UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Hi Everyone
Some of you will already be aware that I am now a candidate for the position of National Co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.
This may surprise a number of people because my written messages for the past six months have been questioning the adequacy of this new proposed structure and I have often talked of the need to radically change the organisation if it is to pursue self-determination policies.
It may be even more of a surprise to my close friends who heard me reject the idea that I should join as a member of this institution because of its limitations and because it has not been given sufficient mandate by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
So little more than a week ago, I pegged my nose and took the plunge. After much deliberation, and perhaps more than a small degree of procrastination, I decided that an alternative body was not going to arise from community organisers and overtake the role and importance of the National Congress. My answer was to stand for one of the highest positions in the organisation and commit myself and the organisation to be the representative, community-controlled structure that we so badly need.
Bold words indeed, and of course the words of any and all politicians to step up onto the platform and tell the voters what they are going to do for them. I am guilty of being in that crowd. I think I am also guilty of believing my own words, that I have the capacity to be such a leader. If you read my statement for the candidacy you will see I am boastful and unqualified about my greatness.
However it is now time for me to also confess that I am not worthy. Who is at this time, to earn the votes and confidence of the people to achieve the things that are so important to us as Indigenous Peoples? My only honest contribution can be to be humble in my role and a believer in the ultimate power and sensibility of the collective humanity which will move forward in these few next years.
If I am successful in my challenge for leadership, then I must immediately become a true servant of the people, and particularly of those people who doubt the National Congress and who deliberately resist putting their names on its membership list.
To talk in terms of losing my campaign, I am pleased to see that most of the candidates for the male co-chair position are close colleagues and we have often shared the discussions on the way forward in Australia. I am sure we will continue to have those discussions regardless of the outcome of the elections.
Unfortunately I am not so well acquainted with the four candidates for the woman co-chair so I can only say that I will need to keep account of my maleness and avoid any sign of prejudice or ignorance in relation to the other half of the seat of the national chair. If nothing else, the existence of two co-chairs creates a situation where the performance will be something like running in a three-legged race where the two individuals are bound to the movements of the other. I guess this will be something to write that book about.
So, having now fully confessed by rash decision to foolishly compete in a race to the finish line, I now announce that as part of my campaign I have created a 'group' page in Facebook, called "Vote 1 MALEZER". I ask that you join this group if possible and read at least some of the copious amounts of materials which I am now madly posting on that page. I am in a hurry because the ballot papers should now be received by the 'registered members' of the National Congress - I saw somewhere that there are 1900 such members - and they are able to complete and post their vote as early as 25 February 2011. That should be about the time that I complete this email and press the send button.
The ballot remains open for one month but I suspect a number of people will prefer to act quickly rather than wait too long in going to the post office to get the vote in on time. So if any members are reading my posts - which I hope will be widely re-distributed through many other networks also - please take the time to read some of my writings on that Facebook page or read my statement in the official documentation being administered by the electoral body.
The address for my Facebook group page is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_188316941208556&ap=1 or otherwise try this link.
Thank you for reading this and I would appreciate everyone's support for my ambitious project.
regards
les
NOMINATION STATEMENT
I make but one promise.
My goal is to immediately establish self-determination for the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Under my leadership local communities will be choosing their own
representatives, making their own decisions, setting their own
priorities and running their own programs. They will be making and
implementing their own plans for the short-term and the long-term.
Families will be re-established as the central unit of community
cohesion and development, and the healing of our communities will
focus upon freeing our people from prisons and foster homes and
bringing them back into safe, caring and growing environments.
Our lands, waters and territories will be secured and be the basis
for our indigenous identity. Our development as Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples will occur in our own territories on our own
terms, because we will be equal to everyone else in terms of our
political, cultural, economic and social wellbeing.
I will be guided by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. I will keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights on
the international stage. I will hold governments to account for bad
governance.
This is not a hollow boast. I have demonstrated that I can bring
in the changes that are needed, that I have the strength, capacity and
experience to change government approaches through purpose,
persistence and intelligence and through my knowledge of government,
laws, protocols and principles.
You will begin this change if you elect me as national co-chair.
This is not about my ego. It is about choosing the right person to do
the right job. Others might make wide promises but I can deliver,
without corruption or conflict, this promise to you. I am your
investment for your future and the success of your future generations.
The National Congress is not the best model. The first elected
leaders must decide if the congress is a body for the government or
for our people. I will lead the changes, as called for by the people.
I will make it into a truly representative organisation where we
choose our own representatives, where local communities are empowered
and where people can feel they are being involved and can be in
control. There will be no corruption in the congress under my
leadership.
I will bring self-determination to the table and make self-
determination the basis for our identity and survival from now on to
forever.
This is my one promise, and this promise is made to you.
Comments
Indigenous women have been defrauded by his representation
For this candidate to be "not so well acquainted with the four candidates for the woman co-chair" while "most of the candidates for the male co-chair position are close colleagues and we have often shared the discussions on the way forward in Australia" gives a fair indication of the extent to which indigenous women have been defrauded by his representation at the UN and elsewhere. And if indigenous women have been defrauded so have indigenous men. Same with Michael Ghillar Anderson's summits with no women's summit, the alleged pack rapist Geoff Clarke's leadership and the misogynist right's darling Noel Pearson's propaganda. Thank goodness Tom Calma has emerged with a model based loosely on tradition to expose these frauds. Women and men have always been "bound to the movements of the other". For the candidate to have arrived at this conclusion after all these years is nothing short of a tragedy. To term co-dependency a handicap, "a three-legged race", is even worse. Like many of his colleagues, the candidate has run his own race for too long and has no future as a leader in a world of equal opportunity.
Running with honesty about his reasons
In an imperfect world I think Les Malezer has made a good decision to run; and run with honesty about his reasons.
Candidate doesn't understand co-dependency between women and men
Of course honesty is an admirable quality, however, in this instance, the candidate honestly doesn't understand co-dependency between women and men, the very essence of a very long-standing tradition of indigenous organisational behaviour, and is therefore, in my opinion for what it's worth, unfit for leadership in an organisation attempting to revive this tradition.
Go Les!!!!!!!!!!!!
go les!!!!!!!!!!!!
we desparately need some leaders of courage, traditional courage, in this group and i urge those who have joined this group, some 1900- approx., to vote for les.
Ray Jackson
Preference for traditional co-dependeny or invader's mysogyny?
Leaders of traditional courage don't regard women as a handicap, "a three-legged race". Does the respondent's own leadership in whatever activities he's involved incorporate co-dependency with a women's council consistent with tradition or has his preference also been for the misogynist model of the invader?
Ask him
Ask him, Philip, don't impute with a loaded question. Les may not even see this posting. So, ask him.
Diet
Seeking a mandate to white-ant women's leadership
Diet, don't you mean Ray Jackson. He's the author of the comment you lifted and placed on this discussion, to which I responded. I was unsubscribed without explanation from Nobby Tobby's German socialist Redfern-Waterloo egroup, from which you lifted the comment, years ago, after expressing concern at Nobby's attempts to conceal his ownership of the group. Go ask the question yourself.
As to Les Malezer's candidature, in his full submission, also posted on Nobby's egroup, the candidate states that "The National Congress is not the best model". In his submission here, the candidate elucidates a measure of reform he appears to intend by characterising the woman chair as a handicap to male leadership with the view that "the existence of two co-chairs creates a situation where the performance will be something like running in a three-legged race where the two individuals are bound to the movements of the other." It may therefore be reasonably assumed from the candidate's own words that he is seeking a mandate to white-ant women's leadership.
Re: Les Malezer's pitch for National Co-chair of the ...
United Nations
This bloke James Anaya was obviously Influenced and Misled by the Articulate and Tricky Les Malezer long before he arrived here in Australia. Les has been travelling overseas for a few years now. Presenting and Misrepresenting himself ( unchallenged ) as some sort of Spokes Person or Representative of the Aboriginal and Islander People of Australia. He has stated that he has a Mandate. This is Not True and he knows it. Les has gotten a lot of mileage from his association with the now, De-funded and Defunct FAIRA. Where a few of his relations and friends were members and kept voting the same board back in !! What was Anaya's view on poverty in Australia? ( $1.20 a day ) As everyone here gets A$35 a day minimum on the dole. With more than fifty ( 50 ) venues for free food including BBQs and hot meals in inner city Brisbane alone !! No doubt Les Neglected to Mention this to him !!
Les Malezer is a serial “Misrepresentation by Omision” Offender. For more info,www.whitc