Newsletter date: 23 March 2014
Contents:
* SNAICC News: Sharing Culture initiative online
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Hundreds more will suicide if we wait for 2015
* Background to Suicide and Self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities
* SNAICC News: SNAICC congratulates Dala Yooro Children and Family Centre
* SNAICC News: The Training Team recently delivered 10 of these 2-day workshops across New South Wales
* SNAICC News: The children of Burringurrah Remote Aboriginal Community - The Boss of My Body!
* John Pilger, The Guardian: Another stolen generation: how Australia still wrecks Aboriginal families
* Ian Lloyd Neubauer, TIME: Australian Child Protection Accused of Repeating Sins of 'Stolen Generations'
* SoundCloud: Interview with Barbara Moore and Vanessa Culbong about DOCS taking Tiara from school in perth
* NACCHO at National Press Club April 2 book now: Investing in Aboriginal community controlled health makes economic $ense
* NACCHO Aboriginal health research: Smarter research at Lowitja will lead the way to Aboriginal healthy futures
* Emma Rennie, The Wire: Reflecting on the health of Aboriginal people - a medical approach [Featuring Lyn Brodie, CEO, Lowitja Institute & Selwyn Button]
* Michelle Aleksandrovics Lovegrove, Living Black Radio: Don't Defund Aboriginal Health Services
* Indre McGlinn, The Wire: Alcohol and drug council closure a great loss for ATSI Australians [Featuring Dr Tom Calma & Scott Wilson]
* SNAICC News: Government inquiry into the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
* SNAICC NEWS: SHARING CULTURE INITIATIVE ONLINE
- News
SNAICC News: Sharing Culture initiative online
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1383
20 Mar 14: "Sharing Culture is an initiative being developed by Professor David Clark, Professor Marion Kickett and Michael Liu. The initiative aims to assist in tackling historical trauma and its ongoing impact on Aboriginal people. The Sharing Culture website is designed to help Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people understand the nature of historical trauma and its consequences. The website aims to assist people to understand how trauma can be overcome and how Aboriginal people can self-heal and develop resilience. This resource will hopefully create a better understanding and acceptance of different cultures. ... "
Website Homepage: Sharing Culture - Empowering Aboriginal people to heal and develop resilience to historical trauma
http://www.sharingculture.info/
"Healing for Aboriginal people is not just healing of the physical body. It is healing in a holistic way: the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, social and environmental. It includes healing oneself and relationships with others, such as family and community members. Healing is ongoing, continuing whilst facing many and different challenges in life."
"What is Sharing Culture? Sharing Culture is a unique initiative to empower Aboriginal people to heal and develop resilience to historical trauma and its consequences. These consequences include poor physical health, mental health problems, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, abuse and suicide. ... "
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: HUNDREDS MORE WILL SUICIDE IF WE WAIT FOR 2015
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Hundreds more will suicide if we wait for 2015
http://thestringer.com.au/hundreds-more-will-suicide-if-we-wait-for-2015/
15 Mar 14: "How many more people must die? Whose child will be next? How many bodies do we have to climb over before there is any sense of urgency? According to the Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) Warren Mundine it will be 2015 before funds may be made available for suicide prevention – 200 suicides later. In October, following months of sustained coverage by The National Indigenous Times, by The National Indigenous Radio Service and by The Stringer, following my research translated as journalism, Mr Mundine committed to adding the suicide crisis among First Nations peoples to the IAC’s mandate." 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: 10 March 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/08/13/background-to-suicide-and-self-harm-i...
* SNAICC NEWS: SNAICC CONGRATULATES DALA YOORO CHILDREN AND FAMILY CENTRE
- Media Release
SNAICC News: Media Release 4 March 2014 - SNAICC congratulates Dala Yooro Children and Family Centre
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1360
5 Mar 14: "The peak national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, SNAICC, has welcomed tomorrow’s official opening of the Dala Yooro Children and Family Centre at Bairnsdale - and called on the Australian Government to guarantee its long-term funding.
"This is a great day for Aboriginal children and families in East Gippsland. They have a new facility and qualified staff that will support parents and help give children a solid platform for success at school and beyond," SNAICC Chairperson, Sharron Williams, said.
"Congratulations to all those people - from local Aboriginal and other organisations, as well as government agencies - who have worked to make the Dala Yooro centre a reality. It’s a magnificent achievement."
Ms Williams said Dala Yooro and the other 37 Aboriginal Children and Family Centres (ACFCs) across Australia had a crucial role to play in achieving the Government’s new Closing the Gap target on school attendance. ... "
* SNAICC NEWS: THE TRAINING TEAM RECENTLY DELIVERED 10 OF THESE 2-DAY WORKSHOPS ACROSS NEW SOUTH WALES
- News
SNAICC News: The Training Team recently delivered 10 of these 2-day workshops across New South Wales
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1362
5 Mar 14: "The Training Team continues to deliver our ‘Through Young Black Eyes’ Train-the-Trainer package, and has recently delivered 10 of these 2-day workshops across New South Wales. This month we trained in Cooma and Kempsey where the training was very well received with great participant feedback. Nat, Vina and Grace are very grateful to the Project Officers from the Dept. of Family and Community Services and ‘Keep Them Safe’ Program, Peta Thompson, Jackie Wishart, Rochelle Romero, Donna Argus and Merryl Wilson for their coordination and support of these deliveries. ... There are still places in the Brisbane workshop, and the Adelaide TYBE is coming up now as well."
* SNAICC NEWS: THE CHILDREN OF BURRINGURRAH REMOTE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY - THE BOSS OF MY BODY!
- News
SNAICC News: The children of Burringurrah Remote Aboriginal Community - The Boss of My Body!
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1372
12 Mar 14: "The Boss of My Body! video and song was created as a way to empower young children in remote communities to stand up for themselves and their rights. The song is about you being in control of your body and about making choices that are right for you. It is about having the right to say no to peer pressure, alcohol and drugs, violence and unwanted attention from others. We hope you enjoy this gift."
* JOHN PILGER, THE GUARDIAN: ANOTHER STOLEN GENERATION: HOW AUSTRALIA STILL WRECKS ABORIGINAL FAMILIES
- Analysis / Opinion
The Guardian: Another stolen generation: how Australia still wrecks Aboriginal families
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/21/john-pilger-indigen...
22 Mar 14: "The mass removal of Indigenous children from their parents continues unabated - where is the outrage? ... I met a group of Aboriginal grandmothers, all survivors of the first stolen generation, all now with stolen grandchildren. "We live in a state of fear, again," they said. David Shoebridge, a state Greens MP, told me: "The truth is, there is a market among whites for these kids, especially babies." ... " John Pilger
* IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER, TIME: AUSTRALIAN CHILD PROTECTION ACCUSED OF REPEATING SINS OF 'STOLEN GENERATIONS'
- Analysis / Opinion
TIME: Australian Child Protection Accused of Repeating Sins of 'Stolen Generations'
http://time.com/19431/australian-child-protection-accused-of-repeating-s...
11 Mar 14: "While social services deny targeting Aboriginal families, the statistics of children in out-of-home care paint a disturbing picture. In 2008, then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made history when he issued a formal apology to the "stolen generations" - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children forcefully removed from their families for placement in institutions and homes where they were put to work as laborers, farmhands and servants. ... child-protection systems that err on the side of caution, coupled with the legacies of the stolen generations, are allegedly replicating the cruel dynamics of Australia’s colonial past." Ian Lloyd Neubauer, Sydney
* SOUNDCLOUD: INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA MOORE AND VANESSA CULBONG ABOUT DOCS TAKING TIARA FROM SCHOOL IN PERTH
- Audio
SoundCloud: Interview with Barbara Moore and Vanessa Culbong about DOCS taking Tiara from school in perth
https://soundcloud.com/ian-curr/interview-with-barbara-moore
"In August 2013 Qld Dept of Child Safety stole Tiara, a young Nyoongar girl, in the care of her grandmother, Barbara Moore. Tiara was taken from Tranby School in Perth and flown to Gladstone and placed in the custody of non-aboriginal foster carers. Barbara Moore and Vanessa Culbong (Tent Embassy in Perth) tell the story. ... "
* NACCHO AT NATIONAL PRESS CLUB APRIL 2 BOOK NOW: INVESTING IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROLLED HEALTH MAKES ECONOMIC $ENSE
- Media Release
NACCHO at National Press Club April 2 book now: Investing in Aboriginal community controlled health makes economic $ense
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/03/20/naccho-at-national-press-club-apr...
20 Mar 14: "On 2 April the NACCHO chair Justin Mohamed will be appearing at the National Press Club in Canberra
We invite all Aboriginal health stakeholders and friends of NACCHO to support NACCHO by booking a table for this important event
TABLES are selling fast so please book ASAP ...
The good news is that ACCHS deliver the goods – not only health gains, but also substantial economic gains.
In all the rhetoric about Closing the Gap, what is missing from the picture is this - the ACCHS network of clinics, community health centres and health-based co-operatives throughout Australia generates substantial economic value for Aboriginal people and their communities. ACCHS are a large-scale employer of Aboriginal people. This provides real income and economic independence for many people. They contribute enormously to raising the education and skill levels of the Aboriginal workforce. ... "
* NACCHO ABORIGINAL HEALTH RESEARCH: SMARTER RESEARCH AT LOWITJA WILL LEAD THE WAY TO ABORIGINAL HEALTHY FUTURES
- Media Release
NACCHO Aboriginal health research: Smarter research at Lowitja will lead the way to Aboriginal healthy futures
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/03/07/naccho-aboriginal-health-research...
7 Mar 14: "The Lowitja Institute is aware of our peoples’ reluctance and suspicion of research. This largely has been because research was often undertaken without proper involvement or consultation or did not lead to any benefit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As health researchers we have a responsibility to stay ahead of the game and to involve our peoples in research if we are to generate improvements in health and wellbeing in the future, " Lowitja Institute CEO, Ms Lyn Brodie
* EMMA RENNIE, THE WIRE: REFLECTING ON THE HEALTH OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE - A MEDICAL APPROACH [FEATURING LYN BRODIE, CEO, LOWITJA INSTITUTE & SELWYN BUTTON]
- Audio
The Wire: Reflecting on the health of Aboriginal people - a medical approach
Produced by Emma Rennie
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11340
18 Mar 14: "A health conference taking place in Melbourne this week is looking at the concept of continuous quality improvement of health care services for Indigenous Australians. The logic is simple enough, but for the people attending the conference, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care is about more than just medical services. It’s also about interacting with the Indigenous community and addressing the wide variety of issues affecting the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The conference forms part of a four-day health-focused event organised by the Lowitja Institute. ...
Featured in story:
* Lyn Brodie - CEO, Lowitja Institute
* Selwyn Button - CEO, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
Related Links: Lowitja Congress 2014"
* MICHELLE ALEKSANDROVICS LOVEGROVE, LIVING BLACK RADIO: DON'T DEFUND ABORIGINAL HEALTH SERVICES
- Audio Interview
Living Black Radio: Don't Defund Aboriginal Health Services
By Michelle Aleksandrovics Lovegrove
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/324120/t...
18 Mar 14: "General Practitioners warn against defunding Aboriginal controlled services. ... The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) warns the government that health services do not have the capacity to bear the responsibility alone. President of the RACGP Dr Liz Marles says while she wants the government to provide funding security for health services, it should not be at the expense of Aboriginal controlled services. She says the Aboriginal Legal Service funding cuts is one example that leads to poor results."
- Related News
SNAICC News: Australian Government cuts funding to AECSL
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
12 Mar 14: "Aboriginal Early Childhood Support and Learning Incorporated (AECSL) - a peak advisory body on early childhood for Aboriginal children, families and the Aboriginal community in NSW - has had its funding cut by the Australian Government. According to AECSL president Angela Webb, AECSL was notified by Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion on 18 December that it would not receive federal funding beyond 31 December 2013 - giving the body only 13 days’ notice."
* INDER MCGLINN, THE WIRE: ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNCIL CLOSURE A GREAT LOSS OF ATSI AUSTRALIANS [FEATURING DR TOM CALMA & SCOTT WILSON]
- Audio
The Wire: Alcohol and drug council closure a great loss for ATSI Australians
Produced by Indre McGlinn
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11286
3 Mar 14: "The end of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia will have particular significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with drug and alcohol dependence. Two well-known workers in the health sector shared their thoughts about the significance of the council as a united and trusted source of information and support on drug and alcohol issues, and why it will not be easily replaced. ...
Featured in story:
* Dr Tom Calma - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Rights and Social Justice advocate
* Scott Wilson - Director, Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council"
* SNAICC NEWS: GOVERNMENT INQUIRY INTO THE HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL IN ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
- News
SNAICC News: Government inquiry into the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1380
14 Mar 14: "Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, made a request to the House Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs in February 2014 to conduct an inquiry into the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The terms of reference for this inquiry have been announced and the committee is now seeking submissions from a wide range of organisations and individuals. ... Submissions to the inquiry are due by Thursday 17 April 2014."
- - -
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