WGAR News: Stories from the long grass: The daily struggle to survive for Darwin's growing number of homeless Indigenous people: Ruby Jones, ABC News

Submitted by WGAR - Working ... on Tue, 30/06/2015 - 7:45pm

Newsletter date: 1 July 2015

* Crisis Support - Talk to Someone - 24-hours/day 7-days/week:
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WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

- Stories & Photos

ABC News: Stories from the long grass: The daily struggle to survive for Darwin's growing number of homeless Indigenous people
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-29/darwins-homeless-longrassers-tell-...
29 Jun 15: "Despite a resources boom, there are more people sleeping rough in Darwin than ever before. They are waiting longer for public housing and are subject to new laws that, critics say, are designed to target the homeless and criminalise public drunkenness. Here, homeless people are known as "longrassers". These are some of their stories. ... " By Ruby Jones

"Ruby Jones is a journalist with ABC News in Darwin. She started her career reporting from Alice Springs, where she covered several high profile crime and court cases. She was cadet in the Darwin newsroom in 2013, and now reports on a range of topics in the Top End, including politics, social affairs, and breaking news."

- Video

Odyssey Visuals, YouTube: Homeless friendly precincts campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7seoNzttneY
29 Jun 15: "Homeless friendly precincts and homeless friendly cities and towns are the very least that at any decent society should ensure for those without shelter, for those children, families and individuals homeless on our streets. The campaign for homeless friendly precincts, just that little sliver of human dignity, has begun. To find out more go to thestringer.com.au and to join the campaign contact Gerry Georgatos and Jennifer Kaeshagen - contact@thestringer.com.au - video compiled by Dommy Hammond"

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Before we help ourselves further, we must help the homeless - their story is our story
http://thestringer.com.au/before-we-help-ourselves-further-we-must-help-...
27 Jun 15: "Could Australia lead the way with homeless friendly precincts and homeless friendly cities and towns? Yes, it can. We were not put on this earth to betray one another but as long as we turn away our most needy, most vulnerable, the homeless then indeed we do betray one another. I have been meeting with mayors, parliamentarians and bureaucrats in the campaign for homeless friendly precincts and homeless friendly cities – just a little bit of human dignity that we should ensure for those who are without their right to shelter, to a home. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Thousands of homeless children, toddlers are the forgotten on Australia’s streets
http://thestringer.com.au/thousands-of-homeless-children-toddlers-are-th...
26 Jun 15: "Thousands, tens of thousands of children are forgotten by far too many, by our governments, in this nation, in the world’s 12th largest economy - one of the world’s wealthiest nations. In general, Australians have little idea of how many children under the age of 12 years are on our streets – homeless – of how many large families are on our streets - homeless. More than 20,000 children under the age of 12 years are homeless - this is a moral abomination. ... " By Gerry Georgatos

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Child, youth and adult suicide on the increase - it will get worse unless we address social health, equality & stay truthful
http://thestringer.com.au/child-youth-and-adult-suicide-on-the-increase-...
28 Jun 15: "We cannot continue on the quiet about suicidal behaviour – it is on the increase. It is estimated that daily a thousand Australians think about suicide. It is only going to get worse. Why? Contextually, we are doing ever so little about suicide prevention – and a good part of suicide prevention is improving the lot people live within. The causes to suicide are multifactorial but the major underlying factor in far too many suicides is extreme poverty. This continent’s First Peoples are dying by suicide at among the world’s highest suicide rates. Their poverty is a racialised one. When we disaggregate demographically, we find the Kimberley’s First Peoples and far north Queensland’s First Peoples are dying of suicide at the world’s highest rates. ... " By Gerry Georgatos

- News Analysis

The Stringer: Western Australia to introduce Custody Notification Service - at long last
http://thestringer.com.au/western-australia-to-introduce-custody-notific...
24 Jun 15: "Not there yet, but getting there – the long haul to introduce the Custody Notification Service in Western Australia – where it is truly needed has culminated in the announcement today that the CNS will soon be implemented. Most importantly the Custody Notification Service will help all those far too many people who are arrested and detained in police lockups. The Custody Notification Service will also be welcomed by the Western Australian Police Union of whom many of their members believe the CNS protocols will relieve many of their officers of a heavy burden of judgement calls they should not have to make – on health, welfare and legal issues. ... " By Gerry Georgatos

- Bio

Gerry Georgatos - The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/gerry-georgatos-contributing-editor-and-journa...
"Gerry Georgatos is a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, and a multi-award winning investigative journalist. His predominant work is in suicide prevention research and in unveiling racism and in articulating the ways forward. ... His social justice campaigns include his ongoing work with the homeless, asylum seekers, people in prison and post-release, his anti-drugs campaigns, fighting racism and discrimination, and his freedom of speech campaigns. Gerry has completed two Masters trying to understand racism and the ways forward. He has fought a number of campaigns, often at great personal toll, in trying to eliminate racism, ... Gerry is currently completing a PhD on Australian Custodial Systems and Australian Deaths in Custody. ... "

- Bio

Jennifer Kaeshagen - The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/production-manager-contributing-editor-writer-...
"Jennifer Kaeshagen is an award winning documentary filmmaker. She has Unit Co-Ordinated, Lectured and Tutored in Media and Communications Studies at The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle and Murdoch University, and is currently completing her PhD - The phenomenology of the biopic. Jennifer is the Founder of The Stringer. Jennifer is The Stringer’s Principal Editor and Producer. Jennifer contributes irregularly articles to The Stringer however also coordinates various advocacy through The Stringer. Jennifer has been successful in housing homeless families and individuals and currently coordinates The First Nations Homelessness Project."

- About

The Stringer’s Editorial policy
[scroll down page] http://thestringer.com.au/about-us
"Independent news media contributes to the unfolding landscape of human rights and social justice. It is The Stringer’s aim to provide every opportunity to the rise of voices that far too often are denied. If The Stringer believes in the importance of a story we will sustain coverage - this is what The Stringer terms through-care journalism. The Stringer has become known for breaking stories that others initially were not prepared to investigate and report. The Stringer’s contributors are experts in their fields, our policy is to not indulge armchair journalism. The Stringer looks forward to working as hard as we can to bring to you the stories that matter. ... "

- Donate

Stand with one who stands with us by Nadine Schoen - GoFundMe
http://www.gofundme.com/StandwithGerry
"Dear Friends,
Please let's not forget Gerry Georgatos while he continues to fight for the rights of the First People's of this country, he is still being hammered by litigation costs that are spiralling. His work is not done and he still needs your help. Please support him and stand by a warrior who stands for everyone else but himself. Much Respect
Nadine "

- Background

WGAR Background to Suicide and Self-harm in First Nations Communities
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/24/wgar-background-to-suicide-and-self-...
(last updated: 21 June 2015)

WGAR Background: Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal deaths in custody
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/24/wgar-background-justice-reinvestment...
(last updated: 21 June 2015)

- Crisis Support - Talk to Someone - 24-hours/day 7-days/week :

Emergency:
For immediate assistance when life may be in danger
Call 000
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/emergency

Lifeline's 24/7 hotline
13 11 14
Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention services
https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/

Suicide Call Back Service
1300 659 467
Twenty-four hours a day seven days a week
The Suicide Call Back Service provides free nationwide professional telephone and online counselling for anyone affected by suicide.
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/

Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
Depression. Anxiety.
Talk it through with us, day or night
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support

Useful national contact numbers - Suicide Prevention Crisis Contacts
http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Suicide_Pr...

Mens Line
1300 78 99 78
MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online support and information service for Australian men
http://www.mensline.org.au/

Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800
aged 5 - 25 yrs
http://www.kidshelp.com.au/

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:

* The Freedom Summit's National Freedom Movement;
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA), [and Northern Territory (NT)?];
* Treaties with Aboriginal Sovereign Nations of Australia;
* 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;
* Removal of Aboriginal children and the continuing Stolen Generation;
* Aboriginal peoples and the impact of the Australian Federal Budget;
* 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.

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