WGAR News: Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) to fight 'cancer' alongside Freedom Movement: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer

Newsletter date: 16 December 2014

WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

Contents:

* Analysis / Opinion: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara to fight 'cancer' alongside Freedom Movement
* Analysis / Opinion: Helen Davidson, The Guardian: Racism claim as SA government suspends traditional landowner board
* Media Release: Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara: APY Executive disappointed but looking forward to building stronger governance

* Audio: CAAMA: Aboriginal Researchers Conduct Evaluation on Basic Cards in NT [Featuring Tangentyere Council Research Hub Coordinator Matthew Campbell]
* Media Release: Senator Rachel Siewert: "The Australian Greens have called on the Government to move away from wasteful policies like income management"

* Analysis / Opinion: Dr Woolombi Waters, The Stringer: Freedom struggle to relieve First Peoples from cruelties of neoliberalism
* Media Release: STICS: First Nations' activists condemn ongoing "colonial apartheid" in Australia
* Videos of the Event: 9 December 2014 STICS Forum: Can our First Nations Peoples celebrate UN Human Rights Day? [Includes NITV coverage and Videos of the Forum]

* Background to 'The Freedom Summit': Alice Springs 27-28 November 2014
* Background to the Aboriginal sovereignty movement
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* Background to 'Keeping Them Home': Campaign against Forced Aboriginal Adoption in the NT

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara to fight 'cancer' alongside Freedom Movement
http://thestringer.com.au/anangu-pitjantjatjara-yankunytjatjara-to-fight...
7 Dec 14: "The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands are being hit double barrel by the South Australian Government. It is racism 2014 style. The South Australian Parliament’s bipartisan support to allow the Government to suspend the APY Board does not just smack of the worst forms of racism but is racism. The South Australian Government is calling the APY Board ‘corrupt’ but without proving it. APY Lands chairperson, Bernard Singer denies the allegations against the Board. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

- Analysis / Opinion

The Guardian: Racism claim as SA government suspends traditional landowner board
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/08/racism-claim-as-sa...
8 Dec 14: "Indigenous leaders of APY lands say they have been sidelined as a result of unproven claims of misuse of funds and poor administration ... A group of Indigenous leaders and elders has branded as racist the South Australian government’s decision to suspend the executive board of traditional landowners and appoint an administrator. Legislation introduced by the state minister for Aboriginal affairs, Ian Hunter, in the last week of parliament, allows for the appointment of an administrator to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands in South Australia." Helen Davidson, a reporter for Guardian Australia

- Media Release

Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara: APY Executive disappointed but looking forward to building stronger governance
http://www.anangu.com.au/media-releases/179-apy-executive-disappointed-b...
5 Dec 14: "The democratically elected body representing 2,500 Anangu living on the APY Lands is very unhappy with the passing of the South Australian Government’s Bill to allow a Minister to suspend the board for any reason.
"This is a very sad day for us," said APY chairman, Bernard Singer. "Our fathers fought hard for Land Rights, this bill has effectively turned back the clock 30 plus years."
However Mr Singer welcomed the statement by Minister Ian Hunter that he had no immediate plans to suspend the board and that he wanted to work with the APY Executive to build better governance.
"We delivered a plan for good governance to the Minister on October 31 and also to the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet," said APY chairman, Bernard Singer. ... "

- Audio

CAAMA - Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Aboriginal Researchers Conduct Evaluation on Basic Cards in NT
http://caama.com.au/aboriginal-researchers-conduct-evaluation-on-basic-c...
10 Dec 14: "Tangentyere Council Research Hub Coordinator Matthew Campbell says the Income Management report for the Northern Territory has failed at revealing the truth about how people living on welfare cards are spending their money and that the Basic Cards have not achieved what is was set out to, and that there is no evidence of less drinking, school engagement or healthy lifestyle changes."

- Media Release

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Greens call on Government to take new funding approach
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/greens-cal...
12 Dec 14: "The Australian Greens have called on the Government to move away from wasteful policies like income management and the chaotic Indigenous Advancement Strategy funding process and focus on building new, cooperative agreements with communities. ...
"Successive governments have focused on ineffective and wasteful approaches, including income management and other top-down programs, rather than delivering funding and resources through strong, community-driven partnerships.
"To compound this flawed approach, Tony Abbott's Government has made $534 million in cuts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs and initiated a chaotic Indigenous Advancement Strategy funding process, which has left organisations afraid to speak out in their own defence and left others with a great deal of uncertainty about their ability to continue important service delivery.
"These processes have been rushed and undertaken without consultation or proper assessments of what was working. As a result we have increased pressure on already stretched organisations and the real prospect of front line services closing their doors. ... ""

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Freedom struggle to relieve First Peoples from cruelties of neoliberalism
http://thestringer.com.au/freedom-struggle-to-relieve-first-peoples-from...
7 Dec 14: ""The most significant point that came from the Freedom Summit was we will determine our own pathways to self-determination. We will establish and identify policy from within our own communities and our People. The  Freedom Summit was the coming together of the multilayered diversity of our People but in accepting our differences we remain connected as the Original Owners of this sacred land and its water and the air above us. This is our Country, it was stolen through a physical invasion and taken through force ... " By Dr Woolombi Waters, a Kamilaroi language speaker and writer, a lecturer at Griffith University. He writes a weekly column for the National Indigenous Times.

- Media Release

Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney: First Nations’ activists condemn ongoing "colonial apartheid" in Australia
http://stoptheintervention.org/facts/press-releases/first-nations-activi...
9 Dec 14: "First Nations’ activists condemn ongoing "colonial apartheid" in Australia at Sydney forum marking UN Human Rights Day
First Nations’ activists will tell a public forum marking UN Human Rights Day in Sydney at 6pm tonight that ongoing human rights violations in Australia are the result of an entrenched "colonial apartheid system".  
The forum will examine a range of abuses against First Nations across Australia including the discriminatory NT Intervention, the erosion of land rights and proposed closure of WA communities, the increasing incarceration of Aboriginal people nation-wide and the unprecedented rates of forced Aboriginal child removal in another Stolen Generation. ...
"It needs to be understood that we, as Aboriginal people, are still under a colonial apartheid system. The incarceration of Aboriginal people is over five times higher than under South African apartheid. These are the worst black incarceration rates in the world", said President of the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) Uncle Ray Jackson. ... "

- Videos of the Event

9 December 2014 STICS Forum: Can our First Nations Peoples celebrate UN Human Rights Day?
http://stoptheintervention.org/past-events/9-12-14-human-rights-day-forum
"For Media Coverage by NITV: [expires 17 Dec 14] http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/369571395767/NITV-News-10-December-...

"Forum marking UN Human Rights Day ...
Can First Nations’ Peoples celebrate UN Human Rights Day?
* Land theft and the Intervention
* Ongoing Stolen Generations
* World’s worst incarceration rates
* No sovereignty"

"Speakers:
* Ray Jackson, President Indigenous Social Justice Association
* Aunty Debra Swan, Grandmothers Against Removals
* Chris Graham, Editor New Matilda and Associate Producer of John Pilger's ‘Utopia’
* Jeff McMullen, CEO (honorary) of Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth"

"Videos from the Event:
1. Complilation ...
2. Ray Jackson ...
3. Debra Swan ...
4. Jeff McMullen ...
5. Chris Graham coming soon ... "

- Background

Background to 'The Freedom Summit': Alice Springs 27 - 28 November 2014
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/11/29/background-to-the-freedom-summit-ali...
(Last updated: 12 December 2014)

- Background

Background to the Aboriginal sovereignty movement
https://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-soverei...
(Last updated: 29 May 2014)

- Background

Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
https://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory...
(Last updated: 27 May 2014)

- Background

Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
https://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-n...
(Last updated: 30 May 2014)

- Background

Background to 'Keeping Them Home': Campaign against Forced Aboriginal Adoption in the NT
https://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/03/background-to-keeping-them-home-camp...
(Last updated: 1 June 2014)

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)