played out the world over for Indigenous peoples but Australia’s Aboriginal peoples are at the top of this tragic list. In 2011 the United Nations State of Indigenous Peoples report found that the World’s Indigenous peoples made up one-third of the world’s poorest peoples." 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: 14 August 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/08/13/background-to-suicide-and-self-harm-i...

* THE WIRE: INDIGENOUS CHILDREN DOMINATE OUT-OF-HOME CARE [FEATURING FRANK HYTTEN, CEO OF SNAICC AND RACHEL SIEWERT, GREENS SENATOR]

- Audio

The Wire: Indigenous children dominate out-of-home care
Produced by Zoe Ferguson
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=10660
6 Aug 13: "The National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day, which celebrates these children, their wellbeing and community, passed by with little notice. But the day’s message still stands strong. One in three children in out-of-home care are Indigenous, and the number of Indigenous children in out-of-home care are increasing steadily each year. With the election creeping closer, The Wire looked at the different parties’ policies in addressing this issue. Neither major party was able to give us a clear indication of their policies to address this issue today, however the Greens state that more preventative measures need to be taken, such as adequate housing, education and health care. ...
Featured in story
* Frank Hytten, CEO of Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
* Rachel Siewert, Greens Senator"

* SHANE GREEN, THE AGE: PULLING DOWN THE GATES - ANDREW JACKOMOS HAS BEEN APPOINTED VICTORIA'S FIRST COMMISSIONER FOR ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

- Article

The Age: Pulling down the gates
Andrew Jackomos has been appointed Victoria's first Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/pulling-down-the-gates-20130730-2qxhi....
30 Jul 13: "In the late 1950s, seven-year-old Andrew Jackomos was visiting his aunt on the Rumbalara Aboriginal settlement not far from Shepparton. His family had arrived late, too late to get the required permission of the white manager to stay overnight. ... It's abundantly clear that Jackomos will be a clear and strident voice. He will, he says, be keeping everyone honest. "My job is to make sure the government fulfils their commitments and promises to make a difference," he says. "My job is to hold accountable everybody who comes into contact with vulnerable Koori kids."" Shane Green, an associate editor of The Age

- About Andrew Jackomos' father Alick Jackomos

AIATSIS: A Man of All Tribes: The life of Alick Jackomos
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/asp/aspbooks/alickjackomos.html

Google Books: A Man of All Tribes: The Life of Alick Jackomos
http://books.google.com.au/books/about/A_Man_of_All_Tribes.html?id=hNOP9...

* BACKGROUND TO 'KEEPING THEM HOME': CAMPAIGN AGAINST FORCED ABORIGINAL ADOPTION IN THE NT

Last updated: 3 August 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/03/background-to-keeping-them-home-campa...

* CLOSING THE GAP CLEARING HOUSE, AIHW: TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES AND TRAUMA-SPECIFIC CARE FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN

- Resource sheet

Closing the Gap Clearing House, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW):
Trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care for Indigenous Australian children
http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/...
July 2013: "Summary - What we know:
Although some Indigenous children grow up in safe environments, others experience trauma (ABS 2006, 2009; ABS & AIHW 2008; FaHCSIA 2011; Silburn et al. 2006). The trauma of historical events associated with colonisation of Indigenous land can pass to children (inter-generational trauma). Even if protected from the traumatic life experiences of family, some Indigenous children, like non-Indigenous children, directly experience trauma through exposure to an accident, family violence and abuse. Although the effects of childhood trauma can be severe and long lasting, recovery can be mediated by appropriate interventions. .... " Judy Atkinson

* REPORT: PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

- Report

People with mental health disorders and cognitive impairment in the criminal justice system
Cost-benefit analysis of early support and diversion
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/...
August 2013: "5 Conclusion
Research in the field and the case studies presented in this paper demonstrate that early holistic support is crucial for the development and well-being of children and young people with mental health disorders and cognitive impairment, particularly Aboriginal children and young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Without such early intervention and diversion, the costs to individuals with mental health disorders and cognitive impairment, to their families and communities, as well as the costs to government can be extremely high." Ruth McCausland, Eileen Baldry, Sarah Johnson & Anna Cohen

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